The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-05-08
Scranton (Pa.) Letter TO Chicago Paper.1
THE 'MOLLH MAGURIEs.p
in Pennsylvania-The Carbonari of the
Coal Regions

on person and property. The acts {
these Semi-educated vandals outStrip, i
many instances, those that are attribl
ted to the border ruffians or the despel
ADDE'S of the Far West The cause @
all this terrorism, in what is general
supposed TO be a civilized State, is al
tributed to the manner in which tn
criminal cases are managed The legis
latOrs who make the laws, and the law
yers who handle them, are, as a rule
ShySters; and, if a criminal has money
job is very easily arranged by which
he Is allowed to go Scot-free. While seouI
| drels and burglars walk the streets oi
the principal cities unmolested, honest
Iuen are dying in the State penitentiaries
Unless some radical change is affacteG
soon, the Commonwealth of Pennsylva-
MIA will have soon such a reputatian for
Outlawry that strangers will avoid it
with shudders
To give the readers of the tribune
some idea of the terrorism which now
exists IN the coal regions of Pennsylva-
ma, your correspondent has written this
letter in this city.
Scranton is situated in the upper end
of the renowned Wyoming coal region.
Near here, and in the same corporation,
is Hyde Park, place of 10, 900 popula-
ton This place has, of recent years,
been the scene of many Outrages perpe-
trated by the ''MOllie Maguires, 4" a horde
of desperadoes who infest the coal
country. 1t is said the ''Mollies' oriCi-
mated from a secret organization which
existed for many years in Ireland The
band, which is between /. 500 and 9. 600
strong, is led by Tim O'Donelly, whose
headquarters are in lonesome, unro-
mantic spot on keyser's Mountain. In
Hyde Park and this city, no less than
twelve persons have disappeared mystic
riously, and are said to have been put
away" by the ''MOllies" this year. 1t is
said that they control the administration
Of Scranton; and it is a matter of COM
mon belief that two of the leading city
officials are members of the band.
Their plan of operations is said to be
as follows: When the ''Molliesp have
determined on the death of any one " ho
has incurred their vengeance, cuts are
drawn, and the man whose lot it falls to
dispatch the victim does his bloody work
silently but surely.
a man named Jones, a ''Mollie.n
warned friend about a week since. that
he was a marked man." A few days
Jones himself was found dead
upon the highway. Upon examination,
it was found that he had been stabbed
to the heart. Near where he laid was
the emblem of the ''MOllies"-a coffin,
a skull, and cross -bones-to which was
on a card, the words: 80
dies a traitor"
When the band wishes any one to
to leave the neighbOrhOOd, a notice, bear
ing some horrible symbol of death, is
placed on the door of his residence,
with the written injunction that he must
leave in twenty-four hours. 1t is need
less to state that the warming is gener-
ally needed. The ''MOllie Maguires"
have their way in everything, and those
that incur their displeasure, IN any part
of the coal region, are made to quit the
country or forfeit their lives.
In the Schuylkill region, especially
about Mahony City, GirardvilIe, Locust
Gap, Centralia, Mt. Carmel and Shame
kin, the ''Mollies pursue their depreda-
tions without any eheck-the people
living in constant fear of their lives.
Hardly a day passes but that a ''myste-
rious death" occurs. A few days since
a miner, Michael DOugherty, was passing
along the main street of Centralia, when,
all at once, he was seen to totter and
fall Persons ran TO him, and, upon
reaching the spot, found he had been
shot. As no shot was heard at thetime of
the occurrence, the matter was of course
regarded as very mysterious. The man
was carried to his home, and on the
door of his house was found the inserip-
ton, ''Iie betrayed the band" This
was followed b. sOLlLs, OrOss-b bones, and
other hideous eInblems BY this it was
known who committed the murder.
No attempt is ever made by the authori-
ties to unravel these crimes, as every
body fears the vengeance of the terrible
1t is generally conceded
that there is no law in Schuylkiu
County.
The ''Mollies' number about 2. 900 in
Schuylkill region. The leaders are ma
ny, but the most prominent one is said
10 be a man by the name of Barney Do
an, who lives near Locust Gap. Citi-
,ens, business men, coal operators and
miners, have either been driven from
he regions or brutally assassinated on
he highway
These brigands are bound by the most
terrible oath; and, if one is selected to
commit murder, and then fails. he is
to die by his own hand, in
.he presence of the entire organization.
Pat llestes, who is now in the Eastern
is known as the liking of
he AlOllie Maguires." During the mem-
nOrable long strike" of 1901, he
.ried to force Father Roche, of Shamo-
kin, to allow the burial of one of the
band in eonsecrated ground Upon be-
ng refused, he raissd riot The State
troops were called out, and ne, with sew
.rsil Others, were arrested and iInprisOn-
ID.
1t is during a miners strike that the
'Mollies" raise the mischief generally.
Your correspondent has been the witness
IF some terrible scenes at such times.
Murders are pcrpetrated; ''Inine break
rs and other property burned Du-
ing the long strike" no less than one
hundred persons fell victims to the riots
md disorder, while, at the time Of the
stand out. last winter, at least TWEEN
y-iive atrOciOus murders were perpe-
rated
''MOilie MaguirisIn' is increasing in
al the coal districts; and eventually
nothing can be done by the citizens, un-
ess sanctioned by the organization.
Such a state Of affairs would seem al
most impossible in the State of Penn
,ylvania; but matters are at present
worse than has been depicted here In
some Of the obscure mining towns the
people are even now afraid to venture
upon the streets az night, for fear of at
tack; while in the cities all the males and
many Of the females go to their place of
business armed. Every town in the
coal regions has "A branch Of the Mol
lie NagJIire" organization, which il con-
trOlled by the leaders In the Scranton.
and SchuyIkill regions When
a big job" il TO be put up, delegations
are sent from the principal headquar-
ters, to make assurance double sure"
A HEROIC BOY.-The SlCiss Times
tells u very nice story Of a shepherd lad,
years Of age, in Canton Grisons.
On the Monte di COmpO, the youthful
fed his flock, when a huge bear
made his appearance, and unceremoni-
Ously began to feed himself on the same
flock When ne had seized one Of the
finest sheep, the courageous boy be-
gan TO beat him with "A stick, in order to
drive him away The infuriated beast
turned upon his slender assailant. deter
mined TO finish his mutton on him. The
youth turned and ran, and remembering
I rat there was not far off a gorge two
hundIe1 feet deep, but so narrow that
he might clear it by vigorous leap,
started for it. with bruin close at his
heels. He reached the edge of the "a
vine, and by a very desperate bound
landed on the other side. while the stu