In addition to injuries and deaths from bombings, shootings and riots, dozens were killed by inexperienced and aggressive scab drivers during Philadelphia’s epic 1910 Street Car Strike. A look at the cost of just a few days.

‘Demand End to Manslaughter’ by J.A. Fischer from The Chicago Daily Socialist. Vol. 4 No. 144. April 13, 1910.

Philadelphia Citizens, Enraged at the Murderous Scabs, Ask for Drastic Probe

(Special Correspondent for the Daily Socialist.) Philadelphia, Pa., April 12. Philadelphia citizens are demanding an investigation into the killing of John Oeker, 4337 North Fifth street, a little girl identified as Minnie Goldstein, 830 Ninth street, and an unidentified girl, who are the latest victims of scab manned street cars.

Oeker was driving a wagon when car smashed into it demolishing the wagon and crushing his skull.

The unidentified victim was killed as she stepped off a Market street car. The conductor gave the signal to start the car before she was barely off the last step, and the car hurled her to the ground under the wheels.

The traction company for a time insisted that the crew was experienced, but the union officials went over to the police station where the conductor and motorman were locked up and identified them as scabs.

Minnie Goldstein, who was only seven years old, was crossing Eighth street at Winton street, when she was run over by a Chestnut street car. The car was going at full speed and the scab motorman lost his head as he saw the girl at the corner. Spectators attacked the crew for the brutal killing, and it was with some difficulty that the motorman and conductor were saved by the police.

Held for Baby’s Death

John H. Massey and Lewis Thompson, imported scabs from St. Louis, who gave their addresses at the Forty-ninth street and Woodland avenue car barn, were held without bail for the killing of a baby 18 months old, at Eighteenth and Eastwick avenues. The scabs ran over the child when they lost control of the car they were operating.

The attempt to run a car over Midvale avenue, which had been strikebound since the beginning of the struggle, failed on account of a dynamite explosion on the tracks. The car that was sent out as a “feeler” was blown to pieces. The explosion occurred near the Second and Wyoming street car barn. No one was injured.

Another explosion of dynamite took place under an Olney street car up Fifth street. The crew was blown out into the street. It was necessary for the wrecking car to take the victims to a hospital, before they undertook to remove the debris of the demolished car.

Dynamiters blew up a car at Kensington and Tioga streets. The bottom of the car was torn to pieces, but no one was injured. The crew were shaken out into the street.

The scabs are laughing up their sleeves at the ease with which they have strikers arrested and fined. Magistrate Scott imposed a fine of $5 and costs upon John Finley, Gustave Birch and David Meagher for making, what he called “insulting remarks.” The defendants denied the charge, but the Judge punished them, anyway. Magistrate Scott acted as a tool of the shirtwaist bosses in the recent struggle.

Gompers Leaves Battle Scene

Before leaving Philadelphia Gompers admitted holding conferences with C.O. Pratt, Peter Driscoll. president of the local union of the street car men, and Dennis Hags, fourth vice president of the American Federation of Labor. Gompers said:

“There is nothing new in the car strike as far as I am concerned, but I will say that I am heartily in favor of the trolley men here in their fight with the Transit Company. They are certainly justified in resenting the effort to crush the union.

“I cannot say that the conference this afternoon has made the outlook for a cessation of the struggle any brighter. As a matter of fact I made a move to bring about an adjustment of the difficulties before the strike call was issued. I telegraphed to the Transit company before the strike, tendering my offers to settle the dispute, but Kruger, of the company, declined it.”

With the death in a hospital here of Edgar Tannehill, 44 years old, of St. Louis, the number of persons killed by street cars since the trolley strike began eight weeks ago has reached twenty-seven. Tannehill was a motorman. He was injured in a collision between cars on March 10.

Following the adoption of a resolution by the Central Labor union calling for the arrest of Mayor Reyburn and President C.O. Kruger of the Transit company, on charges of manslaughter because of the large number of persons killed by inexperienced motormen, it was announced at strike headquarters that counsel would be engaged to take up the matter.

The Chicago Socialist, sometimes daily sometimes weekly, was published from 1902 until 1912 as the paper of the Chicago Socialist Party. The roots of the paper lie with Workers Call, published from 1899 as a Socialist Labor Party publication, becoming a voice of the Springfield Social Democratic Party after splitting with De Leon in July, 1901. It became the Chicago Socialist Party paper with the SDP’s adherence and changed its name to the Chicago Socialist in March, 1902. In 1906 it became a daily and published until 1912 by Local Cook County of the Socialist Party and was edited by A.M. Simons if the International Socialist Review. A cornucopia of historical information on the Chicago workers movements lies within its pages.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/chicago-daily-socialist/1910/100413-chicagodailysocialist-v04n144.pdf