The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-05-05

Murderous Attack on Coke Work
ers at Soottdale, Pa,
CHILDREN JOINED IN THE RAID.

A Deputy sheriff aud n Mine omclal We're
Seriously wounded, While Five Men aud
Two Women of the Assnultlng Party Are
Shot Down.
SCOTTDALE, Pa, May 5.-The north end
OF the Connellsville coke region is In a
fever OF fear, excitement and anxiety. The
terrible work at the Painter plant of the
Mcclure company, bad as it was in itself,
Is feared still more as a foreshadowiug Of
the beginning Of times and conditions
that are inevitable unless this strike is
speedily settled,
Yesterdays battle was between striking
Poles, small number Of deputies and a
comparative few Of the men at work at
the Painter plant. Deputy Sheriff White
and Chief Clerk Roddy were terribly
beaten and are lying in a critical condi-
tion. Five men and two women on the
strikers side were shot and two of the
men dangerously wounded. Sixty-three
rioters among them twelve women and
ten children, have been taken 10 Jail, and
warrants for fifty others have been sworn
out, but the men cannot now be found.
The Painter plant was closed down by
the strikers on the gath ult., and was idle
Joe Sconesky's wife went to the other
houses and got the women of the striking
Poles to join her in a proposed raid on the
plant. Soon she had $50 men, women and
children in the ranks, ready for a raid.
The men remained in the rear and the
women and children, led by Mrs. Soon
ssky, made rush for the coke yards.
This region has seen many savage af-
fairs in which women unsexed themselves
| by deeds Of cruel violence, but the old
| timers say that never before has there
| been such spectacle as this. Every per
son in the assaulting party had some sort
of striking weapon, even the children
screaming shrilly as they hourished sticks
suited to their size. Many of the women
bore axes and some Of them carried base
| ball bats and hatchets,
Deputy White was the first man at the
yard on whom n blow fell Mrs. Sconesky
had baseball club and her husband
welded an AK. White went down before
the front rank of the raiders Roddy and
a clerk named James TaFr saw him fall.
In the face of the fearful odds these two
men sprang to his rescue and fought their
way to his side. Then the frantic raiders
fell upon Tarr and Roddy as w hite strug-
gled to his feet, blinded with blood The
three men fought desperately, but the
odds were too great, and finally all were
again under the feet Of the mob Roddy
was beaten and cut almost as badly as
| White.
White was dragged into the engine
house to escape the fury Of the strikers.
BY this time the deputies rallied, and
three volleys were fired in quick success
sion, forcing the mob to retire over the
hill in utter rout.
The affair has caused the most intense
excitement here. 1t is feared the foreign
srs will revenge the shooting down OF
their countrymen and that this Is but the
beginning of riots in all parts Of the re-
gion. 1t would not be surprise TO the
people here should the strikers resort to
the use of dynamite to blow up the works
CoNEELLsvILLE, Pa, May Sat nc
time since the strike was inRugurated haI
violence been 30 imminent as ut present
The wholesale svictions contemplated
next week and the attempt by the leading
companies to resume Monday are sure tc
result in violence. The leading companies
say they will start unless the Rainey
works are closed down at once. Rainey is
securing all the large contracts at hand
some figures, and the other companies
will not stand idly by and see themselves
ruled out of the market. Two OF the lead
ing companies announce that they will
start up all ten works, il In doing so they
have to deputize half their men and ash
for protection from the state troops.