The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1897-09-17
STRIKERS FIRED ON
NINETEEN KILLED AND FORTY
ONE WOUNDED
Marching Anthracite Coal Miners Come
Into Deadly Collision with a Penn
Sylvania Sheriff and Deputies
An Attack Made by strikers
Upon Officers the Cause.
disaster to Marching strikers.

Disaster to Marching Strikers.
HAzLEroN. Pa. Sept 13.-Nineteen
marching striking miners were killed
and forty-one wounded in conflict
with county deputy sheriffs, led by
Sheriff Martin, on the highway al
Latimer yesterday afternoon.
All of the victims of the officers
Winchesters were foreigners-Poles
and ngarians-imported some time
ago to work in the anthracite coal
mines of this region.
The shots were fred because the
strikers had refused to heed the sher-
ifs proclamation to disperse and had
assaulted the sheriff and threatened
his deputies.
AS result OF the riot and further
threats of trouble, the Third brigade
of the Pennsylvania national guard,
commanded by General Goblin, the
new national mmander-in-chief OF
the e. A. R., was at once ordered to
this section and the Ninth regiment
under Colonel Dougherty of Wilkes
barre, arrived this morning and other
regiments followed during the day,
until the whole brigade was here in
camp.
The strikers left Hazelton about
$3.50 o'clock, and it was their inten-
ton to go to Latiner. AS soon as this
became known, a band of deputies
was loaded on a 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
companies, under Thomas Hall, +. A.
Hess and Samuel B. Price. They drew
up in line at the edge of the village.
with fence and line of houses IN
their rear.
Sheriff Martin was in entire com.
mand, and stood in the front of the
line until the strikers approached.
They were seen 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 fin
ished, low muttering arose among
the foreigners, and there was slight
movement forward. Perceiving this,
the sheriff stepped toward them and,
in determined tone, forbade advance.
Someone struck the sheriff, and the
next moment there was command to
the deputies to fire.
The guns of the deputies instantly
belched forth terrible volley. The
report seemed to shake the very noun
tains, 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 STAN
peded.
The men went down before the
storm of bullets like tenpins and the
groans of the dying and wounded
6llcd the air The exc;tc",e.t that
followed was simply indescrlbau.e
The deputies seemed to be terror
stricken ct the deadly execution OF
their guns, and, seeing the living
strikers fleeing like wild and others
dropping to the earth, they went to
the aid of the unfortunates whom
they had brought down.
Along The bank OF the trolley road
men lay in every position, some dead,
Others dying. Three bodies, face
lay along the incline and
three others were bat short distance
away. On the other side of the road
as many more bodies lay. The school
house was transformed into tempo
rary hospital and some OF the wounded
were taken there. All along the
hillside wounded men were found on
the roadside and in the fields. Many
miners who had been carried to 4 dis
tance could not be found.
Martin Roslsi, an intelligent Hun
garian from Mount Pleasant, who was
shot in the arm, was seen by reporter
and gave this version of the affair:
1--WE were going along the road to
Latiner and the deputies were lined
across the road, barring our progress.
We tried to go through tdem. and did
not attempt to hit or molest them,
when they fred upon us. We ran, but
they kept on shooting at US while we
ran. 1t is all their fault. -
Bryan Nab. Thisi
ATCHISON KAN Sept IA feature