The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-09-14
Troops Are Sent to Suppress
Rampant Strikers at
ECkley.
ALARMING SITUATION AT
THAT CAMP.
Great Gathering at the Funeral of
the Latimer Victims, but No
Disturbance.

HAZLETON, PA, Sept. 13.-Hazleton
quivers to-rignt on the edge of a volcano.
Uncertainty is the keynote OF the situa-
ton, and the town is sleeplessly awaiting
the dawn of day fraught with unknown
and fearful possibilities.
At this writing troops are marching on
the mines of Cox Brothers at ECklev,
which uestes in valley about eighteen
miles from here. kilograms to! brigade
headquarters late this evening indicated
an alarming condition there. The re-
moteness OF The situation will make diff
cult the securing of definite news from
the scene before morning.
Two hundred miners at Buck Noun
tain, which is about thirteen miles from
Eckley, went on strike this morning and
started toward the Eckley mine. The
superintendent of the Eckley ,lliery tel
ezra phed General Goblin for troops, but
later in the day the request was with
drawn, the superintendent notifying the
general that the striking miners had
stopped marching.
At o'clock this afternoon General
Goblin received a dispatch stating that
these miners had again assem- bled had
mar ched on the Eckley mines and had
forced the miners to quit work. 1t was
stated in this dispatch that the miners
had been roughly handled.
General Goblin has ordered the city
troops of Philadelphia to 90 to the scene
OF the disturbance. The start will be
made shortly after midnight or else Just
after day break. The troopers viii ride
across the mountains, a distance OF
oil
small mining village and lies in valley
There are a numbe or collIeries there.
and fears have been entertained for the
past forty-eight hours that trouble would
break out. as the men had been acting
very ugiy.
The situation tonight in the Hazleton
district is one OF unrest. All The collieries
in this district are appre henslve OF danger.
Requests have been pouring in 10 General
Goblin from the various mines asking that
he send troops 10 the places in order to
prevent any possible outbreak. The gen.
eral states that he will not send troops to
any point unless an outbreak does occur.
The general declines TO give the names of
the coilieries as all the men in them are
still at work The operators, however, are
apprehensive OF a strike, and want to be
prepared for any emergency.
Two mine superintendents in this i'm
mediate vicinity have asked General
Goblin to place guards around their
houses. This will be done. General
Goblin will not make public the names OF
the superintendents who made the re-
quests.
Two actresses who are playing in
theater here overheard a conversation on
the main street of HaZeltou to-day TO this
effect. They were passing a group Of
miners and overheard one of then. re-
mark: I've got the material, but don't
know how to mix the ID stuff. If
did | would blow them UP tonight"
This information was sent TO General
Goblin, and as he had already heard NUT
terings from other sources he decided to
send guards to the houses of the two
mine superIntendents. The guards were
not placed on duty until after dark.
To-day has been regarded as the turn
ing point of the situation because OF the
prohibition issued by General Goblin
against the proposed funeral demonstra-
ton. A compromise was effected this
morning, however, and the day passed off
without distur bance.
In the meantime the Coke collieries
were being watched with intense anxiety.
1t was known that the 1000 men employed
at No. had made demand for 10 per
cent increase, which was TO be submitted
10 the operators to-day, with the alter
native OF strike" From 5000 to 1000
men are employed at all the collieries,
and ii was understood that such move
ment would bring them all out.
Whether or not the proposition was
formally submitted to- day could not be
learned because nobody would talk. The
men were all at work, but strike talk was
rte and big meeting at Stockton had
been scheduled for tonight. There was
a general i'm preston that nothing de-
cisive would be resolved upon at least
until tomorrow. which is payday. The
Coke 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 enter into their
case.
another late afternoon report was that
the employees of ex-Congressman Lessen
ning's upper Lehigh colliery Will go Out to-
morrow on a sympai hetic strike. AS an
increase of 10 per cent was granted on Sat-
urday 10 the McAdoo men they have ex-
pressed their intention 10 return 10 work
TO- morrow, although they do not expect 10
remain in more than day under the press
IRE that will be brought 10 bear by The
strikers. Altogether an eventful day is in
prospect.
General Goblin this afternoon said:
"Tbe rumor that martial law has been de-
clared has been spread by some vicious
person. There is martial law only so far
as a state OF war exists. We are here
solely TO assist the SheTlH In maintaining
peace and order. Men can come and go
as they please so long as they behave
themselves. If there is the least inirac-
ton of the peace which the civic authori-
ties are una bic to handle. then we will
render assistance, but such a condition
ha' not yet arisen"
The commander added that neitt er
Sheriff Martin nor any of the deputies
would be arrested while the troops were
here 81 am under his authority" he
said, land if he Is arrested l must take
that authority from the deputies. Ii the
deputies are arres,ed what resort Will re-
main?"
The first discord between the military
and the strikers occurred to-day. and Gen
eraI Cob. IL was angry about it. Following
ortia oirQf no r1ron0SPd funeral de-