The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-04
Special to the Scranton Tribune.

Special to the Scranton Tribune.
Fittston Sept 3..-The strike situation
at the Stevens colliery in West Pitts
day morning at SEQ o'clock when five
day mornin at $50 o'clock when FIVE
company men made an attempt to go
70 work, and as a result striking mi
ner was shot dead two company men
We're badly injured and several others
were more or less injured. Tho list
of the victims, as far as could De
learned, is as follows
NAPOLu, OR LEO WILCOFSKI a mid
dle-aged Polish miner striker, mar
ricd and living on Fremont street,
West Pittston, instantly killed by Il
shot in the back of the head.
SAMUEL TRAILER, SIR, aged 30 years,
foreman of the rockmen married and
living on Franklin street, West Pitts
ton, shot just between the base OF
the mock and the shoulder blade; con
dtion critical, but hopes arc enter
tained for his recovery.
GEORGE BRANDAT, policeman, resid-
ing on Tunkhannock avenue. opposite
scene of the trouble. painful but not
serious shot in left cheek.
JOHN SADOSKI, striker, living on lu-
zerne avenue, shot I'm neck, not seri-
Gus.
JONATHAN PARRY, rockman living on
Luzerne avenue, hit on head with
stone, slightly injured
JOHN CHENAVATIS, striker, living on
Luzernc avenue, shot in shoulder, and
the bullet removed from his back.
Several other of the striking foreign
ers were either shot at or hit by flying
missiles, but the exact nature of their
s,,I,, !, 11p f1N,Nr
left the place as soon as the trouble
ceased.
About three weeks ago the foreign
ers at this colliery made a demand
upon their employers for an incr Ease in
wages from 80 cents per car to $50,
along with several other minor de-
mands The officials of the company
were willing to cOnCede several of the
grievances, but refused to grant an in
crease in wages. But the strikers
wanted all or nothing.
About 200 miners are employed at
the coliery and about 100 of them are
foreigners, mostly Polanders. the re-
mainder of them being English-s speak
ing men. The latter men- We're posi-
lively adverse TO striking and were
satisfied with the present scale but
T,
had complete control of the situation
and the English-speaking miners were
compelled to go out.
WORKMEN HALTED.
Every morning since the strike be-
gan, from about a. m. on, a crowd
of the foreigners would assemble near
the cOlliery, and any workman going
toward the mine was accosted and
the nature of his business learned, the
pump runners, barn boss and machin-
lists being allowed to pass; all others
were turned back.
A few days ago the officials in max
ing tour of the mine discovered that
the roof in the vicinity of the mine
pump was in a dangerous condition,
and, as the large amount of water the
mine demanded the constant working
of the pump ii was decided to have
the Overhanging rock removed. Ac-
cOrdingly, Samuel Traher, John Ora
veil, Jonathan Parry and John Grif-
fiths, the cOmpany's rock men, and
Martin Gallagher. the driver boss, We're
ordered to report for duty on Friday
morning. As usual, they were stopped
by the strikers, but upon an eXplana,
tion of their business they were re.
luctantly allowed to pass.
The necessary work was not finished
on Friday and the rock men were or
their way to work on Saturday morn.
ing when the trouble occurred.
The disturbance took place imme.
diately in front of the company store
building, the opposing factions being
but few feet apart. On the side o
the wOrkmen were three coal and irOT
policemen, Fred Robinson, William
Troy and w. II. Miller, who were al
armed with rifles and who have beeI
on duty for several days guarding tn,
company's property, also, Wil.iHH
Richards, chief of police of West Pitts
ton, Sam Traher, jr., and Albert r2v
ans, employees of the store, all of whor
We're armed with revolvers. Super
intendent u. w. Evans Mine Fore
man T. b. Evans and Outside Foreman
John Miller occupied position on tn
steps leading to the store, The stor,
of the fight as it occurred, as told t,
a Tribune representative by Jonatha,
Parry, one of the rock men, is as fol
lows:
PARRYS ACCOUNT
"As we five men came around tn
bend on Luzerne aevnue, near the juno
tion Of Tunkhannock and Luzerno ave
nucs, we noticed a big crowd If tn
strikers in half-sltting position. A
soon as they saw us, they all arOsa and
picking up stones from the stree
placed themselves directly on the pat
along which We were walking. As W
arrived near them they asked wher
we Were going, and we told them W
were going to fix up a bad place in tn
mine. near the pump, which would no
In the least interfere with the object
OF their strike. Not one man shall &
to work. said the strikers. Superin
tendent Evans then explained to ther
that the men were not going to Gu
coal, but We're going to do really neces
sary work. But they wouldn't listen I
that. We started TO move on, and tn
strikers commenced to push and crow
around us, and told us that We ha
better take care of ourselves. "
again stopped One of the strikers h
John Griffith, one of our men, with a
umbrella. Griffith turned on him an
both men clinched. Sam Traher, 81
went to part them. A pistol shot ran