The herald., 1897-09-11
RIOTING
MINERS
KILLED
By Rifles in the Hands of
Deputies
THE RIOT ACT is READ
Marching Miners Ordered
to Halt
A BLOW GIVEN THE SHERIFF
PROMPTLY FOLLOWED BY AN
ORDER TO FIRE
The volley Carries Death to Twenty
Rioters and Grievous Wounds
to More Than Twice
That Number

HAZLETON, Pa, Sept. 10.-The strike
situation reached a terrible crisis on the
outskirts of Latimer this aftern oon,
when a band of deputy sheriffs fired
into a mob of miners. The men fell like
so many sheep, and the excitement has
been so intense that no accurate figures
of the dead and wounded can be OBJ
tained. Reports run from fifteen to
twenty killed and forty or more
wounded
One man who reached the scene to-
night counted thirteen corpses. Four
other bodies lie in the mountains be-
tween Latimer and Harlelgh. Those
who were not injured carried their dead
and wounded friends into the woods, and
estimates are battling.
Some of those known to be dead are:
MIKE CHENOLL. Harwood.
FRANK CHEKA, Harwood.
JOHN STANISKA, Crystal Ridge.
GEORGE KULICK, Harwood.
STEVE HORRICK, Harwood.
Among the injured are:
GEORGE KRESE, Harwood, bullet
struck.
JOHN KERLOvICH. shot in neck.
ANDREW RHABOLICK, shot In
breast.
JOHN KULECH, shot in stomach.
JOHN DAMENSKE, shot in the legs.
GEORGE VREICHEK, shot in both
legs.
JOHN FORTI, shot in head; will die.
JOHN KLESHOK, shot in hip.
KASIMIR DALIS, shot in breast.
JACOB KULSHOT, shot through
body; will die.
STEVE ERSKU, shot in body.
JOHN KOLI, shot in arm and left side.
JOSEPH BOBICK, shot through back
JOHN TREBLE, a deputy, shot in
arm.
Three bodies were found tonight on
the road near Latimer.
The strikers left Hazelton about $3.50
o'clock this afternoon and it was their
intention to go to Latimer. AS soon as
this became known a band of deputy
sheriffs was loaded on trolley car and
went whirling across the mountain to
the scene where the bloody conflict fol-
lowed. After reaching Latimer they
left the car and formed into three conf
panies, under Thomas Hall, E. A. Hess
and Samuel B. Price. They drew up in
line at the edge of the village with a
fence and line of houses in their rear.
Sheriff Martin was in entire command
and stood in the front of the line until
the strikers approached. They were seer
coming across the ridge and Martin went
out to meet them. The men drew up
suddenly and listened in silence until he
had once more read the riot act. This
finished, low muttering arose among
the foreigners and there was slight
movement. Perceiving this, the sheriff
stepped forward toward them and in a
determined tone forbade an advance
Some one struck the sheriff and the next
moment there was command to the
deputies to fire. The guns Of the depu-
ties instantly belched forth terrible
volley. The report seemed to shake the
very mountains and a cry Of dismay
went up from the people. The strikers
were taken entirely by surprise, and as
the men toppled and fell over each other
those who remained unhurt stampeded.
The men went down before the storm of
bullets like tenpins, and the groans of
the dying and wounded filled the air
The excitement that followed was sim
ply indescribable The deputies seemed
to be terror-stricken at the deadly exc
cution of their guns, and seeing the liv-
ing strikers fleeing like the wind, the
others dropping to the earth, they went
to the unfortunates whom they had
brought down. The town of Latimer
rushed pell nell to the scene, but the
shreks of the wounded drowned the cries
Of the sympathizing and half-crazed in
habitants.
Areporter who soon afterward reached
the scene found the road leading to
.Latimer filled with groups of frightened
Hungarians. Some surrounded dying
companions and others, fearful of pur-
suit, clung to the newcomer and begged
his protection.
At Farley's hotel there were two men
lying on the porch. Both had been shot
in the head.
One had three bullets in him. His
groans and appeals for a doctor were
heartrending. All along the road the
wounded men who were able to leave
the field of battle scattered themselves
and sought the shade of trees for protec-
ton, but there was no need Of that then.
Approaching the place where the shoot
ing occurred, people were met wringing
their hanGs and bemoaning the catas-
trophe. They could not talk intelli-
gently. and it was with the greatest Of