The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-17
BUSY DAY FOR MINERS
INCIDENTS OF THE STRIKE IN THE
PITTSBURG DISTRICT,
Injunction Case Heard in Court and
Criminal and Civil Suits Filed
Against the De Armitts.
MUTINY AMONG FOREIGNERS
WHO THREATENED TO MARCH IN
LESS GIVEN BETTER FOOD.
Deputy Sheriff Fatally wounded in a
Fight with Another-SituatiOn in
the Other Mining Regions.

PITTSBURG. Pa. Aug. 16-To-day was
| fraught with exciting incidents in matters
| pertaining to the miners strike. Mutiny in
| the strikers camp, murder in the depu-
| ties ranks, filing of criminal and civil suits
| against the De Armitts and the hearing
| in the injunction case against President Do
| Ian and others kept both sides to the
| struggle busy and on the quivive all day
| long.
| The hearing in the injunction case before
| Judges Stowe and Collier was perhaps one
| of the most important and interesting ever
| held in the Pennsylvania court. 1t was a
| hearing in which both capital and the rights
| OF labor were interested and the decision
is expected to have telling effect the
| conduct of the great coal miners strike
! which has been on since July 5. From the
| testimony adduced and from the expressions
of the court it can safely be said that
| there will be some surprises. That the in
| junction will be materially modified there
| can be no doubt, which on it's face would
Indicate a victory for the strikers. The
preliminary decree has been continued
peuding consultation of the judges, and
an opinion will probably be handed down
| by noon tomorrow.
/
the strike would go down in history as one
of the wonders of the century, and re-
markable on account of the utter lack of
| disorder, for which the strikers are COM
| mended and have the sympathy of the
court. Said he: "There can be no ques-
| ton to what our duty is under all the
| testimony, but l am somewhat in doubt as
| to whether or not the order should be mOdi-
| fed. We cannot determine this without a
consultation"
| Judge Stowe said this evening: ''rhis in
| junction will not justify the issuing of an
| attachment against any marchers who are
| not found in company with theNmen named
| in the injunction" He left it to be under
| stood that the injunction is not so sweeping
| as has been thought, so that only the five
| men named in the writ-Patrick Dolan,
| William Warner, Cameron Miller, Uriah
Belingham and Edward McKay-are re-
strained from marching trespassing on
! the companys property. The others men,
toned can be only those found in company
| of the five named in the injunction. AS
near as can be learned the strikers nuder
the injunction can march, but not at stated
| times, as long as they are not in company
| with any of these defendants.
HEARING OF THE CASE
The hearing in the equity case of the
| New York and Cleveland Gas Coal Com
| pany against the United Mine Workers of
America was called at 10 o'clock this morn
ing in Common Pleas No l, before Judges
Stowe and Collier The courtroom was
crowded an hour before court opened. The
| plaintiffs We're represented by Attorneys
| Schoyer Kaufman and Hall, while William
j. Brennan appeared for the defendants.
! The affidavit on which the preliminary in
! junction was issued was made by William
| p De Armitt president of the New York
and Cleveland Company. 1t set forth that
| the plaintiffs employees were under con-
tract; that terms were mutually sat1sfac-
| tory and that both parties were ready and
| willing to fulfill their respective duties un-
| der it; but the strikers by marching, en-
many of the men from carrying out their
| part of the agreement. 1t also recited the
company's contracts to supply coal at
| points in the United States outside of Penn
| sylvania and abroad and to supply the
| Pittsburg pumping station with coal,
which demands a daily supply in order to
| keep up the service of water in the city of
| Pittsburg. Officers of the United Mine
| Workers of America were named in the bill
and the purposes OF the organlzaton are
| set forth, together with history of the
strike.
When court opens Mr.. Schoyer, on behalf
| of the plaintiff company, filed motion to
make the preliminary injunction permanent,
and Mr.. Brennan made a counter motion
to dissolve it. Judge Stowe decided both
|
Armitt was called to the stand; His testi-
mony did not materially differ from the af-
| fidavits filed when the preliminary lnJunc-
| tions were secured
Superintendent Thomas De Armitt. the
next witness, described the marches of the
| strikers and their camps, and said that 200
! or 800 Of their men had told him they were
| fearful of personal injury or destruction of
| their property if they went to work;
| Creek mine, testified that he had been
notified to stay in the house or he would
I - nd l0nt 10
| at The witness refused to give the name
| of his informant and Judge Stowe said that
| anything that would tend to show that life
| or property was endangered was compe-
| tent. They were here, he said to ind out
| if the conduct of the strikers was such
as to cause the injunction to be continued.
| President Dolan was next called. During
| his testimony he said that the strike was
| made at the request of several of the op-
| orators Among the number We're James
Shields, Captain J. J. Steytler and Captain
| Blythe These operators, he said, told him
| that De Armitt was running the trade and
| the only thing that would save them from
| the sheriff and the miners from starvation
| was q strike No one had told him to get
De Armitt's men out, but it was hoped to
make the strike general The hearing closed
at $50 4c4e6 P ods,or M Thg od G9qrt bt ran an
| dered tomorrow and pending this the pre-
liminary injunction would be continued.
FIGHT BETWEEN DEPUTIES.
Two deputies, Robert Kerr and Frank
Anderson, employed as guardians of the
| New IOrk ana 0leNeldllu NIdS coal COM
pany, fought this afternoon, and as a re-
suit Kerr cannot live until morning. Ander-
son is proprietor of a dive on Water street
this city, and is known a bad man. He
was in charge of the deputies at Sandy
| Creek Kerr, who lives at McKee's Rock
is a river pilot by occupation. He has
served before as q deputy during strikes
l. is not known what the men fought
about but they met on bridge crossing
Plum creek and after a few words Ander-
and a rough and tumble fight lasting about
five minutes followed. Anderson succeeded
in drawing his revolver and placing ii close
to Kerrs abdomen, fired, the ball tearing
! through the victims intestines and lodging
in his back. The physicians say he win
die in a few hours. constable tried 10
arrest Anderson, but he was prevented by
deputies who said they would hold him
until the arrival of the sheriff. which may
not be before morning.
The threatened suits against the New
/ York and Cleveland Company for retain
I ing the wages of their striking miners have
/ been commenced. 1t is anticipated that
/ about 150 suits will result. Each will be
! for salaries ranging from SIS to $40 which
! represents two weeks pay. Three suits
/ were entered before Alderman Toole to-
! day The hearings were fixed for next Sat
/ urday and the outcome will be watched
| for with great interest, IL involves the
! legality OF the ironclad contract and the
right 10 withhold the wages OF the strik-