The Portland daily press., 1888-02-04
OFFICERS USE THEIR PISTOLS.
Pennsylvania mining Troubles Gull
inmate In Riot and BIoodshed.
Brave Policemen Protect Working
Operatives from a Brutal Assault.
Maddened Poles Liable to Re-enact
the Scenes of rs.

SHENANDOAH, Pa, Feb. 3.-A serious riot
occurred tonight as the men and boys at work
in the Shenandoah City and West Shenan-
doah collieries storted for work. Some Poles
opened fire on them with stones, ..whereupon
Coal and Iron Policemen VIM. Myer, Diebert,
Shane and Kreiger went to their aid. Myer
and Diebert caught Polander and hustled
him M the street. AS If by magic, the region
swarmed with men and boys, and in second
the prisoner was free and the officers were
being roughly handled.
They got away and started for the Shenan-
doah City followed by over thousand. The
latter continued beating the workmen and
bows. when the officers in a body again
sprang to the rescue. 1t was brave act,
six men against crowd, but for five minutes
it was successful. Then as the officers were
going off, Myer and Diebert with one, and
Kreiger and Shane with another prisoner,
the crowd surged on them again. Kreiger
got away witt his man and finally landed
him in Squire Shoemaker's office. Myer and
Diebert were badly beaten with clubs. Both
were down when they drew their revolyers
and fired into the crowd which scattered.
Mike Heffron, young man, received ball
in the mouth, and was badly injured. John
Gather, an iron founder, was shot in the arm
and Polander was shot behind the ear.
third shot was fired by a Polander, but with
what effect is not known. James Shields,
borough officer then arrested both officers
for shooting in the borough. The warrant
was sworn out by Polandef. charging them
with assault and battery with intent to kill.
They pleaded guilty, under advice OF Cap,
tain Christian, and were awaiting cOmmlttal
TO Pottsville jail when things took another
bad turn. Two magistrate officers are on
East Centre street, square and a nail apaIt.
The whole space was densely packed with
people, large portion Polish, wild with
passion. They surrounded both onleers,
yelling 'lynch them, :" skill them" etc. Sud
denly a stone was thrown at Squire Shoe-
makers window.
In a minute the fronts of both offices were
riddled with stones, and the inmates had
tough scramble for safety. Squire Mona
CHAN, Officers Myers, Diebert and Orme ana
Capt Christian, who were in small room
separate from the main room, escaped
through a window in the rear, but for half
an hour the mob, thinking them still inside,
pelted the office. The town is in perfect
uproar. The men are mad with passion ana
drink, and no one appears to have any power
to quell them. Capt. Christian will mass the
whole force of coal and iron men here to-
morrow, with Capt. Linden Pinkerton's
men, and it is possible that the scenes OF
1875 will be renewed, when the military force
will be called out. The William Penn col
liery worked today with every man, and the
Kelley Run mine was practically in the
same condition.
Sheriff Duffy swore in tonight three fire
of the town as posse commita-
tus, preparatory to the trouble tomorrow.
The Borough Council held special session
and instructed Chief Boehm to swear in
special officers for the emergency. John
Durkin, assistant foreman at the Kohinoor
Colliery, was shot at this evening by a Po-
lander but escaped injury. His assailant
was arrested. Thomas Ryan, of the Will
liam Penn, is under arrest for participation
in the riot there, and was sent to Pottsville
ioH