The Washington times., 1894-04-03
TWENTY SHOTS WERE FIRED
Violence and Bloodshed in the Coke
Regions Of Pennsylvania.
$4,000 DETERMINED STRIKERS
Determined That No Others Shall Go to Work.
Employers Apparently Determined to Hold
Out HOST Of the Rioters Foreigners.
Greater Trouble Feared on the Morrow.

Us1osrows, Pa. April 2-The storm has
broken and the scenes of 1891 are being re-
peated throughout the coke regions tonight.
The big coke strike is now on In full force.
To-day the call Of the Scottdals convention
was obeyed BY more than half the works
in the coke field, and it took fully 5000
men from their work. Ever since the
close of the meetings yesterday afternoon
there has been more or less rioting and de-
struction of property, especially in this end
of the region, and several calls have been
made on the sheriff for protection. The sit
uation is now one of great peril throughout
the coke section. and more destructive out
breaks are expected.
The ranks Of the strikers have been so rein
forced this afternoon that tonight the lowest
estim ates give them 900 men. From the
beginning the outbreak has been turbulent
with the tendency OF open defiance Of the
law. There was rioting in several quarters
last night. 1t Las grown stead
ily worse and to-day there were more
serious outbreaks in this end Of the field. The
men OF the Oliver works went out, leav-
ing 1,5Oo tons OF coke burning up In
the ovens. The company attempted TO
put some men to work drawing the
coke. when the strikers made
ferocious attack on them with stones and
clubs. driving them from the grounds. In
the melee several men were badly hurt. The
Oliver people have telegraphed the deputies
and the works will be guarded after tonight.
The coke will be drawn under protection OF
the sheriff.
The greatest outbreak was at the famous
Hill farm mines, near here. About 400 for
eigners from Mor-ell and Wheeler of the Cam
bria Iron Company armed themselves with
guns, reyolvers, and clubs and started out to
drive the men from the nei2hboring plants.
They first visited the Humphrey works, and
finding the men at work, drove them away
under the muzzles of pistols. One workman
choose to stand to his post. He had one
minute to leave by Hungarian, who
covered him with a revolver. Alter
driving the workmen away they continued
their march to Anchor, where the workmcn
offered no opposition and Immediately left
the works. The next engagement was at
Hill Farm. The men were quietly at work
when the mob of infuriated strikers pounced
down upon them. ordering them to leave at
once. Some alteration followed when the
rioters enforced their demands in an attack,
in which half dozen workmen were seri-
ously injured. During the conflict twenty
shots were fired. A negro was almost
Drained with a stone and very badly
hurt. After all the men had been
driven away the rioters began burning the
shanties. bur desisted at the frantic entreaties
of the women and children. Superintendent
OF the Farm lad sou,e Of the Hungarians ar
rested for attempting to burn the property.
The operator who will perhaps fight the
strike as bitterly as any other is W. J. Rainey.
He is determined not TO recognize the mems
organization, and will fight to q finish. He
took the first bold step in TINS direction to-
day when seventy-a-e of the foreign work
men at Meyer went out. He at once engaged
t G same numter of non-union Americans
and put them to work. He says he will here
after employ only Americans and non-union
men.
At IL o'clock tonight it was reported tine
strikers openly threatened to burn the plants
rather than see them operated at present
prices for labor. and if they attempt this
loss of life will certainly follow. By to-
morrow the strikers will muster 12.000 to
14.000. and in their present state OF
destruction they are reckless The civil
authorities admit tonight that they will not
be able TO cope with the trouble. There was
a meeting held here tonight. which has just
closed. The widest OF the wild foreign ele-
ment is in virtual command. They openly
declare it the purpose of the strikers, as the
sense of this meeting. TO drive out every man
who may want TO work