The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-03
RIOTERS SHOT BY TROOPS
Striking Coke Workers Bring Upon
Themselves the Deadly
Fire Of Soldiers.
Bent Upon Destruction They En-.
deavor to Wreck the Great
Moorewood Plant
Many Strikers Killed Outright and More
Wounded-Turious F0reigners-
More Troops Called Out.

More Troops Called Out.
MOUNT PLEASANT. Pa, April 2-Ominoul
signs OF gasherinR Of storm in the COX.
region had been observed for some time ant
at two o'clock this morning it burst at th,
Morewood plant. The fight was brief ane
deadly. Two rounds Of cartridges were
fred bya band OF sixty-tive guards ane
seven Of the charging mob of strikers lei
dead, while at least forty others were
wounded, how badly cannot be definitely
stated, as they were all taken away by theil
comrades. The strikers killed instantly
were: Creszo Binero, Italian; John
Fudora, Antonio Rist, Jacob Shuckasky
James Brochte, Poles; Valentin Teidei
Paul Dohannis, slavs. The attack was
well planned, headed by men determined
evidently to intimidate the men working
there once for all. At II
O'Clock small bodies OF strikers
began to gather on the hills.
They we're armed with revolvers, stones,
iron bars and every conceivable weapon,
headed by a drum corps, they marched
first to the Standard works where they de-
liberately destroyed both telephone and tel-
egraph wires, 80 that word of their coming
could not be sent to Morewood while at
the Standard works incidentally destroying
anything movable they might find. The
strikers created all the noise possible from
the surrounding hills, intending to appr1se
those of their fellow strikers in the vicinity
of their intentions of the raid.
Tha fatU friuhtono1 na, Iofs ~ Al,
Standard managed to repair the wires and
warming reached the Morewood plant none
too soon. AS the noisy band of strikers,
now numbering fully 1900 men, approached
that plant their outcries ceased, their
drum corps was silenced, and the ugly
crowd gathered in a bunch on the black hills
overlooking the plant for a moments par
ley before attacking the place they knew to
be we'll guarded, then they separated, one
large detachment advancing on the works
by the main road, while the others scat
tered over the hrows of the hill and shortly
after three O'Clock. at a given signal, all
moved down on the works.
Under orders of Captain Loas the sixty
five guards stood quietly in line before. the
works. Suddenly break was made b.. the
company. A stern order of "halt'' was
given, but the only attention it received
was the firing of three shots by members
of the mob which whistled close to the
heads of the impassiye guard. After
the shots were fired the strikers turned
and went towards the stables of the
company with DASH. Without firing a
shot the guards were ordered to follow, and
the command again given the strikers to
halt. They only retreated further down
the road and cred the order with yells
and threats. Again was the command
given, and again came mocking answer and
the order to fire was given by Capt. Loas,
Tho volleys from the Winchesters were we'll
directed and only a few rounds were neces
sary to drive the rioters back into the hills.
where hundreds of their fellow strikers had
gathered in anticipation of assisting in
raid, but not in a battle with such deter
mined band of guards.
Firing on both sides continued for barely
three minutes. The volleys from the
guards had terrible effect on the compact
to return the fire with what weapons they
possessed, but without effect. The dead
were left lying in the road, while the
wounded, estimated at between forty and
fifty. were either assisted or bodily carried
away into the hills by their fellows. All
day the entire coke regions have presented
scenes of widest excitement the foreign
element especially being driven frantic by
this woeful result of their anticipated vic
torious raid. Always turbulent, sullen and
ready for desperate measures, they are not
one whit cowed by the death of several of
their number, while they have sedulouslv
concealed in their homes those of their
number who were wounded unto death,
Anathemas, loud and deep, have been
heard on every side all day. Word has
been sent by secret means all over the re-
gion that their comrades were fired on and
moved down without any provocation, and
deadly vengeance on each and every mem
Der of the guard has been sworn. This all
comes from the foreign element. 1t will be
noticed that all tho men killed bear foreign
names, and it is fact that not one Of them
was naturalized citizen of this country,
1t is also supposed that many of the
were foreigners, and this explains
the deep resentment expressed in every for
eign face in the regions tonight. The Slavs
and Hungarians were almost fearless. The
deputies say that not one was struck on the
back, but all bore marks of bullets in the
face, indicating that they died fighting with
what wear ons they possessed.
Thousands of strikers and their friends
poured into this place from all over the |
region to have look at the dead and per-
haps to hear what the living have to say.
As darkness fell tonight the foreigners |
began to draw away i'll knots and night |
after the riot lowered amid great fear of |
what might happen before another dawn.
Late Tonight word was received here that
,wo more men concerned i'll tho riot had
lied in strikers louise. Their names
,ould not be learned These two deaths
lrs known as result of tho firing of the
guards, but there is no doubt that others
ire either dead or in a critical condition,
8 the guards had orders to tire to kill an d
did.
Reports late tonight from all over the
egion indicate the fearfully dangerous and
xcited condition of affairs and word that
he military was soon to be on guard was
eceived by law-aLiding labor officials and
oke operators alike with the liveliest evil
ence of satisfaction. At Leisenring. Con-
table Campbell attempted to arrest John
,ushka, a Russian for completely in the
that occurred there Mon
ay. Lushka iiercely resisted and yelled
Or aid. fellow countrymnn, who was OH
he outside OF the office where Lushka had
cen trapped, gave the alarm, and in few
there WAS n howling mob of for
igners surrounding the place. Lushka ,
'nped through the office window, carrying
18th him pair of hantcutfs. Sev.
raj shots were ilred after him but he
scaped. Tonight u warrant was placed in {
10 hands of Sheriff Mccormick. and with {
large posse of men he has started for
to make the arrest, Lushka |