, 1891-04-03
Fatal Attempt of Strikers to
Raid Coke Works.
Seven of the Attacking Party
Instantly Killed.
Not One of the Dead Men a
Naturalizsd Citizen.
Intense Excitement in the Re-
gion Last Night.
The Guards Arrested on the
Charge of Murder.

MOUNT PLEASANT. Pa. April 2.-Om-
Inous signs of the gathering of a storm
have been observed for some time, and at
2 O'Clock this morning it burst at the
Norwood plant. The fight was brief and
deadly. Two rounds of cartridges were
fired by the baud of sixty-6ve guards,
and seven OF the charging mob of strik ers
fell dead. while at least forty others were
wounded, how badly cannot be definitely
stated as they were taken away by their
companions.
The strikers killed instantly were:
Creszo Binera, Italian; John Fudora, Au-
tonic Rist, Jacob Shuckasy and James
Brochte, Poles; Valentine Zeidcl and
Paul Dohannis. Slavs.
The attack was well planned, headed
10y men determined, evidently, to lntimi-
date the men working there, once for all.
At IL O o'clock small bodies of strikers be-
gan gathering on the hills. They were
armed with %revolvers, stones, iron bars
and every conceivable weapon. Headed by
IA drum corps, they marched first to the
Standard works where they deliberately
DESTROYED both the telephone and telegraph
wires so that the word of their coming
could not be sent TO Norwood. While at
the Standard works, incidentally destroy
ing anything movable they might find,
the strikers created all the noise possible
from the surrounding hills, intending to
apprise those of their fellow strikers 10
the vicinity OF their intentions OF a raid.
TIE few frightened men left at the Stand
ard managed to repaIrt the wires. aud their
warning reached the Morewood plant none
too soon. As the noisy baud OF strikers,
now numbering fully 1000 men, APP
preached 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 partly before attacking a place
they knew TO be well guarded. Then they
separated, one large detachment advanc-
ing on the works by the main road, while
the others scattered over the brow OF the
hill, and shortly alter 3 O'Clock. at a
given signal, all moved down on the
works.
Under the orders OF Capt. Loar the
sixty-five guards stood quietly in line be
fore the works. Suddenly a break was
made by the advancing mob towards the
iences OF the.conpany. The stern order
Of halt was gwen. but the only alton
ton it received was the firing OF three
shots by members of the mob, which
whistled close to the heads of the impass
i've guards. After the shots were fred
the strikers turned and vent toward the
stables of the company with u dash.
Without firing a shot, the guarGs were
ordered to follow, and the command again
given to the strikers To halt. They only
retreated further down the road aud au-
swered the order with wells and threats.
Again was the command given and again
came a mockIng answer, and the order to
fire was given by Capt LoAr. Tho vol
leys from the Winchesters were well di-
rected and few rounds were necessary to
drive the rioters back into the hills, where
hundreds of their fellow strikers had gath
cred in anticipation Of assisting in the
raid, but not In battle with such a deter
mined band of guards. The firing on
both sides continued hardly three minutes.
The volleys from the guards had a ter
rible effect on the compact mass of strik-
ers, while the latter mad an attempt 20
return the fire with what weapons they
possessed, but without effect. The dead
were lett lying in the road, while the
wounded, estimated at between forty and
fifty, we're either assisted or bodily car
ried away into the hills by their fellows.
All dav the entire coke regions have
preaented scenes of widest excitement.
The foreign element especially has been
driven frantic by this woeful result Of
their anticipated victorious raid. Always
turbulent, sullen and ready for desperate
measures, they are not on whit cowed
by the death of several OF their number,
while they nave assiduously concealed in
their homes those of their number who
were wounded, many, no doubt, unto
death. Anatlemas loud and deem have
been heard on every side all day. Word
has been sent by secret means all over the
region that their comrades were fired on
and moved down without any provocation,
Rnd deadly vengeance On each and every
member of the guards has been sworn to.
This all comes from the foreign element.
Ii will be noticed hat all the men killed
bear foreign names, and it is u fact that
not one of them was a naturaliZed
citizen OF this country. 1t is also supposed
many OF the wounded were foreign, and
this explains the deep resentment ex
pressed in every foreign face in the
reglou tonight.
The Slavs and HunVarians were almost
fearless. The deputies say that not one
was struck on the back. but all bore the
the marks of bullets In the face, indicating
that they died fighting with what weapons
they possessed. Thousands of strikers
and their friends poured into this place
from all over the region to have a lock at
the dead, aud perhaps hear what the
wing have to say.
As darkness fell tonight the foreigners
began TO draw away in knots, and the
night after the riot lowered amidst great
lear OF what might happen before an
other dawn. Late tonight word was re-
ceived here that two more men concerned
IN the riot had died in a strikers house.
Their names could not be learned. These
two deaths make nine in all that are
known as the result of the firing of The
guards, but there is 10 doubt that Others
are either dead or in a critical condition,
as the guards had orders to fire to kill and
evidently did so.
Reports late tonight from all over the
region indicate a fearfully dangerous and
excited condition of affairs, and word
that the military was soon to be on puard
was received by law abiding labor officials
and coke operators alike with the l~iyeliest
evidence Of satisfaction.
At Leisenring. Constable Campbell at
tempted to arrest John Lushka, a Rus.
sian, for completely. in the bomb throwing
that noonrrad rhare Mondor I..lLo