Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-11-11
NOR
. DESTROYS CARS
Striking Street Railway
Employees and Friends
Engage in Riot
POLICE POWERLESS
TO CHECK CROWDS
Effort Is Made to Burr.
Lodging Place Used by
the Strikebreakers


riot reigned supreme here for Ave
hours late Saturday night and early
Sunday morning, resulting in great
property loss at the hands OF the
rioters which will cost the taxpayers
OF this city many thousands OF dollars
because Of the destruction OF almost
the entire rolling stock OF the local
traction company. whose employees are
striking. For the space Of Ave hours
the city was entirely at the mercy OF
the mob that ranged between 1000 and
1000 men and boys. Attorney Cen
|eral Cosson has been sent here by
Governor Clarke to make an investiga-
tion OF the affair and already more
than 100 names have been secured
which will be turned over to special
session Of the grand Jury that has been
called for Tuesday to look into the
case and thoroughly investigate the
cause OF the riot and indict those re-
sponsible.
4s-A W. VIZ Wi Ov NOUlWISSI0u.
So completely was the city at the
mercy OF the mob that the police ana
fre departments, the county oficers
and citizens were powepfess to cope
with the mad crowd OF destroyers. K
The pillage OF the rioters extended to
all OF the rolling stock Of the COM ]
1pany. One car was completely de-
stroyed by fire and another, new
steel car that was on skids being
removed from the railroad car. was
burned. Only the steel shell and such
material as Is not inf1ammable IN the
construction Of the car was left. All
the other cars Of the traction company
had windows broken and were other
wise damaged The street car service
is entirely out of commission and the
company Is unable to use any OF its
rolling stock Today the management
is silent as to it's nlans for the future.
The lighting and heating service is
uninterrupted The loss OF the prom
erty to the company can be recovered
from the tax payers Of Oskaioosa be-
cause OF lack of police protection.
Started by Strangers.
The riot started with the advent OF
about a dozen strangers about the car
barns late Saturday night These
men began to hoot at and call the
strike breakers "scabs." SO quickly
did the spirit Of mob spread. that with
in an hour there were 1900 men
crowded within The block between the
Lacey hotel and the CITY hall Who
the leaders were Is not known as all
seemed to be strangers.
in the fight that ensued between the
rioters and the strike breakers police
and citizens, six strike breakers were
so badly injured that surgical atten-
tiOn was needed, and one OF them is
thought to have been nearly killed.
Several citizens were hurt and the Of
ficers all show signs OF the conflict
Threaten to Burn Hotel
Following the burning Of car that
had been showed as.ay from the busl-
ness district, the mob then turned with
the intention of attacking and setting
fire to the Harris hotel where the
strike breakers have been making
their headOuarters. There were TWEEN
ty-seven Of the strike breakers wituin
the building and they were desperate.
They were armed and prepared to de-
fend themselves with firearms II neces-
sary: The mob was only stayed by
the determined action of the police
wha announced that the first man
tod make move toward entering
the hotel would be met with q
yolley Of bullets. For an hour the mob
and rolice stood at defiance before the
building and then the former gradually
dispersed and finally disappeared.
The hre department when called to
fight the mob was met with repulss
after repulse. Faster than the hose
ac.ld 10 laved the mob cut 1t and AN
ally false alarm calling the depart
ment to a part of the city far distant
from the scene Of carnage, left the
mob In control of the situation with
the police, county officers and citi-
zens feebly resisting the wild destroy
ers. The fire department hastened
back from the phony call and were en-
abled to PLAY sufficient water on the
steel ca, that was being burned to
save other property adjacent before
the hose was again cut
Interest in the affair is at a high
pitch since the riot was Quelled and the
coming investigation by the attorney
general and the special grand Jury is
waited with expectation OF what 1t Will
reveal. The strike breakers all LETT
the city.