Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-02-04
THE BITTER STRUGGLE
Between the Coke Strikers and
Operators.
TWENTY FAMILIES MADE HOMELESS
BY Eviction From the Company's
Houses---The Struggle lust
Begun.

CoNSEILsvILLE, Pa, February s.
Twenty Of the striking miners OF the coke
region and their families are homeless to-
night amid the fury Of q snow. Theywere
eyicted to-day by the strong arm Of the law
invoked by ironclAd leases, under which
they held uncertain tenure of their rude
and cherries habitations. Last night and
all day the work Of eviction went on until,
as stated above, twenty families
were without shelter. They did
not remain out in the
cold long, however, as the more fortunate
ones who have not been forced out took
them in and kindly cared for them. The
condition of few of the evicted families
is pitiful, but in the main they are well
provided with this worlds goods, having
been thrifty and laid by considerable
money. So far the sherifs of Westmore.
land and Fsystte counties, and their hordes
Of deputies, have met with no resistance.
The evictions thus far have been confined
to the leaders in the strike, but few
being singled out from several differ.
ent works. The eviotions will become
general tomorrow. The operators claim
that the backbone Of the strike is broken
and before the eviction becomes general
the men will submit and return to work
quietly. A few hours more and the result
will be known. The miners and coke
drawers occupying houses owned by opera
tors haze
DIFFERENT STORY
TO tell. They say the greatest trouble the
Connellsville coke region ever witnessed
has only commenced, as before they will
submit blood will flow. No attempts have
been made to eyict any families at the lar
ger works where the greatest resistance
and most violence have been enacted At
such works as the Standard and Moore
wood at Mt. Pleasant. where several thou.
Fand Hungarians are employed, the houses
are castles containing resolute men, well
armed. The sheriffs and deputies will not
take them by surprise as they did the others
whose goods tonight are along the sides Of
the public roads half buried beneath the
drifting snow. A few Of the fresh impor-
tation OF Hungarians that were brought
into the region last night were put to work
to-day. but the countrymen claim they will
have tGem on the side Of the strikers be-
fore morning. After evicting the families
in this end OF the region to-day Sheriff
Sterling and the deputies proceededto to
THE VALLEY WORKS,
near Scottdale, tonight, where they will
commence the work of eviction in the
morning, if the men at these works do not
resume. 1t is not probable that they will,
and the trouble will commence. The
strikers are now centerlng their whole
fight on the works operated by the syndi.
cate which has control Of over half Of all
the coke ovens in the region. A few indi-
yidual operators and all the fur
mace operators have granted the
advance. The syndicate Las not
one hundred meu st work. There is con.
siderable destitution among the strikers,
mostly on account Of fuel as the operators
| IN many instances Will not alIoW lnem 10
mine coal enough to keep them from freez'
ing, thinking by this means to force the
men to work ln some cases men have
torn down hog pens and COW houses for
fuel, and suits will be instituted against
them for damaging property Tho demand
for coke ia now great, and furnaces and
mills are shutting down all over the coun.
try for want Of it.
THE ENIGRAHTs ARRIVE.
Mr.. pleasant, Pa, February "A
train OF eigh; eEigrant coaches. containing
! SO imported laborers, left Connellsville at
midni ght. Delegations were dropped at
the Summit and the Valley, and the re-
maiuder brought TO the Standard. They
we're met by q police escort and part OF
them put in q house while the remainder
occupied the coaches Cor the night. No
one was allowed TO 90 near them. An at
temp. will be made TO put them 10 work
today.
ALREADY on A STRIKE.
Mr. PLEASANT, PA, February 3.-Re-
ports received at noon to-day from the
Standard works indicate that the foreign
importation which arrived here at an early
hour this morning, has already gone on o
strike. The striking Hungarisns captured
some of the people and so impressed them