Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-14
Many Rumors of Trouble at Points
Outside That City.
MILITARY RESPOND TO CALLS
Causes Which Led Up to the Late
Shooting ARRAY.
MINERS BADLY TREATED


that the funerals are over and the pros
pect of immediate trouble is past, people
are beginning to return to the tragedy OF
teresting and some significant features of
this part Of the matter. In the first place.
it must be remembered that the sheriff. I'm
preventing the marching of the strikers,
was not acting in conformity with any or
der of the court. No injunction had been
issued here, as in the case of the West
Virginia and Pennsylvania miners. TO re-
strain the men from marching upon the cr-
rand upon which these were bent VIXEN
fired on by the sheriff's posse. The sheriff,
therefore, was acting entirely on his own
res csponsibiiity. When he declared that tie
strikers were proposing to violate the law
the assumption was based altogether Upon
his own opinion, and Judging the future
from the past actions of the men. In this
co injection, of course he took into account
their proceedings of few hours previ )usly
in another place.
The character of the men who formed the
sheriff's deputation and who lid the kill-
1rg is an important element of The case.
The majority Of the sheriff's party were
young men about twenty-one years old.
several being miners. Whether they did
the most of the deadly work, or whether
the more mature men in the party were re-
be aScertained.
Irresponsible Youngsters Employed
The fact remains, however, that this
sheriff, in making up posse to undertake
a task where moderation and wisdom
should be as requisite as firmness and
courage, saw fit to place Winchester rifles
in the hands of a set of irresponsible
youngsters. These young men were e-
q Of A.
zlcton. In most cases their names were
obtained from the rolls of the corporations
having offices in this city. They were
Subpoenaed sworn in as deputy sheriffs
and remained subject to a cali for duty.
1 saw one of these young fellows today.
my attention having been drawn to him
by the manner in which he was said TO
have spoken of his part in the affair. He
was quoted az saying that when trouble
be came imminent, he singled out one
miner. and when the shooting commenced,
he fired at his heart, dropping his man ana
killing him.
This deputy was a beardless,. cigarette
smoking STRIPPING, and for his own pro-
lection ought never to have been intrus:ed
with a gun There was another deputy
with him who looked even younger and
more irresponsible than this fellow.
1t is the impression in some quarters,
however, that the youngsters did not do
the worst of the shooting, but that il was
done by members of the coal and iron DO
lice, forming a section of the sherff's party
and who were accustomed to regard strik-
ing miners as their natural enemies and
their lawful prey Now that the people are
turning again to the massacre, there is a
great deal of talk about these irresponsible
young deputies, and the sheriff's wisdom in
employing them is sharply questioned on
many sides.
Goblin Reststs Civil Processes.
The sheriff came back to Hazleton last
night, but stuck close TO Gen. Gobin's
headquarters. He was assured by the gen.
eral that no civil action against him or Ills
deputies would be recognized or permitted
as long as tine troops We're i'm control One
noticeable fact about this matter is that
never a word of regret is heard from those
who took part in the massacre. If they
entertain such a feeling i'm private. they do
not express IT in public. AS a matter of
fact, people hereabouts seem divided into
two classes as regards their attitude to-
ward the miners-those who look upon
them as fellowmen and those who. from
association with them and familiarity with
their disabilities. look upon them as cattle
or animated shoveling and digging ma
chimes. From the expressions L have
heard, / am inclined to the belief that the
latter view is the one principally enter
tained by the mine owners and operators.
Recent occurrences. however are causing
people to look little further into the con-
ditions and surroundings of the miners,
and to take some account of the accumula-
ward from time TO Time. The tyranny of
the company store is one of them. 1t
must be known that in the mines which
have been closed down by the men the
or operator running the mine also
conducts a store at which the miners are
to buy all their goods at what
ever price the company sees fit to put upon
them. This is against the state law, but
that seems to cut little figure, as the sys-
tenn exists. 1t frequently happens thai a
miner may work for a month. earn S35 to
s45. and on pay day find himself in debt
to his employer. This is one OF the beau
ties of the company store. i saw the time
slip of an expert miner today, who had
earned sS4, which is considered a phenom-
email wage; but even with this he was not
able TO keep ahead of the company store.
for the storekeeper figured him out 20 be
sl3 in the company's debt.
Outrageous Prices Charged
Outrageous prices are charged. The
miner pays the operator s2.15 a keg for
blasting powder which costs 81 cents; he
pays 35 cents for oil, which in the town.
half a mile away, costs IS cents: he pays
and cents a pound for sugar. and every
hing he buys is at a like exorbitant price
He must buy his TOOLS and pay the COM
-equires him to buy 1915 worth of coal
Zach month in the winter, whether he
wants to keep warm or not. He is docked
3 cents a month for the company doctor.
A recent state law taxes the employers
IF alien labor cents a day per head. That
s easy. The employers take 1T out of the
miners wages. and a time slip I saw today
lad stamped upon it Allen tax, 81 cents"
they rent the conpany's houses, of course.
These little matters go to make up :he
complaint which the miners are now max
rg-that is, that they cannot earn enough
noney to live upon.
A man who can earn less than $40
month and is subjected to the extortions
4 the company store system, which de-
,rives him Of even the small economic ad-
rantage which might come OF cautious
,uying, It is not surprising that he feels
esentmelt.
Thoughtfui people in these parts do not
ce any prospect for an early bettering of
he unfortunate conditions existing. They
ay that. as lnng ss this cheap foreign la
'or Is utilized. ana it certainly will be
sed as long as immigration brings IL here.
he same con6itions will exist which
rought about the present situation. For
while the newcomers put up with con1f-
IONS, glad to get vors. but when they find
hey cannot est ahesd and that their con-
ition is SO diEprcportionately worse than
hat of the people in whose midst they
i've, they begin to murmur
Expeotei VIXEN Troops Leave.