The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-06-04
WANTED MORE WAGES.
Contractor McAdams Calls Out the
Sheriff But the Strikers Stay ed
Away.

Five bronzed and desperate looking
Italians were placed in the county Jail yester
day, charged with rioting .On oath of Frank
Cavanagh, a timekeeper for William Nc
Adams, the contractor. There was con-
stable for each prisoner, and as the officers
and prisoners marched from the depot to
the Jail they attracted considerable atten-
ton. The commitment was issued by
Squire O'Brien, of Mahanoy City. Tue
names of the prisoners are Frank Ross,
Tony JOHNNY, Frank Cross, Raphael Cunaro
and Korah Hunaw. The men were
arrested in their shanties at New Boston.
Contractor McAdams employed the men
on his section of railroad which he is con
structing for the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company from Rock to Morea, a distance
OF one mile. When this line is completed
the old road which runs almost parallel
with it will be abandoned, owing to its
unsafe condition. Extensive strippings
under the old road bed are now being
made by the Dodson Coal Company aud
the new piece of road is being constructed
to avoid all possible danger arising from
mining operations extending to the sur
face.
On Friday about 40 of the men quit
work because Mr.. McAdams would not in
crease their wages. The men were getting
81 and $1.l0 per Gay, the latter being paid
to class of laborers known as rockmen.
The contractor says he is paying standard
wages and that the men get their money
once a month. When a delegation of the
foreigners demanded $l.10 per head for
labor performed during the month of May,
Contractor McAdams refused to accede to
their demands, but when they followed this
with a statement that they would not work
for less than Sl.25 day during the month
Of June, he very emphatically told them
they would not get more than they had
been receiving. The men then indulged
in threats and with scowl on their dark
visages, they left the works. Abodt 30 Of
the foreigners who did not take a part in
this controversy remained at work and
their striking countrymen promised TO make
it unpleasant for them.
Saturday morning the strikers, to the
number of 40, marched to the works in a
body and drove away the men who re-
mained faithful. A riot seemed imminent
for time, but as the strikers were armed
and had an advantage as to force of
numbers, the peaceful workingmen wisely
concladed to offer no resistance. There
was no work that day, and fearing that the
strikers would offer the same interference,
when his men would attempt to resume
work yesterday morning, Contractor Nc
Adams called upon the Sheriff to give him
that protection he was entitled to.
Sheriff Scott and his deputies, B. j.
Smith and S. r. Beddall, with about 10
picked men, boarded train on the Pennsy
yesterday, and arrived at the works about
$50 A. NJ. All was quiet, and there wasn't
a striker in sight Only few of the men
were on hand to 60 to work, the others
staying away because they feared violence
at the hands of the strikers. The Sheriff
and his deputies accompanied by Interpreter
SrTOccO, walked up to New Boston and
held parley with the strikers. Frank
Cavona, a padrone, who is looked upon as
high parsonage by his cOuntrymen, keeps
a supply house. and here the italians were
cOngregated when the Sheriff appeared. The
men acted very orderly and said they did
not intend to use violence. They simply
wanted their money and when they got
that they were willing to 60 elsewhere to
seek employment. The Sheriff thought
this was a fair proposition and advised the
men TO call on Contractor McAdams and
state their terms. The officials followed
by the strikers walked back to the works
to effect a peaceable settltm Con-
would pay them on the regular pay day,
bat not before then. He wanted the
Sheriff to arrest the five ringleaders, but be
declined to execute the warrant which the
contractor had sworn out on the ground
that he had no authority. He was
simply there to put down riot
if any existed and to put the
rioters in Jail. He could not,
under the circumstances, make ar
rests, he said, as the men were not in
clined to commit any crime. When the
strikers heard Mr.. McAdams' ultimatum
they quietly left for their shanties and
thereupon the Sheriff withdrew with his
men and took the next train for Pottsyille.
Some of the strikers returned to work.
1t was after this little parley that the
contractor secured the services Of a number
Of constables and had the five ringleaders
arrested and taken to Jail He says nearly