Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-02-10
TROUBLE IN THE MINES.
Serious Riot of Miners in
Shenandoah, Pa,
CLUBs AND STONES Thrown AT
READING MEN.
Police Fire at the EsiOtOus Poles
Five OF tae riker. Shot and Two
Officer. EBPaten-Thr Town nt the
Mercy of SEOb 10. Faoars.

A dispatch from Shenandoah, Pa, Feb. 3,
says tho scenes enacted here during the long
strike of 1915 were eclipsed this evening by
riot between the striking miners and the coal
and iron police in which five men were shot
and two uf tho officers sever ly beaten.
Never before has the town of Shenandoah
been at the mercy Of mob as 1t was today
ard as it is tonight. Tue Philadelphia g.
Reading Coal anl Iron company made an
effort to start four OF their c0llieri s here, and
succeeded in getting them in operation with
small force of hands at each. Last
evening, when the men and boys
who resumed work were on their way
home, they had 10 run the gauntlet
OF groups of strikers along the way who
hure the offensive cpithat of " acab," and
occasionally more deadly missile, at their
heads. The men we've guarded 10y small
force OF policemen. This evening the er-
fonnance was repeated, but with more
serious consequences. Shortly before q
O'Clock a crowd Of strikers, chiefly Poles and
HungarianS, were s Ell going in the di-
're"tiOn If the Shenandoah Valley colliely,
which is located on tho southern border
of Shenandoah. They distributed themselves
along the main road leading from the coz
~
positions on the by-Toad$. When the men
quit work and left the breoker, four officers,
T. c. Krciger, Jacob II Shane, c. II, Mer-
Ger and George Debcrt started into town
with them. They proceeded hut q short dis
tance when they encountered the crowds, and
the hootng again began. The officers paid
no attention to them until vol
ley Of snow balls pieces of Ire
and chunks Of coal went flying into
their ranks Then OIiiler Krager made
n rush for one OF the strikers, who he said
had thrown a missile. He captured hin, and
proceeded perh 100 yards with the pris-
orcr when the mob Of madGened Poles made
u rush upon him and attempted rescue.
Tie other officers Went q ic .ly to his assist
ance, and desperate fight between the mob
ard the officers followed. The latte.
were armed with levolverS, which
they usel freely on the heads of
the mob, who welded clubs, pulled from
picket fence close bY. When the officers
saw that they were about to he Overpowered
by the mob they called upon tie citizens
present for assistance and two young
men, JDhn Gather and Michael Newton, went
to them Each moment the mob appeared
to become more trenZi2d, an at last they
closed in upon the officers ana knocked
Deibert and Mercer down ana bolaborel
them with the clubs. The Officers fought des-
parately, however and regaining their feet,
three or four shots were fired, and the mob
and crowd of 400 or 500 spectators present
fed IN all direc ions Only one Of the Pole;
was seen with a revolver but he dsclaimel
having fired more than two shots. Officer
Krciger chung to his prisoner throughout the
| battle, and when the crowd dispersed
marched to the Office Of Squire Shoemaker
without waiting to sc who was shot.
The wounded are Michael Newton, aged
98 years, shot in the face; John Clther, aged
"a, shot in the arm, wound thought to be not
serious; Felix Seymansky, Pole, shot in
the head, the hall entering back Of right ear.
Seymansly waike3 away from tho scene,
but has not since been seen The other
wounded men are Poles also, but the names
cannot be obtained. nor can the extent OF the
injuries he learned.