Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-10-19

STRIKERS USE VIOLENCE TO SHUT
DOWN A COLLIERY.
A POLICEMAN KILLED.
Striker Probably Fatally wounded-An
Attempt to Run a Mine Locomotive
Caused the Conflict, in Which shots
Were Fired on Both Sides-A MIN
ister's Narrow Escape.

Hazleton, Pa. Especially "A speclai
policeman was instantly killed, an
other was wounded in the head,
striker was probably fatally shot ana
10 nOn-union men were more or less
seriously wounded at the Oneida col
liery of Coke Bros. in a clash between
the officers and 500 strikers. Inc VIC
tins are: - ~.is- = z
Killed-Ralpll Mills, aged SO gears,
of Beaver Meadow, one OF the oInceis
conveyed in a special train early TINS
morning from that place to Oneiua. ne
was shot through the back. 90
WOunded-George Kellnor, aged 90
years, of Beaver Meadow, also
special officer. He received sho1
wounds in the head, but will recover.
Joseph Lesko, aged 3S years, OF
Sheppton, q striker He was snot III
the groin and will probably die.
Ten non-union men were stoned,
but only two of them were seriously
injured. They are John Van Blargin
and James Torsh, of Shepptoni. Inc
former sustained scalp wounds anu
the latter had four ribs broken.
The Oneida Colliery having been IN
operation since the Inauguration. OF tne
strike, the union men at Oneida ana
Sheppton, where many of the employees
of the Oneida and Derringer Collleries
of Coke Bros, & Co. live, decided 10
close down the mine. They gathered
in groups on the streets as early aS
three O'Clock. AS the non-union men
went to work they were asked by tne
strikers to remain at home. some
turned back, others did not Those
who went to the colliery were stoned.
Van Bargin, one of the non-unlon EN-
ployes, attempted to pull revolver
but the weapon was taken from MIN,
and in the beating he received ne mao
several ribs broken. This occurreu
just before starting time at the mine.
The strikers remained at the colllery
all morning. AS the small mine loco
motive used in hauling coal from the
No. 2 and No. Galleries to the
Oneida breaker pulled up on the ROAD
near the latter cOlliery crowd OF Wo-
men blocked the track. The women
were told by General superintendent
Kudlick to go home. He assured
them that their husbands would get
an increase in wages, and that their
other grievances would be properly ad-
iusted. The women refused to listen,
and stoned the superintendent, VINO
was wounded In the head. Then the
striking men and the women rushed
toward the No. 2 Colliery. A force OF
about fifty special policemen who had
been brought down from Beaver
Meadow to prevent trouble attempted
to intercept the mob, but they were
powerless to do anything, and retired
to the engine house.
Just as the officers got close to shell
ter a shot was fired. This was follow-
ed by another, and in n few SECONDS
many shots rang through the ar.
Policeman Mills was the first to fall.
Then Joseph Lesko, striker, stagger-
ed to the ground. No one knows VINO
shot first, but it is believed that both
the strikers and the officers used their
weapons. A gunshot killed Mills, and
small shot struck Policeman Kellner.
Lesko, the striker, was struck by a
ball from revolver, with which all
the officers were armed.
After the shooting the strikers dis
persed. Sheriff ToOle, Of Schuylklll
county. in whose territory the clash
occurred, was in Philadelphia, and
could render no assistance. His CHIEF
deputy, James O'Donnell, went to the
scene with force of men.
Rev. Carl Houser, Lithuanian min
lister from Freeland, who baptized
child at Oneida just at the time the
shooting. was in progress, was mis-
taken by the strikers for Superinten-
dent Kudlick and narrowly escaped
being stoned He was soon recognized
bv friend and escorted safely to the
CtatiOn