| OCR Text |
Show PRESIDENT TAFT NAY ORDER TROOPS SENT TO PHILADELPHIA Instructs United States Attorney to See That Mail Cars Are Not Interfered With Big Strike Gains National Importance Clergymen Propose Arbitration ment stores has laid off more than 200 employes. The Transit company appeared tc have more ears in operation during the inornlug than at any time since the strike started. . The weather was clear and cold. The cars also seemed to be better patronized. At 9 o'clock the Transit company claimed It had C3u cars in operation, or 10.1 more than at the same hour yesterdny. They Stone a Car. The first disturbance of the day no cuned In West Philadelphia. wher men, women and children Joined in stoning a car. No one was hurt. Ono man was arrested. The mayor niab bis first arrest while Inspecting streets, after lealnq the city hall early this morning. Twa men placing ewr pipe on the ear tracks were discovered by the mayor, and, aided by Detective McFadden, were held until' a patrol wagon could be summoned. They were locked up. The barricade was half completed when the major rode up In an automobile. auto-mobile. The mayor and Detective McFaA den, who Is known as the mayor"! body guard, sprang from the auto and seized the law breakers, tho chauffer taking them to the station. Washington, Feb. 24 The President Presi-dent today directed that the United States attorney at Philadelphia be ordered or-dered to see that mail agencies arc-not arc-not Interfered with during the strike; to cause the arrest and exert every effort to secure the conviction of any one attempting to interfere with the I mall In any way, and to see that the government's contract with the Philadelphia Phila-delphia Rapid Transit company is carried out. Taft Will Make No Reply. Washington, Feb. 21. President Taft will make no reply to the telegram tele-gram received from the street car men at Philadelphia. This telegram merely stated the strikers were not responsible for anv Interference with tho handling of United States mall, as they offered union men to run tho mail cars and the company refused The telegram was referred to La bor Commissioner Nelll and the post-office post-office department informed of Its contents con-tents Investigation Ordered. Washington, Feb. 24. Attorney-General Attorney-General WIckersham, acting on instructions in-structions from President Taft, has directed the United States attorney at Philadelphia to report at his earliest ear-liest convenience whether there has been any interference with the United States malls during the strike of the street car employes. Philadelphia, Feb. 2 4. The first open raoe to bring alOiit a settlement settle-ment of the street ear strike In this city was made today, when a committee commit-tee composed of clergymen of many denominations offered two plans to the company and tho strikers. The flirt plan calls for a board of arbitration, to be composed of two Judges, two clergymen, two business men and a seventh member to be chosen by the other sixth. It is proposed pro-posed that each side select three of the arbitrators Among the clergymen in the movement move-ment are Bishop Luther Wilson of the Methodist Episcopal church. Rabbi Rab-bi Krauskopf and Archbishop Rynn. A man was arrested in the northern north-ern part of the city today on a charge of attempting to dynamite cars It 1r said he Implicated several other men. The police requested all dealers to refrain from selling firearms until the strike is over. Philadelphia, Feb. 24 Mounted and amply equipped for any kind of service, the four companies of the Pennsylvania state police, numbering 200 men. arrived here today to asii.t the local authorities in maintaining order during the street car strike. The troopers are all veterans of the regular army, who have been on riot duty In all parts of the state. Theli presence is expected to have a salutary salu-tary effect upon the lawless clement that has been wrecking street cars. Arriving at the railroad yards in the northern section of the city, each company detrained Its horses while a curious crowd looked on. Then the command to mount was given and they clattered along the streets to the Second regiment armory, at Broad and Susquehanna avenue, where headquarters headquar-ters have been established within easy riding distance of the Kenslugtou Mill district, which Is giving the police most concern. Ical mounted police have already demonstrated the effectiveness effect-iveness of cavalry methods as applied to suppressing mobs. After the men had breakfasted they were tent to Kensington It Is the first time, tho state policemen have seen service in Philadelphia slDce they were organized five years ago. In Kensington they were distributed in nquads. Unless downright rebellion rebel-lion against civil authority arises, the troopers will not carry' their carbines. The first attempt to operate cars at night, since last Saturday, will probably proba-bly be made this evening. This is regarded as the final test of the company's com-pany's ability to man Its cars. Although the reign of lawlessness appears to be approaching an end, the points at Issue between the Phllodel phia Rapid Transit company and the Amalgamated Association of Street & Electric employes remain unsettled. The movement started yesterday by prominent churchmen- to bring about I arbitration is regarded as encouraging by the strikers, who all along have rlalm.-d that all they desire is a fair i arbitration of their grievances. ! The Transit officials maintain there Is nothing, to arbitrate. They say they would not take back any of the strikers If they Vere willing to return, and 6ay further they have enough men to operate all the cart-. Three Dead, Many Injured. The casualties as the result of tbo lawlessness stand at three dead, several sev-eral persons in a serious condition In hospitals and more than a thousand suffering from lacerations inflicted by bullets, police clubs and mUslles. . The heavy sentence Inflicted upon sonic of the rioters iu the courts yesterday yes-terday Is expected to have a good effect ef-fect in the work of maintaining order. One man was given six ye-ars and a j number of others- were sentenced to terms of two years each. I The strike, has had a serious effect on business generally. Merchants .complain bitterly . over the disturbed conditions. One of the big depart- |
