The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-07
POLICE USEDG[UBS.
Large Squad Called to the
Polish Church on the
South Side.
MANY LIVES In DANGER
Hundreds Of PolanderS Gathered
About St. Mary'S Polish Catholic
Church to Prevent Father Aust
from Celebrating MaSS-Women
Aided the Men.
MANY LIVES IN DANGER

The troubles at the Polish Catholic
climax yesterday when the parishon-
ers and the police came together In a
bloody conflict.
Heads were battered by the dozen,
the policemen received some pretty
rought usage and 1t Is surprising that
the battle was terminated without any
loss of life, although the police were
several times almost forced to draw
their revolvers. Eleven prisoners. eight
men and three women, are now under
arrest for rioting and resisting the Of
ficers and warrants for many others
will be sworn out today.
The trouble was brought about
through the determination Of the anti
Aust faction to prevent the pastor
from conducting the services.
Father Aust's action last week in
causing the arrest of twenty-one of
his opponents for attempting to stop
the organist from ascending to his sta
tion in the choir loft led to the final
stand against the pastor. A meeting
was held Saturday night at Olchefskis
hall, on Pittston avenue. which, it !s
said, was attended by representatives
Of $50 of the parishoners, which is a
large majority of the congregation.
BISHOPS AID SOLICITED.
Various plans for settling the diff
Guilty were discussed and finally 1t was
proposed and agreed to again send a
committee to wait on Bishop O'Hara
and ask him to grant their demand
that Father Aust be compelled to turn
over the management Of the church to
a committee appointed by the congre-
cation, they making the claim that
they represented majority Of the
parishOners. The bishop told them
that the charges against Father Aust
and the resultant troubles We're being
until decision had been arrived at
they must content themselves with
the present condition Of things.
The. committee told the bishop that
they would not be responsible for the
consequences Of his refusal to interfere.
He dismissed them with an injunction
to be peaceful and patient.
The committee went back and report
ed that the bishop had told them to do
what they thought was for the best
They determined that Father Aust
should be prevented from going into the
church even II force was necessary.
Father Aust learned there was
movement afoot to take extreme meas
ures of some kind and he requested
Mayor Bailey to provide extra police
rnt IDn trn N1aI a
Sartor were detailed for duty at the
church yesterday and reserve squad
was kept near at hand for an emer-
gency.
There was no trouble at the o'clock
mass, but as the time for the late mass,
1880 o'clock, approached, the dissenters
commenced to gather and mass them
selves in the church yard between the
church and the priests residence. There
were some exchanges Of words, though
not of disorderly nature, between the
dissenters and the other parishioners.
but aside from this everything was
quiet as usual.
CROWD INCREASES.
The crowd kept growing and at 1O. 80
dred persons were massed about the
rear Of the church.
Patrolman Flaherty went among
them and inquired why they did not
go to church or go home. instead of
standing about. They told him they
were there to prevent Father Aust
from entering the church. This the pa
trolman construed as enough to stamp
the gathering as a riotous assembly
and he told them they would have to
disperse. They answered that they were
on their own premises and did not have
to move awey.
The two patrolmen tried to force them
away but they paid no heed to them
further than to argue that the police
had no right to interfere with them, as
long as they were creating no disturb
ance.
Flaherty then sent a telephone mes
sage to headquarters for help, and Pa
trOlmen Schmitt and Gscheidle, Park
Policeman McManamon and Mounted
officer Dyer responded. With them was
Chief Of Police Robling. He advised the
people to go home in order to avoid any
trouble. Then he mounted the patrol
wagon and made speech to them ask
ing them to heed his advice. They still
remained obdurate, and seeing that all
other means We're useless he directed
the policemen to drive them away.
When the officers began to approach
with drawn clubs the women rushed to
the front and tried to keep the police
from getting at the men,
WOMEN TAKE A HAND.
The men started pulling the women
away, the officers started pushing the
crowd and the women turned upon the
officers, one Of them. cutting Officer
Dyer's head with brass bound prayer
book. She was placed under arrest and
hustled into the patrol wagon. Things
| went from bad to worse and finally the
| conflict that was inevitable broke out
The crowd rushed upon the officers
carried them up against the fence
pinioned them there for a moment and
then with one concerted surge pushed
| officers. fence and all into the street.
Captain Edwards at headquarters had
been sending messenger boys in all di-
rections and just about at this juncture
Of the melee there arrived sixteen more
officers: Lieutenant Zang, Patrolmen
Nor, Day, McMullen, Block, Sloat
Evans, Ridgeway. Palmer, Hay. Cur
rell, Peters, Perry, Haggerty, Neuls
and Boland.
The whole squad made dash for the
crowd and placed the foremost under
arrest. The crowd did not seem to want
to fight but was determined to prevent
the off1corA from m hing uv orros<s