The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-21
RIOT AT LEADYILLE
Striking Miners Make a
Raid on the Fortified
Coronado Shaft.
THREE KILLED, TWO DYING
Fire Adds to the Horrors of the
Fray-Citizens Defeat
the Mob.
THREE KILLED, TWO DYING

| LEADVILIE, Sept. d, 1S96.-Driven to
desperation by starvation Leadville's
locked out miners, who have been threat
ening the peace for two months, attacked
the Coronado mine with dynamite and
guns at one o'clock this morning, arous-
ing the city and throwing its inhabitants
into a panic
Heavy explosions aroused sleepers in
the eastern part of the city at the hour
named. The mine was heavily guarded by
special police behind stout barricades
The explosions were followed by many
rife shots from the. vicinity of the barri-
cade surrounding tine mine which are
thought 70 have been fired by an attack
ing force to cover the retreat of dynamit-
ers in an attempt upon the works.
The shooting lasted about ten minutes
and was followed by scattering firing.
A telephone message received from the
nobody inside the barricade had been
hurt. After receiving this message COM
munication with the mine was interrupt
ed and was not restored up to O'Clock.
another explosion, presumably dyna-
mite was heard after the break occurred
IN the telephone connection which was
followed by a bright blaze in the vicinity
OF the mine.
The Fire Department and the local mill
tia were hastily called out and hurried
70 the assistance of the besieged miners
,ilay Ihey found the works at the mine in
blaze and when they attempted to turn
on the water TO fight the flames they were
ordered to desist by the attacking party.
FlnaLly they succeeded in making con-
nection with other fTydrants and getting
stream on the flames.
Hardly had this occurred when series
of @ explosions was heard in the direction
of the Emmett and Marion mines and ii
is supposed that ansattack has been made
upon these workings.
later report from the Coronado mine
was that Fireman O'Keefe had been fa-
tally shot while attempting TO turn on the
water, and that Bert Mier and James
Benson had been killed on Carbolate Hill
while Frank Tells, Martin Scott John
Mahoney and man named Higgins had
been fatally injured.
Many rumors were rife this morning.
one being that every building at the
Coronado had been burned Another was
that John Mahoney. who worked at The
Big -Four. while on his way from the
mlne, and near the Emmett mine, was
shot in the stomach and killed Another
man had all his clothing torn from his
body, but escaped with his life.
The miners were organized recently by
the Western Federation of Miners. and
almost every mine worker was in the
union when the demands were made The
miners ask 50 day for all classes of
workmen, including surface and under
ground men. The employers declared, at
M ltic pesittiihS u Tie trouble, lnaI lhey
were willing to continue paying the
wages which had prevailed in Leadville
to that time Under that scale surface
workers received only $3.50, and practically
| the only change the union proposes is the
advance of the wages of this class Of
men to s3
The mine owners have refused to listen
| to any proposition from the employees
They insist that the Governor. the courts
| and the newspapers are with the miners
and that it would be impossible for them
| to manage their own property If they
\ made any concessions.
The courts say they are poweress unless
| the Sheriff brings offenders within their
| jurisdiction. The mine owners explain
| that the Sheriff holds the key to the
| situation and is in league with the strik-
erS.