The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-30

UNIONTOWN, Pa, May 24-The long
threatened attack by striking miners on
the pits Of the Washington coal and coke
company at Sickle Hollow, in the fourth
pool district. on the Monongahela river,
was made this morning. involving an
other Of the grim tragedies that charac-
terize the irrepressible conflict. The fight
was one of the fercast in the history of
the mining troubles in western Pennsyl-
vania and in the section where it Oc-
CURED as well as throughout the whole
coke region, the situation it has devel-
oped is one of the most intense excite
ment and dread uncertainty.
Tonight four strikers are lying dead
and double that number are badly
wounded, some Of them mortally. Thomas
Kenan of Woods Run is the only Amer
lean killed in the encounter with the
deputies. The other dead men are Slavs.
The wounded men who fell under the
first volley were taken off the field by
the retreating strikers, and even now
the actual number Of wounded is not
definitely known. their friends having
the strongest motives for concealing
them.
1t is. perhaps. too soon to attempt to
apportiOn the responsibility for the kill
ings. In the mass of confessed and con-
Trajectory statements there is testimony
to show that the strikers while threat
ening an attack had committed no overt
act of lawlessness beyond the possible
offense of unlawful assembly; that the
deputies fired on them absolutely with
out provocation that would warrant the
use of deadly weapons, and that some
Of the killings were particularly cruel
and unjustifable. Then there is equally
abundant testimony to show that the
deputies simply defended themselves and
their charge from the rushing assault of
an armed and bloOdhirsty mob The
strikers furnished the dead men, Not
deputy was fatally hurt and only three
of them wounded.
The fight occurred at daybreak in the
public roadway leading to the Sickle
hollow plants. Two thousand strikers,
after camping near the works all night,
came out there to intercept the men on
their way to work to induce them to
come out and help win the strike A few
Of them carried Winchesters, while fully
fifty others were armed with shotguns
muZZle-lcading rifles and revolveTs. Be
cause of their threatening demOnstra-
tiOns and the fact that they had given
notice to the company that they had
come to drive off the deputies. if neces-
sary. there were ball cartridges in the
Winchesters carried by the guards and
the entire outfit at the works was in
general readiness to receive raiders.
The deputies had specific orders, and it
Is admitted that the company had con-
veyed TO them directions to shoot TO kill
SiXty-siN of the strikers were placed
under arrest and taken back to the COM
panys ground, where they were closely
guarded during the remainder of the
day. The whole lot Of them were later
placed in box cars, which were closely
nailed up, and kept there until this even
ing when they were brought here to the
jail in charge Of twenty-five deputies.
The men arrested are nearly all native
born citizens, intelligent-loOking and sew
eral Of them are known to be men of in
fluence and good reputation in the fourth
pool district.
The situation at the mines tonight is
alarming and more serious trouble is ex-
Dected within the next twenty-four
hours. Reports late tonight are TO the
effect that 5000 strikers from the lower
end of the fourth pool were marching on
Sickle hollow thoroughly armed for the
purpose of storming the works. regard
less of consequences. But these reports
have not been verified.
None Of the dead except Kenan have
been identified. 1t is impossible to learn
about the others who are dead. Fear
muZZles the survivors and seals the lips
Of even the children Of friends Of the
men in the fight They will not even
claim their dead, and nobody has come
forward to speak for the remains of the
poor fellows who are lying where they
fell John Troy Of Fayette City was
badly wounded and will die. He is a
prominent citizen of that place and was
formerly a school director.