Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-09-27
THE ANTHRACITE STRIKE.

Sheriff IoOle and Deputies or Scnuyl-
kill Co. were called to Shenandoah 30
suppress the mobs that threatened mine
workers and colliery property. At quit
ting time the three Sheriffs and small
posse whom the Sheriff had summoned
on the ground went to the Indian Ridge
colliery of the Reading company to es-
cort the workingmen to their homes
The colliery is located short distance
east of Shenandoah.
The workmen started home shortly
after 4 o'clock They walked up the
middle of East Center street of the Le-
high Valley railroad station. There a
large crowd of Poles, Slavs and Huns,
men, women and children, lined both
sides of the street. a shot rang out
from saloon 1t was followed by a
| shower of stones. Many of the crowd
had picked up sticks and stones and
| were acting in a threatening manner
| Seeing this the Sheriff. who had pre-
| viously cautioned his men to keep cool
and not to use their firearms, command
ed them to fire. The order was obeyed
with terrible results, two people were
killed and several wounded. The crowd
pursued the Sheriff and his posse to the
Ferguson house, where they took refuge
The Town Council held a meeting,
and called upon the Governor to send the
militia and at midnight three regi-
ments of infantry, battery of artillery
and troop of cavalry were ordered 20
the scene. under command of Gen.
| Goblin
On Saturday the troops were camped
within the limits of the town and every
thing was quiet
The Poles and Lithuanians who pre-
cipitated the strike comprise about 81
per cent of the miners there. The Poles
first concluded to strike. They have a
separate organization of the United
| States Mine Workers Association. Nc
other nationality is admitted. They
| agreed to come out after the meeting
| Wednesday evening which was address
ed by several organizers in their own
language as well as by Mother" Jones.
The Lithuanians followed Friday and
| these two classes of miners stayed out
of the mines. From early Friday morn
| ing until the conflict with Sheriff Toole
| they were on the streets and about
| saloons, talking strike and condemnlDg
the men at work in some of the mines.
| Until Saturday morning the
English speaking miners took no part
whatever in the strike. They said they
would do nothing either way until the
Poles and other foreign elements acted
Saturday morning the foreign element
had mass meeting in Robbins Hall
and voted to continue to strike.
Saturday afternoon the English speak
| ing men held a mass meeting at the
same hall 1t was opened by Organizer
George Purcell. Joseph Ryan presided.
Several speeches were made and it was
I unanimously agreed to strike and leave
all matters pertaining it a settlement
with the officials of the United Mine
| Workers Association. Some compli-
ments were embodied in the resolutions.
This action closes every mine in that
end of Schuylkin county and adds about
| 10, 900 strikers to the list given out by
Mitchell, Prior to Friday the only
mines in that part of the Schuylkill
| region on the strike list were the Morea,
| near Pottsville, and the Silver Creek at
| McAdoo Thus it will be seen that the
| strikers have gained, notwith-
standing the terrible outbreak of that
| day and the bringing in of upwards of
| ?, 900 soldiers.
The strike leaders say they are horri-
| fed at the events of Friday and lay the
blame originally on class of men who
have for years found refuge in Shenan-
| doah and who have no regard for law or
| order. Some of these, they admit, work
in the mines, but the miners as class
| are not responsible for their acts.
In the Shenandoah sect ion of the an
th1icite coal region, Monday, all the col
| liers were shut down, inclu ding those
running Saturday. Though guarded by
troops no men could be induced to go
| to work
| Many more miners have gone out in
the Schuylkill region, and the soft coal
miners say they will go out if an effort
is made to supply the strike region with
| soft coal.
On the other hand the operators claim
they are gaining men and that 60 per
cent. of the Reading companys mines
| are being worked
Tuesday, Sheriff Harvey, of Luzerne
| county, has notified Gov. Stone that he
is unable to cope with the situation in
his county and asked that troops be sent
| TO Hazleton to sustain the civil authori-
| ties in their efforts to preserve order.
| Gen. Goblin was awaiting orders from
| Harrisburg, and was prepared to send
| soldiers If instructed to do so. There
| has been much marching of strikers in
| the Hazleton region. and the outlook
/ appeared serious.
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