The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-06-13
RIOTLNG IN FULL SWAY,
STRIKERS SHOT DOWN BY
PENNSYLVANIA DEPUTIES.

Fifty Men Were Arrayed Against a
Mob Of Two Thousand Excited
Miners Flight Started by Depu-
ty Who Fired Into the Air-Towns
Terrorized In Illinois.
The bloodiest battle In the industrial his
tory Of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, oc.
cured few mornings ago, at Sickle HoI-
low. Four strikers were killed and many
others were wounded. Two thousand strik-
ers we're pltted against sevsnty-ave depa-
Hes. but the little hand won the fight in q
few minutes and captured large number OF
the rioters.
Only one OF the dead men was an English
spsakine miner. His name was Barney NC
Andrews. and he lived at Woods Run, four
miles up the river. The other dead were
Hungarians.
The scene OF the battle was a farm once
owned by President George Washington, ly-
Yhonghiogheny Rivers, twenty-one miles
west OF Unlontown. -..
The Washington Coal and Coke Company,
operating the Sickle Hollow mines, had
hundred men working and had been the
only mine in that part OF the Pittsourg dis
trict that was mining any coal. The strikers
collected from various points all day ana
threatened the men and guards.
They kept up their intimidation all night
and In the morning the combined forces
numbered about two thousand. Tney all
carried clubs and pick handles and great
many OF them had revolvers and repeating
rifles. They kept In the public road close by
the works and watched every point by winch
vOrlcman cOuld ranch the plant.
Not until daylight did any OF the workmen
venture to start from their homes to the plant,
and the first lot ofabout twenty was in charge
OF a few deputies. They were surrounded
bythe strikers and ordered back homo and
the guards were roughly handled. Another
squad at this time had nearly reached the
mines when the strikers saw them and made
. dash after them.
Tne deputies at the works started ut the
same moment to protect the worSmen aud
one deputy fired in the air and then volley
after volley followed. The armed strikers
fred at the deputies and stood their ground,
while those without weapons fed for their
lives.
The narrow road, the scene Of the fight,
ran through gorge, and 80 preeipitate was
the flight of the strikers that they became
packed In the gully. and trampled on each
other in their eagerness to escape. The
and then all fed, the deputi IS Pursuing them
hotly and firing as they ran.
Many OF the strikers broke through q barbed
wire fence and across wheat Held ankle
deep in mud, and there, and in the gorge IS
where the deputies made their arrests, The
strikers had more guns than the deputies,
but the latter were scattered 80 lar apart tnat
but q few of the strikers bullets took effect.
Four strikers dead bodies laytn the road
Sko 0ch
were wounded and eight strikers were
known to have been wounded, and 1t was
thought many more OF the injured were
helped away in the flight. The dead strik-
ers were left lying in the road where they
fell
TIE seventy-fye deputies captured sixty.
six OF the strikers, among them the SewlcSley
brass band, one OF the three bands with the
crowd. The prisoners wero at once placed
In two box cars and taken to Uniontown and
placed In Jail. a+. z--
Nearly. every man arrested, except the
members of the band, were armed when ar
rested. After the battle was over the men
Yent to work and the usual run OF coal was
made.
A rumor reached Uniontown that wild
mob OF 5000 strikers. collected from all along
the Monongahela River, was marching Tor
Btickle Hollow to avenSe the death OF their
companions.
The killing arose out Of continuation OF
the coke strike trouble, which began on
April 2, In an effort Of the men and their
leaders for better wages. Tho Frick Com
pany continued paying the scale. Since the
coke strike and the coal strike Of the river
miners began the two interests worked to-
eether In the so-called "National strike" In
the Connellsyille district proper there were
at this time certainly IL, 900 men idle. In the
entire area OF the general or national strike,
as guided by the United Mine Workers,
there. were, also, about 125 900 men idle. This
last conflict arose out OF one OF the numer-
ous attempts Of the strikers to raid the work
ing men and mines.
The prospect Of speedy settlement OF the
strike BY peaceable means was thought to
have been swept away BY thesriot at Wash
ineton Run mines.
The news Of the killing caused the strikers
10 become bloodthirsty, and further riot anc
bloodshed were imminent.
The leaders themselves admitted their In
ability to control the angry strikers, and sent
out formal notices to that effect.
Five hundred and fifty men marched from
Dunbar to Jimtown, and went into camp on
the property leased by the strikers few
days before. These men served notice on
the. company that they would remain In
camp until the works were closed down.
49,.