The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-10-12
A FIGHT WITH STRIKERS
AN OFFICER KILLED AND A STRIKER
FATALLY WOUNDED
ATTEMPT TO CLOSE A COLLIERY
By Striking Miners Cause the Conflict.
Men Guarding the Mine Retire Before
Rush OF the Strikers-The Omcer
Shot From Behind - Not Known
Which Side Shot First - Non-Union
Men Attacked by striker~-womeni In
the Riot.

Hazelton, Pa, October ia special
policeman was instantly killed. anoth-
er was wounded in the head. a striker
was probably fatally shot and ten
non-union men were more or less Sc
riously wounded at the Oneida col
liery OF Cox Bros. in a clash between
the officers ard 500 strikers this morn
ing. The man killed was Ralph Mills.
one OF the officers conveyed in a spe-
cial train early this morning to Onei-
da.
The Oneida coIiery having been in
operation since the inauguration OF
the strike. the union men at Oneida
and Sheppton. where many OF the en-
ployees OF the Oneida and Derringer
collieries Of Cox Bros & Co. live. decid-
ed early this morning TO close down
the mine. They gathered in groups
on the streets as early as 5 O'Clock. As
the non-union men went TO work they
were asked by the strikers To remain
at home. Some turned back, others
did not. Those who went to- the col
liery. were stoned. VanBlargin, one
of the non-union employees. attempted
to pull a revolver, but the weapon was
taken from him, and in the beating he
received he had several ribs broken.
This occurred just before starting
time at the mine. The strikers re-
| mained at the colliery all the morn
ing.
AS the small mine locomotive used
in hauling coal from Nos. and col
lieries to the Oneida breaker pulled up
on the road near the latter colliery, a
| crowd of women blocked the track.
~
| perintendent Kudlick to go home He
assured them that their husbands
| would get an increase In wages and
| that their other grievances would be
properly adjusted. The women refus-
| ed to listen and stoned the superin-
| tendent, who was wounded in the
head. Then the striking men ard the
| women rushed toward No. 2 colEery-
| A force of about fifty special police
| men, who had been brought down
from Beaver Meadow to prevent
| trouble, attempted to intercept the
| anything and retired to the engine
house.
Just as the officers got close TO shell
| ter, a shot was fired. This was fol-
| lowed by another and in a few seconds
many shots rang through the air. Po-
liceman Mills was the first to fall.
| Then Joseph Lesko, a striker stag
| who shot first, but 1t is believed that
| both the strikers and the officers used
their weapons. A gun shot killed
Mills and small shot struck Policeman
Kelinor. Lesko. the striker. was
struck by a ball from a revolver with
which all the officers were armed. AZ
ter the shooting the strikers dispersed.
Sheriff Toole, of Schuylkill county.
in whose territory the clash occurred.
was in Philadelphia and could render
no assistance. His chief deputy,
James O'Donnell, arrived here this af-
ternoon and went to the scene with a
force of men.
Rev. Carl Houser, Lithuanian min
lister from Freeland, who baptised a
child at Oneida just at the time the
shooting was in progress. was mistak-
en- by the strikers for Superintendent
Kudlick and narrowly escaped being
stoned. He was soon recognized by a
friend and escorted safely to the sta
ton.
Scranton, Pa, October i0.-Thou
sands of striking mine workers march
ed in review throughout the crowded
streets of this city today and showed
their loyalty to the cause for which
they have been battling for the pas
three weeks. They were addressed by
President Mitchell. who said the prop
osition for a 10 ger cent. increas> wa!
| not enough