The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-12-08
THE ITALIAN I o

tie. The corpse of the murdered woman
will be inferred to-day.
THE ITALIAN RIOT.
THE CONFLICT ETwEE THE ITALIAN AND
Fri MINER At BUENA VISTA, Pa
THREE MEN KILLED AND
MISUNDERSTANDING THE DISTURBANCE.
. The Pittsburg Telegraph of the Both inst.
contains the following account of the min
ing riots near that city already sent to the
Sentinel by telegraph The roubles which
existed among the Italian miners of Arm
strong's works, and the striking American
coal digsers, whose places the Romans had
taken, seemed to have subsidized until Satur-
day night, when a bloody riot broke out last
ing not only all night, but nearly all day SUM-
day. The result was the killing of three of
the participants and the w%ounding of seven
others. Tn first intelligence received in
this city of the disturbance came yester-
day shortly afternoon in the shape of sew
eral kilograms from the scene of war signed
by @. 81. Armstrong, John Guffey,
P. S. Todd and Thomas Moore,
setting forth that firing was then
going on and had been since s o'clock
Saturday night, and calling on Sheriff Hare
to take some measures to preserve the
peace. Later in the afternoon the sheriff
received another dispatch from Shaner's,
saying that a riot was then progressing at
bbdb ROlnb. oulnElOnlDR nlEo Vi Ills
deputies, the sheriff secured special arrang-
ments on the Connellsville road for trans
portation to the scene of the fight. The
special train bearing the sheriff and his
party reached Armstrong;, the scene of the
principal disturbance, about 6 O'Clock. The
confusion attending the riot, and the in
evitable contradictory statements which al
ways accompany affairs of this nature, made
it dificucult for the sheriff to reach a clear
and satisfactory explanation of the dis
turbance and learn its origin.
THE ITALIANS SIDE oF THE STORY
is that the firing commenced from the Allie
gheny county side Of the Youghiogheny
river, Saturday night, and that some of their
men were wounded. Sunday morning, about
9 o'clock, five of the Italians started over to
Buena Vista, about a mile below ARM
strong's, in a barge, to procure the services OF
DR.. Stewart for the wounded. Before they
had reached the shore a party rushed out Of
ambush on the river bank and opened a
heavy fire upon them, driving them back to
the Westmoreland county side OF the river.
The Italians retreated to Shaner's, not far
from Buena Vista, and were fired at all the
way back. They returned to Armstrong'ssnd
the firing was kept up until about half pasta
o'clock in the afternoon. The Italians re-
turned their fire as long as the ammunition
held out, which was about 3 O'Clock in the
afternoon. The retreating party took refuge
III AOOcCS ~ LAhAobAOAk :, nhOAO
they were subjected to aheavy fire from par
ties over the river, who had congre-
gated there to the number of at least 200.
In this fight two Ita~lians-Charles Moses
aud Frank Mora-were wounded.
FROM ANOTHER STANDPOINT.
MI. Frank Patterson and other citizens Of
Buena Vista give a somewhat different
version of the crossing of the Italians to the
Allegheny side. Their statement is that the
boat contained, not five, bit between
twenty and thirty Italians armed.
The impression of the citizens was that
the object of the Italians in crossing
to Buena Vista was to set fire TO the town,
and this supposition, as may be imagined,
caused intense excitenent. 1t was also
stated that the Italians in the boat were
supported by a large force from the other
side who kept up a constant firing during
the time their companions were crossing the
river and for some time after they were
routed. The women and children
of Buena Vista congregated at the house of
Mr.. Patterson, which is located in the lower
part OF the town, and consequently not so
much exposed to the bullets of the invading
Italians. The Buena Vistians claim to have
taken no part in the mining troubles
further than to preserve the peace in
the town, and that all their troubles were
chargeable to outside parties-nOt only
the Italians, but persons residing on the
Allegheny county side OF the river, VINO
made their headquarters in the town. The
villagers had ected entirely on the defensive.
and would not have fired upon the Italians
in the boat had they not been satisfied that
the party meant mischief. James Lloyd, a
saloon-keeper in the town, says that shots
had been fired at him from the opposite
side of the river frequently duraDg the past
ten days.
THE KILLED n WOUNDED.
DR.. Penny, who went up from Guffsy's
station to attend the wounded, reported
seven wounded and three killed. The names
of two of the killed were ascertained to be
Frank Abatto, shot through the bowels, aud
Ambrose Melano, shot throughth head. The
names of the wounded could not be learned.
About half-past 4 in the afternoon a
heavy fire was opened on the Italians at
the coal works. both from the opposite side
of the river and from the hill on the West
moreland side above the works. Finding
themselves in a tight place and out of am
munition, the Italians run up a flag of
truce, in the shape of a sheet
fastened to a musket, when the firing ceased
and a pariey ensued.. The demand was
made of the Italians hat they should give
uptheir arms. This they refused to do, re-
plying that nothing short of military forces
should deprive them of their guns. Guisetti
afterwards stated that the arms had been
taken from the men, but that Saturday
night they got "mad," broke into the store
room ofthe works and took out twenty
eight guns.