The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-24
THEREOF AT GILBERTON
Fatal Result of Tearing Up Rail-
road Tracks.
A BLOODY BATTLE PREOIPITATED

Three Men Killed and Four Wounded in
Fight Between Citizens and RAFT
road Employes-Of the wounded One
May Die and Another Loses n Leg
GILBERToN, Pa. Aug. a3.-The tearing
UP OF the Schuylkill Traction companys
tracks here by the Borough officials re-
suited most disastrously. Seven men were
shot, three of whom are dead
for some time past trouble has been
brewing between the borough of Gilbcr-
ton and the Schuylkill Traction company,
whose electric railwa. extends from Lo-
Gust Dale to Mahanoy City, distance of
Twelve miles 1t is alleged that when this
company WAS seeking the right of way
through this borough Sc council adopted
All ordinance extending to it certain privi-
leges rs to streets. This ordinance the
company ignored, and pl aced its tracks
elsewhere. There has been more or less
dissatisfaction mt this action of the conf
pany, rs 1T is claimed that their track as
now laid is al obstruction to Il regular
water course
On Saturday evening the heavy rainfall
Hooded the swampy portion of the town
through which the track is laid and the
water was forced into the cellars of the
houses near by. This is said to have so
lncensed the property owners and ten
ants that they demanded immediate nc
ton, and the tearing up of the track be-
gan Monday night about Z o'clock The
traction company were notified and about
III o'clock Chief Officer Amour, of the
ABOVE company, arrived at the scene OH a
special cur.
The Gilberton pcople-men, women and
authenticated about the car, and mat
tiers looked serious. The men engaged in
tearing up the tracks did not stop their
work, but continued until the rails had
been lifted for Il distance Of about eighty
yards. Officer Amour called upon Coun-
cilmen Stone and Reynolds, who were
present, to assist him in restoring order
and relaying the tracks of the company.
The request was ignored and was followed
by bitter words from the mob that sur
rounded these men. The officer and an
employe of the Traction company each
held Winchester rifle, but upon the re.
fusal of assistance made no attempt to
use them
All this time the people were hooting
ana making unpleasant remarks bearing
on the militia, Il member of which was on
the special car. This fingered him to such
nm extent that he came to the front of the
car, gun i'll hand Whether he intended
to use it, or not is not known, but II second
later the report of Il gun was heard, and it
~ alleged by the Gilbcrton people that the
shot was fired by John Briggs, "a motor
man on one Of the company's cars
The shot had no sooner been fired than
tall man, whose name could not he
learned, rushed through the crowd, and,
pulling out Il revolver, deliberately aimed
1t ut Briggs head and fired Briggs lodged
and the bullet grazed the side of his face,
making slight wound. Another shot
was fired by some person in the crowd,
and Briggs dropped OH the platform. The
lights were turned off i'll the CIR, and
Briggs, who was shot in the leg, took adj
vantage of the darkness and fled This
saved his life, for had he been found he
would have been lynched.
The shooting continued and Officer
Amour was seen to drop. He was carried
into the car and laid OH the floor, with the
blood streaming from his side and from
another wound in his right thigh He
was removed TO his home in Shenandoah.
where he died yesterday afternoon
Fully fifty shots were fired during
which James Parfit, aged 25 WAS shot in
the right iliac region, the bullet making
It's exit at the right hip. He died two
hours after being shot. William Holland,
49, WAS shot six inches below right nipple,
the bullet passing through his body in the
vi lIlc Icll kidney, CAUSING
his death fifteen minutes later. William
Connors was shot through the arm, james
llullihan i'll the head and Evan Davis
through the right knee, the ball passing
directly through the joint and rendering
amputation necessary James IIullihan
also had his skull fractured by Il stone.
and may die.
Women tainted and were carried to
their homes, while others rushed to neigh
boring towns for physicians and priests.
Inc traction company, of which Mr.. J.
L. Baily, of Philadelphia, is president, has
abandoned that portion of their line, and
1T is likely to remain idle until the court
has handled the lawsuit which will most
surely follow Officers are now guarding
the home Of JohL Breggs at Girardvllle.
and he will not be allowed to ESCAPE.
neither will it be safe for him to leave the
house, so incensed are the people against
him
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 23-An officer of
the Schuylkill Traction company in this
city said today that the company had not
only not evaded any of it's obligations. but
had really done more than had been re-
CURED of them. The road had been salts
factory to majority of the Gilberton Dor
ough councils, and had been running since
last December '"rhe best citizens Of the
borough and the better members Of coun-
ellis are with us in the matter" said he.
and we have appealed to the law to pro-
tect us in our rights. We intend to make
the borough pay for the damage it has
done, and we have applied for an injunc-
ton to restrain the mob from interfering
with the running of the road"
Weekly Crop Report.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23-The weekly crop
report of the weather bureau saws of con-
Hitinnc in