The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-08-30

cito numerous instances of breaking in
houses at the dead hour of night aud Of
beating mo nalmost TO death. Your rea.
dcrs may ask why not prosecute them
and punish according To law. This i5 all
very well If the injured parties know
whom to prosecute and lfthe court could
convict on mere suspicion.
The last case of shooting Is we'll
known to thepublic at large. Six peacea-
BILE citizens (miners) We're going home
from work on the night shift o little be-
fore day, on the morning. Of the 10th
inst, and as they were getting Into the
cut on the rail- road between the Con.
tiuental Coliery where they wrought
and j. M. Frecl's minesthey were fired
upon from both sides Of the road. Buck
shot and shoe taCks were taken out Of
some OF the parties. All this was done
without any previous notice whatever.
Two of tho mon Mcssrs Davis and Web
Btor wcro badly wounded but am glad
TO say arc pronounced out Of danger by
their attending physicians. Nothing OF
consequence happened the other four
whose names are Blrge, Richards,
Cooley and Darragh. Tho cause alleged
for all this Is that they were working
Robert Gorrel Esq, is the sonior par
ono tho Hazle dell and the other the
Continental. Some time ago for some
cause Mr.. Gorrell stopped the Hazlo.
dell where these six men worked. Tho
| Continental worked on but some Of its
| hands were left Idle while these six men
got employment repairing the gang
way. None of the Idle men worked ut
| tho repairing OF said gang.way previous
to this but wore allowed to so idle and
these mon brought In from another
Coliiery belonging TO tho samo man.
| This Ia an argument In favor OF tho
wOrkmon's union for had 1t been In
(orco hero these mon would not be al
| lowed to work while the men belong
| ing TO the ColIicry were idle and thus
| this .blOodshod and almost murder
would be avoided. But suppose they
did work In other mems places, this
cause would not certainly justify this
disbollcal action which might have left
widows and orphans without penny
or friend. If these men were notified
that they were not wanted in tho places
| they occupied by secret notices at their
doors or otherwise or even the least in
timation of 1t they would leave the
work Immediately. One of them es
pecially Mr.. Davis is an upright honest
| citizen. The character of all the men Is
| good as peaceable inoflensive citizens.
The question arises how is this state
of affairs to be ended and how can hon
est citizens breathe more freely and feel
safe, some say "stop the works for
year or 50 and the Ku-Klux Klan will
| clear out" Foolish suggestion they
would come back at the first blow of the
whistle and honest citizens and busi-
ness men would have to go also. Anoth-
or says "dischargo all the suspicious
characters" this is very well, but hon
est men would also be victims of tho
suspicion and perhaps prompt them,
the roughs, to deeds of more violence.
Others say "empoy an efficient police
force" but the place Is poor and taxes
enough could not Re collected in the
borough TO pay them. Besides the way
crimesare committed suddenly it would
be impossible oven for the police to
detect them.
You correspondent thinks that The
offer of large rewards and to actually
pay those rewards on conviction of the
guilty parties would be more effective.
Parties that are degraded enough to
commit such crimes are degraded
enough to inform on each other on
| proper inducements being offered for
such information.
But enough of this sickening story
the whole of it is too disgusting TO read
much less to write. 1t is a shame to oul
civilization that such towards are per.
mitted to live amongst us. A man o.
ordinary courage would scOrn to take
undue advantage even of an enemy
The old English and Irish systems ot
lighting it out without Interference o
law is better than this coWardly plan 0
midnight rasc0Ihy onW crime.
CITIZEN.