Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-04-07
STRIKERS SEEKING
! ARRESTED YOUTHS
] MENACE SUMMIT
Fsremen pisobey Mayors Or
der to Disperse Large Crowds
With Water.

Special to the Evening star.
SUMMIT, April Z. Much ado
about nothing might be said TO ac-
carately describe the scenes which
tlArl.ed the old town topsy turvy early
ast night. A believing mob of strik-
ing silk workers, and men, women
and children numbering more than
ape hundred marching through the
streets in the centre of the city,
faightened Mayor Francis II. Bergen
ato ordering a riot call sounded on
tAes fire companies.
Nearly a hundred firemen, includ-
Ing the fire wardens with all Of the
fire apparatus in the city, rushed to
Ice City Hall. Then Mayor Bergen
ordered Fire Chief Charles II. Wilson
IS have the firemen turn streams Of
;aater on the crowds which blocked
Springfield and Summit avenues near
the City Hall.
Disobay Mayors Command.
The fire chief refused TO comply
With the mayors order and for fully
n hour the eity's executive pleaded
With the firemen to obey his COM
lland or take their apparatus back to
The fire houses. Finally the members
r Union Hose Company connected a
likle of hose with the hydrant at
Springfield and Summit avenues. but
20 water was turned on. Meanwhile
The members OF Chemical Engine
first called out by Chief of Police
George w. Brown, We're stationed
near the home of Mayor Bergen to
prevent a crowd of strikers from
reaching his home.
Instead of dispensing the mob of
strikers and their sympathizers, whose
march to the City Hall was due to
heir belief that three of their fellow
strikers who had been taken in GUS
tpdy by sheriff's deputies were in jail
a the City Hail. the ringing of the
ire alarm served only to increase the
arpwds until probably two thousand
uersons blocked the sidewalks and
streets adjacent to the City Hall.
No yiolance Used.
The strikers or their sympathiZers
resorted to no violence, and except for
cries in their native tongue, which
eDuld be heard for blocks, there were
10 signs OF rioting or law violation.
When the strikers and their SYM
pathizers learned what the firemen
rad been summoned for and found
that the firemen refused to act for the
mayor their leaders insisted that they
he shown through the Jail so that they
might see for themselves whether
their fellow strikers were confined in
the cells. This privilege was accorded
a dozen Of the strikers by direction
of Mayor Bergen, and d short time
later the crowd dispersed.
After the firemen had refused to
turn water on the mass of people and
While Mayor Bergen stood overawed
among the obdurate tiremen Fire
Chief Wilson caused an alarm of fire
%. be turned in from box 81, which is
located in Morris avenue, near Aubrey
street. in the section in which many
ofsthe strikers live, as a ruse to draw
the strikers away from the City Hall.
This effort proved futile for the
strikers and the hundreds of citi-
zehs who had gathered in the neigh
borhood of the City Hall were de-
ter1nined not to miss anything in the
way Of a thrill.
The arrest of John George, Alec
Rosen and Maran Michael by the
sheriff's deputies shortly after the
sink mills closed at o'clock pre-
Gpitated last nights trouble.
The young men are charged with
having stoned the home Of Rev. Paul
ESassar, the Syrian priest, who was
4x. and whom the strikers and their
5snpathizers allege has been re-
ssonsible for importing scabs and
.ike- breakers here. In making the
rests the sheriff's deputies are al
legcd to have used their clubs freely
an the heads of the youths. The
prisoners were handcuffed and
marched a quarter of a mile to an
automobile in which they were
hustled to the Union county Jail in
Elizabeth.
Seek Arrested Strikers,
Believing the young men had been
taken to the local lookup, as has all
4ther strikers or strike breakers who
nave been arrested the strikers
QUICKLY decided to visit the City Hall
fad secure the release of their fel-
iow strikers on bail. Long before the
arrival of the crowd at the City Hall
1heir shouts could be heard. With
s1nly four regular policemen on hand,
Chief Brown did his best to persuade
the crowd to disperse. The crowd
jcattered and fully 100 of the shrek
ihg men, women and children started
aor Mayor Bergen's home.
lit was then Chief Brown turned in
lie call for the Chemical Engine
sompany and gave them orders to
Prevent the mob from reaching the
4ty executives home.
When Fire Chief Wilson arrived ne
declared he would not direct the fire.
men to turn water on the crowd un-
less he was ordered to do so by Coun-
,lnan Frederick II. Doremus, chair
iHan of the fire and police committee,
Firemen Answer Back.
stsWill you refuse to aid in suppress
Ing lawlessness and anarchy" asked
the mayor of Chief Wilson.
s.aThese men are volunteer flremen
md they viii not turn a stream of
Sater on these people. Anyway, what
4re they doing that we should turn
sFater on them?" retorted the chief.
f"Will you, quarrel at a time like
this about whom you shall take or
sers from? VIII you please turn the