New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-06
MObS Fill Streets. Beat Scores
of Persons and Destroy
Much Property.
WOMEN AMONG ASSAIlANTS
Men of Two Trolley Lines Walk
Out Suddenly-Hundreds of
Policemen Kept Busy
Making Arrests.


a strike yesterday by the employees of
the Coney Island & Brooklyn Railroad
Company. Riots and assaults were nu-
merous. strikers attacking strike break
ers and smashing car windows with
stones, bottles and other missiles.
Women figured in the wild scenes of the
day. several leading storming parties. all
Of the 'scabs" and shouting encourage
ment to the more violent Of the strikers.
who proved by their acts that they
needed no such stimulation. one woman
was arrested and held and several strike
leaders were sent TO the workhouse.
Two of the companys lines practically
were tied up.
The entire reserve police force Of the
borough was called out, and surgeons
were kept busy in improvised hospitals
at the scenes Of trouble and in the regu-
lar hospitals in attending TO the bruises
and the wounds Of a large number Of
persons
In no labor trouble in Brooklyn since
the great Brooklyn Rapid Transit strike
of 1895. when six thousand men went
out, when the state troops were en-
listed in the duty of protecting life and
property and when dynamite was used
in an effort to blow up section Of the
elevated line on Fifth avenue. at Green
wood Cemetery. have such scenes OF
lawlessness been witnessed as those
which caused SO much Inconvenience 70
the public and such general turmoil, in
jury and destruction yesterday. As IN
the strike Of 1895. and in the rather
abortive Brooklyn Rapid Ira SIT strike
of 1899, according 10 the more sober
minded leaders Of the present strike. the
idle and the vicious, mostly young hood
lunos of the poorer sections Of the bor-
ough. took advantage yesterday OF the
situation to resort TO violence. though IL
was admitted that the more excitable
strikers had at times acted lawlessly.
The railroad company drew attention
TO the fact that the entire trouble was
caused by the action Of hardly four nun
dred men. the employees OF the smith
street and of the Franklin avenue lines
of the road The men Of the Dehalo
avenue line refused 10 go on strike
though they declined to take their cars
as far as Coney Island making the end
of their route at Prospect Park. AS
result Of the tie-up Of the other two lines
OF the system the company will lose the
nickels Of more than hundred thousand
persons who usually take the lines
named on Saturdays and Sundays for
Coney Island.
Demand Increase in Pay.
The strikers had demanded an in
crease Of pay from 23 to % cents an
hour when the company. in June. sub
mitted the agreement between itself and
its employees. which had been in effect
the year before. After obtaining some
minor concessions the men Of the De-
Kalb avenue line signed the agreement.
hut those OF the other two lines refused
absolutely 10 do so. though negotiations
we're continued between them and the
company practically up 10 the time Of
the declaration of the strike, at o'clock
Yesterday morning. The last offer Of
the company was to grant TO their dis
satisfied men the rate of the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit Company, which provides
for sliding scale of from % 20 - cents
an hour. according 10 seniority in ser
vice among its employees. The men in
sisted upon fat rate Of - cents an
hour. This being refused, the strike was
declared. All told. the company has
only eight hundred men in It's employ.
in the summer the Smith street line is
the best paying one Of the three in the
system.
When the ultimatum of the strikers
was served upon the officials Of the road
President :. W Huf. OF the company,
and his colleagues appealed to the po-
lice. and several hundred patrolmen from
the reserves Of five precincts, through
which the Smith street lines pass, were
sent out 70 protect the strike breakers
and the stables and other property OF
the company As the scenes Of violence
became more frequent. this number was
added 10 from time TO time until, by
dusk. fifteen hundred patrolmen were on
strike duty.
In 9th street. from Fourth avenue 10
Prospect Park. patroimen were stationed
ten feet apart. and from that point,
stretching all along Coney Island ave-
nue 10 the island itself. they were placed
nifty feet apart All the men were in
charge of Inspector Robert ]. Dooley,
whose work was directed from the state
street Police Headquarters by Deputy
commissioners Mckay and Walsh, the
after i'm charge of Brooklyn.
Following the declaration Of the strike,
!. Shea. the leader Of the strik-
ars. issued this statement:
W. had exhausted every honorable
rraans "a bring about settlement. but
we're unable 10 get the company 10 con-
sent 10 peaceful arbitration. We saw the
civic Federation ana the state boa1u o.
A rbitratlon. but the company would not
hear OF arbitration through these boards.
we sent "A committee 10 Mayor Gaynor
and the Mayor wrote letter TO PRESIDENT
Jiuff of the company, Offering to act as
mediator -
President Hun replied that he saw no
,ecessitv for arbitration, and az all other
rnears failed US We were forced 10 start
our strike this morning anu we h'enu W
fight il out 10 the end.
Strikers Attack Grow.
The first rioting Of yesterday began
u, hen the company attempted To send
,ut cars manned by strike breakers. At
Fifth avenue and 9th street a crowd OF
strikers and their sympathizers stopped
, ,,. hound for Coney Island I'm charge