Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1902 — ALL HAVANA IN TERROR. [ARTICLE]

ALL HAVANA IN TERROR.

Two Persona Dead and Eighty Two Wounded in Strike Riots. At Havana two strikers are dead and eighty-two other persons are wounded as the result of conflicts between the police and the men on strike. Five of the wounded, one a lieutenant of police, whose throat was cut by a striker, have serious injuries. Eight other policemen are wounded. The strike, which at Erst concerned only the cigar workers, became general by the calling out of all trades in sympathy with the cigarmakers. Al) the tradesmen closed their doors, clerks, cooks and every class of workmen having obeyed the command of the union except the motormen and conductors of the. electric cars, who refused to join in the general strike. Trouble began early by the holding up of the electric cars by the strikers, whose wrath was directed against the street railroad employes. Several cars in the outskirts of the city-wcre held ip and stoned and the passengers were compelled to walk into Havana. The employes were willing to remain at work, but the officers of the company in order to protect the property deemed it wise to suspend the service. The Mayor of Havana and the secretary of government, Diego Tamayo, in the last week had openly sympathized with the strikers and given orders to the police not to use force in dispersing the crowds. Under these conditions the police were unable to cope with the strikers. President Palma then sent word to the Mayor that unless the city authorities could preserve order and protect the railroad company the State would intervene. The Mayor immediately took drastic measures and issued an edict prohibiting crowds from gathering in the streets and authorizing the chief of police to kill if such action should be necessary to preserve order. The ' police were obliged to charge a mob of rioters nt the slauglijer house and several among the latter injured. The Central Veterans' Union, headed by Gen. Gomez, held a meeting and sent word to the labor unions that if the disorders continued the veterans would offer their services to President Palma to preserve order.