The Portland daily press., 1893-08-23
John Briggs Answered a Jest With a
Rifle Bullet.
ANOTHER RIOT CAUSED BY A ROW
OVER RAILROAD TRACKS.
City, Pa.-The Trouble Was Over whel
a Militiaman Lost His Temper and
B1azed Away-War Followed in Earn
est-The Man Who Fired First Wound
ed and Arrested.

Mahanoy City, Pa, August 22.-A
terrible battle occurred at Gilberton, neal
this place. this morning. Last night the
citizens of Gilberton tore up the tr acki
of the Schuylkill Traction Company be
cause that company failed to comply witt
the borough ordinance. This morning
the company, with large force of men,
all armed, attempted to relay the tracks
under the supervision of Assistant Super
intendent Richard Amour A battle fol-
lowed in which James Parfitt and William
Hughes, citizens, were killed, and Evan
Davis and Richard Amonr, Assistant
Superintendent of the company, seriously
wounded. Will Connors was also shot in
the hand and foot When the
company officials heard of the
action of the Gilberton people
they Immediately sent force of men to
try and effect an amicable settlement.
When the break in the road was reached
President r. E. Jones of the Traction
company, with Richard Amour of Shen-
andoah, chief in the company's police,
got off the car and in few moments had
effected a settlement, and the work of
tearing up tracks was stopped.
In the car were a number of men
taken on at Girardville, memb of the
National Guard, who had with them
rifles belonging to the company. While
the railway officials were engaged in
conversation with the borough officials
some of the crowd taunted the men on
board the car and called out: "Where is
the Girardville militia?n
A man named John Briggs of Girard-
vile stepped out and said: "Here we
are" ACCOMPANYING his salutation with
an oath, and leveling his rifle fired into
the crowd, killing Richard Parftt, aged
25, a spectator.
Superintendent Amour and President
Jones had settled the trouble and Briggs
shot over Amour's shoulder. This i'm
mediatelY enraged the people and stones
were thrown, shots from the car became
general, and for a while most terrific
battle ensued.
Superintendent Amour tried to settle
the trouble, and while in the act of stop
ping his men was shot in the breast and
may die The battle ragged for an hour
or more until the cooler headed people of
Gilberton pre- vailed upon the crowd to
disperse, and the dead and injured were
then looked after.
In addition to Parfitt, William Hughes
aged 10, of Gilberton, an onlooker, W
shot and instantly killed; Richard Cor
nors was shot in the hand and leg; Evan
David was shot in the leg, which will
have to be amputated. James Hulhhan
had his skull fractured by stone, and
may die. Briggs, who started the riot,
was shot by companion accidentally,
and received scalp wound, and was
also wounded in his leg When the trouble
had quieted down Briggs escaped. and
running toward Mahanoy Plain, hid in
barn, but was captured, and together
with Arthur Wiville, also member of
the Girardville militia, was taken to the
Pottsville jail.
Then the railroads force was with
drawn, and outside of an excited popu-
lace talking over the distur rbance, moth
ing has transpired since to cause any re-
petition of the trouble.