Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-24
Taft Directs Inquiry as to
Rail Movement in
Philadelphia.
MOVE FOR PEACE ON
Ministers Take the Initiative
Looking to Arbitration of
the Issues.

Washington, Feb. 24.-Attorney Gen.
eral Wickersham, upon instructions
from President Taft, has directed the
United States attorney at Philadelphia
terference with mails during the
strike.
Orders Arrests.
The president also caused the
United States attorney at Philadelphia
to be directed to see that the mail
agencies are not interfered with and
to cause the arrest and exert every
effort to secure the conviction of any
one attempting TO interfere with the
mail in any way, and see that the gov
ernment's contract with the Philadel-
phia Rapid Transit company is car
ried out
Clergy Move for Peace.
Philadelphia, Feb. 24.-The nrsr
open move to settle the strike was
made today when a committee OF
clergymen of many denominations pro
posed arbitration, suggesting arbitra-
tion either by board composed of
the state railroad commission and four
others, or a board made up of business
and professional men. No reply has
yet been received
State Police on Hand.
Philadelphia, Pa, Feb. 24-Mounted
and amply equipped for any kind of
sefxice four companies of the Pennsyl~'
vania state police. 200 men, arrived
today to assist the local authorities in
maintaining order. The troopers are
all picked men, veterans of the regular
army, who have seen riot duty in all
parts of the state.
An incident of the early morning
was an arrest by Mayor Reyburn and
a detective of two men they caught
placing distractions on street railway
tracks.
Police Admit Defeat.
Philadelphia, Pa, Feb. A.-The po-
lice officials of this city yesterday vir-
tually acknowledged their inability to
cope with the present situation when
a request was made of John G.
Groome. superintendent of the state
police, that the 200 members of his
command be brought to this city for
police duty.
For the first time during the strike
the Rapid Transit company succeeded
In running its cars until o'clock on
the Frankford line. which penetrates
this unruly territory. AT that hour
cars on all lines were returned TO the
barns.
-Four Omcers to a Car.
-Four policemen guarded each car on
this line and the pick of the city's
detective force patroled the route all
day in automobiles. These men sue
ceeded in restoring a semblance of
order where the state Fencibles had
failed ignominiously the day before.
Whenever a group of men formed any
where on the street the detectives
rushed in and followed the. ringlead-
ers, even into houses, until they cap
tured them In spite of the vigilance
of the police many car windows we're
broken by missiles thrown from houses
and the company was finally obliged
to send its cars along this route with
sheet iron windows in place of the
usual glass panes.
Riots in Several Districts.
While the police were busy keeping
tracks clear in Kensington, the lines
in other parts of the city were run on |
reduced schedules and on several of |
the west Philadelphia and downtown |
lines no attempt was made to run |
cars all day. although these sections |
were comparatively quiet. The shop |
ping district on Market street, in the |
heart of the city, again was the scene |
Of almost continuous disturbances,
especially at the noon hour No one |
was seriously injured however.