Evening star., 1913-11-02
GAR STRIKE RIOTS
BIND INDIANAPOLIS
Mob Of 5000, including Wom-
en-, Battles in the Streets,
ParaIyzing Traffic.
GOV. RALSTON REFUSES
AID TO MAYOR SHANK
Claims Police Not Doing Full Duty.
Gompers Blames Company for
Violence.

ne strlke or the employees of the Indian
apolis Traction and Terminal Company,
called late last night, has tied up street
car traffic completely since noon today.
No effort was made by the company to
move its cars after the first few sent out
this morning were stoned by strike SYM
pathizers
All cars on the thirteen interurban lines
which run into the heart of the city over
the lines Of the traction company were
stopped at the city limits.
Deserted street cars standing in the
downtown streets were made the objects
of attack by strike sympathizers and
many window glasses were broken.
Union Disapproves Violence.
Many persons expressed the belief that
no attempt would be made to re-estabNsh
street car service until after the municipal
election to be held here Tuesday.
President William G. Beatty of the Cen
trail Labor Union also telephoned the gov
ernor, saying that the union disapproved
of violence and charged that the police
were at fault in not dispensing the crowds
and preserving order.
Should the company care to make an
ing. Supt. Hyland of the police depart
ment said tonight. he would try to give
them enough policemen to prevent riot
ing.
Gov. Ralston Refuses to Act.
Gov. Samuel M. Ralston emphatically
refused early tonight to take any action
In the street car strike. He told Mayor
Shank. who admitted that the situation
was beyond control by the city authori-
ties. that the police were not doing their
full duty and that If they would not do
their duty to appeal to Sheriff Theodore
Pertteus Of Marion county for aid. The
mayor tonight conferred with the sheriff,
but no decision was reached.
No attempt was made tonight to use
the 400 strikebreakers brought into the
city this afternoon on a special train
from Chicago. President Robert l. Todd
of the street railway company said to-
night that he was prepared to start the
cars at any time he was offered adequate
police protection for the cars.
Mob Of 5000 In Riot.
For more than an hour late today q
mob. estimated at 5000 persons, fought
In the downtown business section before
1t could be broken up by the mounted
police.
The trouble started when Joe Hinch-
man, an inspector for the car company,
tried to repair a broken trolley pole on
car standing at Meridian and Wash
ington streets.
The mop pulled Hinchman from the car
and started to drag him to the union
headquarters when he was rescued at
Illinois and Washington streets by the
police.
The crowd started to take the inspec-
tor away from the police and the officers
had to shoot in the air to drive the
crowd back. The crowd continued riot
ing and fighting the police until mounted
, reserves arrived.
At a meeting of business men with
Mayor Shank and his advisers the ad
visibility OF closing the saloons unit
the strike is settled was considered, but
no action was taken.
Women Take Prominent Part.
Thousands Of men and women walked
the streets tonight wearing placards
which read: I'VE walk; do you?
Women took a prominent part in the
disorder. They stood in the crowd, de-
Tying the police and strikebreakers
Although vehicles Of every description
were pressed into service, the great
majority Of the Indianapolis laboring
people. who did not join the mob that sur
rounded the Louisiana street car barns.
where the strikebreakerS are quartered,
walked home tonight.
That the federal government may take
a hand in the strike was intimated in a
statement by Post Office Inspector Will
liam T. Fletcher. The car company has
a contract with the government to collect
the mail from a number Of substations.
inspector Fletcher declared that the mails
must be collected on schedule. and II they
were not that the government would start
an investigation and make arrests If
necessary.
Gompers Blames Company.
CHICAGO, November l. Samuel
Gompers. president of the American