The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-17
tina the miners had been roughly han
died by the strikers.

Aiccbf Va ~ ' Il
scene of the disturbance. The start
will be made shortly after midnight or |
else just after daybreak. The roopers |
will ride across the mountains, a dis l
tance OF eighteen miles, to Eckley. Eek |
ley is a small mining village and lies
in the valley. There are a number OF
collieries there and fears nave been |
entertained for the past forty-eight |
hours that trouble would break out, as
the men had been acting very ugly.
The situation tonight in the HaZelton
district Is ore Of unrest. All the col
iieries in this district are apprehensive
of danger. Requests have been pour
ing in to General Cobb from the va
rious mines asking that he send troops
TO the places in order TO prevent any
possible outbreak. The general states
that he will not send troops to any
point unless an outbreak does occur.
He declines to give the names of the
collieries, as all the men in them are
still at work. The operators, however.
are apprehensive of q. strike and want
to be prepared for an emergency.
Two mine superintendents in this
immediate district have asked General
Gobin to place guards aroun their
houses. This will be done. General
Cob will not make public the names
of the 1endents who made the
| request.
| Two actresses, who are playing in a
theatre here, overheard a ~conversa-
| ton on the main street of HaZelton to-
day to this effect: They were passing
] a group of miners and overheard one
Z of them remark: I've got the material,
| but l don't know how to mix the id
stuff. If I did I would blow them up
tonight" This information was sent
to Gener Goblin tonight, and as he
had already heard mutterings from
other sources he decided to send guards
to the houses of the two mine
superintendent. The guards were not
placed on duty until after dark.
HaZletOn quiVerS Onigh on the edge
Of a volcano. Uncertainty is the key
note Of the situation and the town is
sleeplessly awaiting the dawn of a
day fraught with unknown and fearful
possibilities. At this writing troops
are marching on the mines of Coke
Bros, at Eckley, which nestles in a
valley about eighteen miles from here.
kilograms to brigade headquarters late
this afternoon indicated an alarming
condition there. The remoteness Of the
situation will make difficult the secur-
ing of definite news from the scene be-
fore morning.
THE TURNING POINT.
Today had been regarded as the turn
ing point of the situation, because Of
the prohibition issued by General Goblin
against the proposed funeral demon
stratiOn. A compromise was effected
this morning, however, and the day
passed off without disturbance. In the
meantim the Coke collieries were
being watched with intense anxiety.
1t was known that the 1000 men en-
ploySd at No. 7 had made a demand
for a 10 per cent. increase which was
to be submitted to the operators today,
with the alternative of a strike"
From 5000 to 1000 men are employed
at all the collieries and it was UNDER
stood that such a movement would
bring them all out. Whether or not the
proposition was formally submitted to-
day could not be learned, because no
body would talk. The men were all at
work, but strike talk was rife and a
big meeting at Stockton had been
scheduled for tonight. There was a
general impression that nothing deci-
sive would be resolved upon at least
by tomorrow, which is pay day, with
two weeks money coming to the men.
The Coxe mems grievance is that they
are on a lower scale than that paid by
any other company in the region, but
the company store feature does not en-
ter their case.
Another late afternoon report was
that the employees of ex-Congressman
>, L~eisenring's upper Lehigh collieE will
&C out tomorrow or a sympathetic
strike. AS an increase of 10 per cent.
was granted on Saturday to the Nc
Adoo men, they hav expressed their
intention to return to work tomorrow,
although they do not expect to remain
in more than a day under the pressure
that will be brought to bear by the
other strikers. Altogether an %eventful
day is in prospect.
THE TROOPS TO STAY.
General Goblin said this afternoon
that the withdrawal of troops had not
been considered for a moment, They
will remain on the ground until the
sheriff is convinced that he will be full
ly able to cope with any mergenc
that may arise. The rumOrS that mar
tial lay had been declared, the general
said, had been spread by some vicious
person. There is martial law only SO
far as a state of war exists" said he.
We are here solely to assist the sheriff
in maintaining peace n order. Men
can come and go as they please so
long as they behave themselves. If
there is the slightest infraction Of the
peace which the civic authorities are
unable to handle, then we will render
assistance, but such condition has not
yet arisen"
FUNERALS OF THE DEAD MINERS
The first discord between the strik-
ers and the military occurred today.
Following Genera Gobin's order
against the proposed funeral demon
stration, he arranged for a conference
this morning with the Polish priests
who are looking after the cause Of the
men,. He impressed them with the
necessity of preventing any show of a
military character and said he would
permit no uniformed men to particinat e
except those representing religious So
cieties. n of music, side arms,
sticks n banners We're also prohib-
tied. The priests promised hat all
this should be done, and the command
er, on the other hand, agreed to keep
all troops away from the funeral.
Somebody stole a march on the gen-
era1, however, and although he, later,
revoked the clause excluding music,