St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-02-11
THE READING STRIKE.
Two Outbreaks in the Pennsylvania Coal
Reyions-Six Policemen Face All Angry

THE READING y hlNE.
Two Outbreaks in the Pennsylvania Coal
Reyiong-Six Policemen Face All Angry
Mob.
READING. Pa, Feb. 4.x3Nesterday morn
ing the miners at the William Penn coilerV
were stopped by party Of men and flght
ensued Strikers also met the men at hock
Bank at the Turkey Run switch and stoned
some Polanders. The attacking party were
strikers at the Philadelphia Coal Com
pany's works. The Coal and Iron Com
pany's police in disguise were with the
Poles and made rush for the assa!lants,
and Thomas Ryan was captured and taken
to the Pottsville Jail. The others were
chased by the police to No 3 school house,
| where they were met by large force, who
fired two shots at the officers The latter
did not return the fire with their carbnes
for fear of killing some innocent people,
but went back and escorted the Poles to
place OF safety.
At five o'clock yesterday afternoon when
| the non union miners left their work in the
Shenandoah City and West Shenandoah
| colheries, q lot of striking Polanders at
| tackled them with stones. A squad OF iron
! police went at once to their assistance,
| caught one OF the rioters and were husthng
HIM off when the strikers rallied and res
cued him, and began to handle the officers
| roughly The latter. however, succeeded
| in breaking away and started tor the She
nandoah City mine, followed by the crowd
| of riotous strikers armed with clubs and
| stones, who now numbered about thousand,
| and who continued their attacks on the
men and boys coming from the mine.
The six policemen accepted the long odds
| against them and returned to the attack.
They made sharp fight and took couple
OF prisoners, one Of whom they landed in
Magistrate Shoemaker's office, but the
crowd rushed for the two policemen with
the other prisoner and began to club and
beat them. Finding themselves down and
their lives in danger, they drew their re-
volvers and Lieutenant Meyers fired into
the crowd, which scattered in all direc-
tions. Mike Heffron. young man, re-
ceived ball in the mouth and is badly ln.
| iured: John Cutler, an iron founder, was
shot in the arm, another in the neck and
Polander behind the ear. A shot was also
fred by Polander, but with what effect
is not known. An officer then arrested
both policemen for shooting in the Dor.
ough.
The crowd scattered at the firing but i'm
mediately swelled to several hundfv1
frenzied men, ready to wreak vengeance
on any policeman or scab they could catch.
The police arrested two men and took them
to Squire Shoemaker's Office, the mob fol.
lowing and almost demollshing the place in
their efforts to release their companions.
Meanwhile, in the eastern part of the town,
Boss Duncan of the Kohinoor colliery was
attacked. An officer came to the rescue,
fired on the crowd and arrested two men,
whom they took to Squire Monough's
Office.
The two magistrates Offices are on East
| Centre street, square and q half apart
The whole space was densely packed with
, people, large portion Polish, who wers
wild with passion They surrounded botl
offices, yelling for the officers and crying
Lynch themE' "Kill them!' etc. Sud
denly stone was thrown at Squire Shoe
makers window. In minute the front.
= of both Offices were riddled with stones
: and their inmates had hard scramble fol
safety. Some bruised bodies resulted, bu
no serious damage was done except to thu
Offices, which were wrecked
The town is in perfect uproar. Mel
! are mad with passion and drunk and NJ
/ one appears to have any power to Quel
them. The borough authorities are power
3 less and no one can say how the mob's fur.
4 may yet vent itself. Captain Christian
e will mass his whole force Of coal and irol
men here, together with Captain Lindnes
0 Pinkerton men. Sheriff Duffy swore il
t last night the three fire companies OF th
l town as posse commitatus preparatory TO
1 trouble. The Borough Council also had
special session and instructed Chief Bur
| CESS Bolhem to swear in special officers To-
e | an emergency. John Durkln, asslstan
t foreman at Kohinoor colliery, was shot q
| last evening by Polander, but escaped in
r jury. His assailant was arrested. Thoma
Ryan, Of William Penn, IS also under ar
y rest for participating in the riot. He wa
Z sent to Jail.
q At midnight the mob had dispersed AM
every thing was quiet. No further troubt
is apprehended for the present
ANOTHER STRIKE THREATENED.
WILKEsBARRE, Pa, Feb. THE conven
> ton Of district assembly 16 remained il
: session at Pittston until two o'clock thi
!. morning with closed doors. The session
= was Q stormy one and the question OF ask
: ing an advance in wages was thorough
discussed. Before adjourning it was re
solved by q unanimous vote to make
demand upon operators Ia the Wyomin
and Lackawanna regions for an In
crease Of Is per cent. This action wa
placed in the hands Of the executiv
z board, who were to confer with the opera
tors and make the demand without furthe
= delay. John l.. Lee arrived in Pittston q
: eight O'Clock last night and attended th
conclusion of the session. His arrival q
} this late hour was unexpected and it ca
g not be learned what part he took, thoug
y it il claimed he urged the demand for tn
II advance in wages.
u
I'll BARRED WlRE.9
y Another BLOW at the Washburn- Moe
- - Monopoly.
r 4n Wire Company to the st. Louis Wiz
!, Ceapany, Usterdapeppas a virtual confes
p sionAof the weal1Eess of the WashburI
n MoeA q Co.,sSsaent case, which has bee
n foua6 feaSo Rany years by the Freema