Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-21
Sunday Mobs Destroy
Street Car Property at
Philadelphia
RESULT OF THE STRIKE
Comparative Quiet Follows Day
of Rioting and Operations
Are Resumed.

Philadelphia, Feb. 21.-In spite Of
yesterdays severe rioting the Phila-
delphia Rapid Transit company start
ed early its morning schedule today
without apparent interruption by strik-
ers or their sympathizers. Motormen
and conductors, who had slept in the
barns on cots provided by the com
pany. manned the cars protected by
policemen on both platforms Not R
missile was thrown, however, on the
early morning trips. The cars car
ried few passenge
Claims Do Not Agree.
The strikers claim 6,400 men out
Of about 1000 are on strike and that
the company is running cars with
strike breakers and power house en-
ployes. The company declares 1t is
operating 500 cars with its own en-
ployes and has imported no men.
Blow Up a Car.
Philadelphia, Pa, Feb. 21-There
was a serious riot in the mill district
this afternoon. Dynamite was ex-
ploded under a car and it was broken
and completely wrecked. There were
no passengers and previous to the dy
namiting the mob ordered the crew off
the car. The police arrived and with
drawn revolvers cowed the mob. Sew
eraI arrests were made
Destroy 297 Cars.
Philadelphia, Feb. 21.-Two hun
dred and ninety-seven cars destroy
ed, scores of persons injured, and1 so
strike sympathiZers arrested is the
result of the second days rioting
in connection with the strike of the
employees of the Philadelphia Rapid
Transit company yesterday.
The disorders stopped only when
the company last night decided not
to attempt to operate its lines until
today. BY the time this decision was
made conditions had become so ser
ious that Mayor Reyburn had sworn
in 5000 extra police and had issued
a proclamation enforcing the riot
act and placing the city under what
practically was martial law.
Decide on General strike.
The traction company has demand
ed the protection of the city in oper-
ating its lines and in answer to this
the executive committee of the Cen
tral Labor union yesterday decided
to call a sympathetic strike of every
union man in the city in case the
authorities put in effect their threat
to operate the cars with policemen
and firemen.
The most seriously injured person
in yesterdays rioting was 13 year
Did Viola Beaven, who was shot in
the abdomen by a stray bullet from
4 policeman's revolver, as she was
stepping from her home at 929 North
Thirteenth street, while a mob was
attacking five trolley cars in front
Of the house.
Second Girl Victim.
One other victim of the rioting wa,
L girl. She was Mary Devlin. aged
8. The girl was hit in the leg by a
stray bullet from pOliceman's re-
volver. which was fired while the Of
ficers were attempting to check a mob
trying to destroy cars at Twenty-sixth
and Wharton streets.
George Feltsaup. aged % years. a
nurse in the Friends asylum. also
was struck by a stray bullet while
Fastening to a train. His condition /
is not regarded as critical.
The rioting was widespread. out
breaks occurring in practically every
section of the city. Passengers and .
crews We're driven from the cars by .
nfuriated mobs of strike sympathiz-
ars, and in scores of instances the
abandoned cars were burned or 9th
erwise destroyed.
Peace in Morning.
During the morning cars were run
with little difficulty except in the
mill district of Kensington, where
ears were stoned. At II o'clock the
transit company officials announced .
hat cars were running on their reg
ular Sunday schedule, but shortly af-
terwards riots were reported from
scores of widely separated localities.
At Twenty-sixth and Wharton
streets in the southern section of the
city. a mob of boys drove the con-
ductor and motorman from their
posts, and after the four women pas
sengers had left the car, set it on
fire with waste taken from a nearby
freight ear. The following car was
also stopped and was being set on
fire when a detachment of police and
a chemical engine -eached the scene.
ClOEe Attention to Details.
Close attention to details was
shown by those engaged in wrecking
and burning the cars. Before the
first car was burned freight car on