The age-herald., 1900-10-17
SURPRISED EN ROUTE
The MarcherS Had Covered
 Eighteen Miles.
COOL HEADS PREVENT BLoODSHED
The Column Was Made Up of Men, Wo- men and Children-Colleries at Nes- quehoming Closed Despite the,
 Vigilance of the Officers


 quehoming Closed Despite the,
 Vigilance of the Officers
 Lansford, Pa, October 16-About 1500 men and sixty women and girls marched eigh- teen miles from the south side of the Ha- zleton region during the night for the Pan- ther Creek Valley, where they expected to close all of the ten colieries of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, but just as the weary marchers nearing their destination this morning they were met on mountain road by three companies of inc fantry and at the point of the bayonet were driven back four miles to Tamaqua and dispersed. Another crowd of 800 strik- CTS from the north side of Hazleton also marched here and succeeded in closing the companys colliery at Nesquehoning near Maunch Chunk, before it was scattered The presence of soldiers was entirely un- expected, and the strikers were much crest fallen that they failed in accomplishing the object of their long march. It was probably the most exciting morning that the Panther Creek and the NeSquehoning Valleys have ever experienced. Strikers were scattered over the various roads and companies of soldiers were scurrying in all directions heading off the marching men. The troops were patient with the mob of strikers, while the laboring men were very careful not to commit overt acts in the presence of the troops. For a moment just after the two forces met on the road in the darkness 1t looked as if clash would come, but the good sense of those who 1 had charge of the strike prevented pos i sible conflict
 The march on Panther Creek Valley was on the strikers programme several days The United Mine Workers, ever since the strike started, have been attempting to close the Lehfgh Coal and Navigation Com pany in this region. Organizers were con- stantly in the neighborhood but as rule they did not meet with much success; so 1t was decided to use stronger methods to get the men employed in the ten mines out on strike. Accordingly it was arranged that big demonstration should be held In the valley. It was to have been held yesterday morning, but owing to the heavy rain and muddy roads 1t was called off until this morning. Those who took part were strikers from McAdoo, Yorktown Bunker Hill and Silver Brook, from the south side of Hazleton and the Freeland drift and Jeddo and Beaver Meadow strik- CTS from the north side The women and girls all came from MoAdoo, which bor- ough is the only one In the Hazleton region
 
 The marchers came down like two ar mics, the south side men marching by way Of Tamaqua, while the strikers from the north side went over the mountain at Beaver Meadow and entered the Panther Creek Valley by way of Nesquehoning The south side army concentrated at Me Adoo and the order to march was given at 10.3G o'clock last night There were sev- eral fife and rum corps and brass band in the line. The women and girls were r.1 l.. Ia rTIx. whole town of McAdoo was out to see the marchers start Until 12 o'clock the night was very dark, 1t being difficult to see any distance in the mountain passes, but about midnight the moon came out from behind a bank of clouds and for the remainder of the journey the marchers had plenty of . light As the town of Tamaqua was en- tered at a m. the strikers began to make as much noise they could in order to awaken the people who were unaware of the coming of the strikers The marchers went through the town without stopping for rest and headed for Coal Dale, four and a half miles away.
 Five carriages containing newspaper cor respondents, who had been trailing along at the rear of the procession, were request ed to take the lead, so that they too would not interfere with the plans of strikers. Fol- lowing the newspaper men came the two conveyances containing the McAdoo women, and then followed a long line of Hungar-
 
 speaking mine workers. At point half a mile from Coal Dale there is sharp turn in the road. and as the newspaper men rounded 1t there came command of halt" and about fifty feet in front of them stood solid rows of soldiers, who were stretched across the road with bayonets fixed
 Sheriff Toole of Schuylkill County was with them. The commander of the troops speaking to the waiting crowd, said:
 "In the name of the people of the State of Pennsylvania, I command you to disperse and to return whence you came"
 The strikers began to protest that they could not be stopped on a public highway, and many of them showed a disposition to resist the soldiers.
 The officer in command of the troops, however, kept his men in position, and the strikers, seeing that the soldiers evidently meant business, slowly began returning toward TamSqua.
 Mother Jones, who was in the crowd vehemently protested against the action of the troops in stopping the marchers, but she was ordered to move on.
 The McAdoo women had to be almost pushed along, so slowly did they walk. They continually jeered the soldiers, call- ing them all kinds of names and threaten ing them with punishment should they dare to visit McAdoo
 It took from 8 o'clock until after o'clock to drive the crowd back to Tamaqua. During all this time the identity of the troops was unknown owing to the dark ness, and 1t reported through the crowd that they belonged to the Thirteenth Regiment of Scranton. The soldiers were really members of the Fourth Regiment,