Today -100: November 2, 1910: Of rumors, betting, clubwomen, and trains

There is a rumor of a revolution in Spain.

A false rumor.

Speaking of false rumors, a false rumor that Jews ritually killed a Muslim girl sets off a pogrom in the Jewish quarter of Shiraz in Persia. 12 Jews were killed and every house in the quarter was systematically looted.

In the absence of opinion polling, the NYT keeps reporting on wagering. For example, a week before the election, Dix is favored 3:1 over Stimson.

In Chicago, “Mounted police today charged mobs of striking garment workers and made numerous arrests, only to be dumfounded when met by groups of clubwomen and society leaders, who, when arrested, produced calling cards in lieu of bail bonds. It was a new experience for the police, and it plainly confused them. ...Most of the clubwomen... were garbed as working girls and the police could not distinguish them from strikers until after arrests were made.” It must indeed have been very confusing for the cops not to know who it was permissible to beat and arrest. For example, one clubwoman was, um, clubbed. The NYT keeps using the word “riot” but never describes any behaviour that would justify the term.

In the year ending June 30, 1910, 3,804 people were killed in the US in railroad accidents and 82,374 injured. There were 5,861 collisions and 5,910 derailments.