The New York herald., 1921-11-05
Entrenched Gang Rains Stones
on Milk Wagons; Shots
Follow Defiance.
TWO MEN HELD FOR RIOT
Ninety Bottles Hurled Into
GrOcer's WindOw-Crowds
Cheers Jail Sentences.

The first pitched battle between
striking milk drivers and the police
occurred yesterday afternoon at sum
ner avenue and Kosciusko street,
Brooklyn, when three route wagons,
starting out to peddle milk, were set
upon by a crowd of strikers. The
drivers. entrenched in a building ex-
cavation and behind piles of lumber,
showered stones and bricks at the
wagons. They were not beaten off
Until the policemen had fired more
than thirty shots. Two policemen
were injured slightly in the battle and
fifteen arrests were made, two of the
prisoners being held without bail for
trial. ~.
The wagons, bound for the Bedford
section. had just left the plant of the
Borden's Farm Products Company, at
sI2 De Kalb averue. A policeman
was guarding each one. Just as the
wagons rounded the corner of Kos
ciusko street into Sumner avenue
stones and bricks rained upon them.
The drivers ducked under the seats.
but the policemen stood out on the
running boards brandishing their
pistols In the faces of the strikers.
stop throwing or wen shoot the
policemen shouted.
GO ahead and shoot" was the strik-
..ers' retort
Policemen Fire mt strikers.
And the policemen did. The shots
were heard In Beth Moses Hospital
block away. from where a riot call was
turned In. Capt. William A. Sullivan
Of the Gates avenue station arrived with
the police reserves to find the three po-
licemen still battling the entrenched
strikers. Two of the policemen. Harold
Kearns and Frank Conklin. had been hit
with stones. The policemen were afraid
10 fire directly at the strikers for fear
of hitting some passerby.
Fifteen men were rounded up by the
reserves and loaded into the patrol
wagon. Two OF the strikers, William
Joos of 1920 George street, Ridgewood.
and John Eichler of 154 South Third
street. Brooklyn, were charged with riot
ing. Magistrate McClosky said in hold
ing them without bail that the lawless-
ness resulting from the milk strike must
stop. Kearns and Conklin, the injured
policemen. were attended by an am
bulance surgeon.
crowd that filled jefferson Market
Court broke into cheers that lasted for
five minutes when Magistrate William A.
Sweetser sent nine strikers TO the Work
house for having attacked a milk driver
early Wednesday at Eighth avenue and
Twenty fourth street. Seven OF the pris-
oners were sentenced TO five days and
the other two to fifteen days each.
Morris Finando, a dairyman OF 159
East Houston street. was making his
way back to his store with a load OF
milk when strikers attacked him and
hurled ninety bottles of milk through
his store window A number OF women
and children in the street at the time
escaped injury. Policeman Miele of the
Fifth street station arrested Edward
Nolan, aged %. Of 35f West Eighteenth
street, while aiming bottle at the
window. He was held In $500 ball for
trial by Magistrate Renauu.
Fined for Attacking Grocer.
Louis Hoffman. a striker. OF 1880
Bathgate avenue. was fined $40 by Mag
istrate Ryttcnbcrg In Harlem Court for
having attacked Nathan Fellner owner
Of a grocery store at 1913 Vyse avenue.
at Lexington avenue and 1880 street
Fellner was carrying twelve bottles OF
milk which were smashed by Hoffman.
Harry Kessler. aged 32. striker. OF
1924 Webster avenue, The Bronx. was
,laced on probation for six months by
Magistrate Marsh for having tried TO
telze a grocery wagon loaded with milk.
As during the previous days of the
strike. the violence was sporadic In all
boroughs and was reported from other
points along Long Island. such as Port
Washington. where two men were held
in SIS, 600 bail for attacking n milk dealer
There was not so much dumping OF milk
in the streets. however. as during the
first three days The crowds at the
arre depots were not so numerous. as
the increased distribution In many in
stances brought the milk TO the neigh
borhood grocery store.
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Tonight. "Beaux Arts" so West 10th