The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-15
MASSACRE OF MINERS.
TERRIBLE CRISIS IN THE COAL
STRIKE SITUATION.

TERRIBLE CRISIS IN THE COAL
STRIKE SITUATION.
Mtners, Apparently without usti cation
Killing Fifteen or Twenty and Wound
ing Forty or More.
The strike situation reached terri
BILE crisis on the outskirts OF La.imer,
Pa, Friday afternoon, when band
of deputy sheriffs fred iEto an infurl
ated mob of miners. The men fell
like so many sheep, and the excite
ment since has been so intense that no
accurate figures of the dead and
wounded can bs obtained. Reports
run from fifteen to twenty odd killed
and forty or mere wounded. Many
of these will die. Oae man who
reached the scepe Friday night count.
ed thirteen corpses. Four other dead
lie in the mountains between Latimer
and Harleigh. Those who were not
injured carried their dead and wound
ed friends into the woods, and estimate
is baffl I'd
The strikers left Hasslton at $50
o'clock Friday afternoon. announcing
their intention to 60 to Latimer. AS
soon as this became known, band of
deputies was loaded on trolley car
and sent whirling across the mountain
to the scene of the bloody conflict
which followed. After reaching Lati-
mer, they left the car and formed into
three companies, under Thomas Hall,
E. A. Hessel 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 command and
stood in the front Of the line until tho
strikers approached. They were seen
coming across the ridge, and Martin
went out to meet them.
The men drew up sullenly and lis
tened in silence until he had once
more read the riot act. This finished,
a low muttering arose among the for
eigners, and there was slight move
ment forward. Perceiving this, the
sheriff stepped toward them, and, in a
determined tone, forbade advanca.
Some one struck the sheriff, and the
next moment there was q command to
the deputies to fire. The guns of the
deputies instantly sent forth terrible
volley.
The strikers were taken entirely by
surprise, and as the men toppled and
fell over each other, those who re-
mained unhurt stampeded. The men
went down before the storm of bullets
like ten.pips, and the groans of the
dying and wounded filled the air. The
excitement that followed was simply
indescribable. The deputies seemed to
be terror struck at the deadly execu'
tion of their guns, and seeing the
living strikers heeing and the others
dropping to the earth, they wont to
the aid OF the unfortunstes whom
they had brought down.
The people of Latimer rushed pell
NELL to the scene, but the shrieks Of
the wounded drowned the cries of the
sympathizing and half crsz,d inhabi-
tants. The reporter who soon after.
wards reached the place found the
road leading to Latimer filled with
groups of frightened Hungarians.
Some surrounded dying companions,
and Others, fearful of pursuit, clung
to the new conner and begged his pro
tection.
At Farley's there were two men
lying on the porch. Both had been
shot in the head. One had three bul
lets in him. His grosns and appeals
for a doctor or death were heart-rend'
ing. All along the road the wounded
men who were able to leave the fsld
OF battle scattered and sought the
shade of the trees for protection, but
there was no need of that then.
Approaching the place where the
shooting occurred, people were met
| wringing their hands and bemcaning
the catastrophe. They could not talk
intelligently, and it was with the
greatest difficulty that information
could be learned. Along the bank of
the trolley road men lay in every posi-
ton, some dead, others dying. Three
bodies, face downward, lay along the
incline, and three others were but a
short distance away. On the other
side of the road, as many more bodies
Law. The school house was trans.
formed into temporary hospital, and
some of the wounded were taken
there. The colliery ambulance was
summoned to the place as soon as pos
sible, and Immediately upon its ar
rival, two men, both shot through the
legs, we're loaded into the wagon. All
along the hillside wounded men were
found. Many others who had been
carried to a distance could not be
found.
AS soon as the news OF the shooting
reached Haselton there was consterna
ton. Within ten minutes the streets
were blocked with excited people.
The Lehigh Traction company imms
diately placed number of cars on the
Latimer line and doctors and clergy
! men responded promptly. Amid the
excitement the deputies turned their
attention to the wounded and carried
many of them to places where they
could be more comfortably treated.
Marin Roski, an intelligent Hanga
rian from Mt. Pleasant, who was shot
in the arm, was seen by reporter on
the car coming over, and gave this
version of the affair: 1--WE were 60.
ing along the road to Latiner, and
the depalies were lined across the
..l l>.x;,- AN, nroorres Wa trieJ