Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-04-10
WINCHEsTERS SPEAK.
THEY OUELL A RIOT IN THE
COKE REGIONS.

COKE REGIONS.
bloody ror.. That Cost Seven Lives
The Coke Strike Loads to An Attempt
to Te,rorizs the Worklnen at Moore
wood-The Particulars.
PITTsBURG, Pa, April "A desperate
battle is reported between the strikers
and armed guards at Morewood this
morning at 3 o'clock. Three or four
hundred strikers approached the works
of the III. G. Prick Coke company and
began to batter down the gates. When
ordered to desst they fired on the deputy
sheriffs. slightly wounding several. The
latter replied with Remingtons and killed
seven of the rioters instantly: while
many others were wounded. The guards
fired two volleys before the rioters re-
treated. Previous to the raid the rioters
cut the telegraph ahd telephone wires.
Particulars of the Battle.
MT. PLEASANT Pa. April 2.-At 2:45
this morning u mob of 500 men began
rioting at tho Standard works. They
DESTROYED some of the company's prop
erty and cut the telegraph lines OF the
coke company so that no warning could
be sent to the people at Morewood.
About 3 o'clock party marched to
Morewood. In the meanwhile the wires
were hurriedly repaired and word sent
to Nor wood that the strikers would at
tack the works i'll three places and had
a we'll laid plan to destroy the whole
plant. Deputy sheritis were soon in read
mess to receive the attack. The men
divided into three parties, Capt. Lauer
having charge Of a party placed behind
the big gates of the barn and stable en-
closure. AS the rioters passed the COM
pany's store they raided it and then
marched to the barn and attempted to
break down the gates. They succeeded in
doing this, and as they entered Capt.
Lauer called out to them to halt or he
would fire upon them. Their answer
was to fire rafting volley in the dircc-
tion of the deputies, none of whom were
seriously injured. Capt. Lauer then
gave the order to fire. Two volleys
were fired before the mob broke and ran.
Eleven men fell dead in the road and
the wounded are estimated as high as
twenty-seven.
The Deputies and Their Instructions.
The deputies who took part in the riot
were experienced men, armed to the
teeth. Last night Superintendent Pick
ard told them the raid was contemplated
on the works and presented each man
with Winchester. He said
l have promised protection to our men.
and must give it to them. When the
raiders come obey me. Fire the first Shot
into the air. If the raiders do not re treat
fire Il second shot and keep on firing while
you have ammunition; protect the COM
pany's property, protect the men at work.
protect your own lives. The man in my
spot. Any many who is not satisfied to ac-
cept my terms will please drop into the rear
and will send him home under guard.
els Everybody satisfied"
sis everybody satisfied" asked tho
eyes, yes" rang ont all along the
lines.
Each man was supplied with twenty
cartridges and under the command of the
marched to convenient
point.
Before the Battle.
All night long the strikers were pre-
pairing for the raid. A delegation
headed by drum corps marched to and
fro to places of rendezvous. An occa-
sional pistol shot could be heard in the
distance, and now and then a rocket
flashed into the air and from the adjoin-
ing hilltop swing lights could be seen.
There were three parties of strikers.
One came from Stonville, another from
Moorhead, and a third from the mines
in the neighborhood. They were very
noisy, cheering and shouting, beating
drums as they came along. The three
parties met and decided to make the
march on the works.
The Strikers Demand the Bodies.
Some of the strikers say to-day that
there was no intention of doing any dam
age, but that they simply marched to
the works to intimidate those at work.
The dead this morning were carried into
the company store at Norwood. !Nhe
strikers demanded the bodies of the
victims, but were refused and the place
is now surrounded by an armed mob of
over 1900 men who say they will burn
everything on the premises unless the
dead bodies are given up. The feeling
here is very bitter among the workmcn,
who denounce the action of the deputies
in no uncertain terms.
The Militia Ordered to the Scene.
Liz SoNcIuol las OlNGicu Gllc 1cuJu
regiment to aid the sheriff of Westmore-
land county in quelling the trouble in
the coke region. The Eighteenth rcgi-
ment of this city has been ordered tc
hold itss't yea9 :::oss.
The Names OF the Killed.
MT. PLEASANT, Pa, April 3.-Calmer
review of the Norwood riot scarcely
bettcrs the situation. The attack was
well planned, headed by men determined
evidently to intimidate the men working
there once for all. At IL o'clock small
bodies of strikers began to gather on
the hills. They were armed with re-
volvers, stones, iron bars and every con-
ceiNable Meapon. and headed by q drum