The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-10-18

STRIKERS USE VIOLENCE TO SHUT
DOWN A CoLLIERY.
A POLICE MAN KILLED.
Striker Probably Fatally Wounded--An
Attempt to Run n Mine Locomotive
Caused the Conflict, In which shots
We're Fired on Both sides-A Min
ister's Narrow Escape.

Hazleton, Pa. Especially "A special
policeman was instantly killed, an
other was wounded in the head, a
striker was probably fatally shot and
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. The vic
tins are
Kllled-Ralph Mills, aged so years,
OF Beaver Meadow, one of the officers
conveyed in a special train early this
morning from that place to Oneida. He
was shot through the back.
Wounded-George Kellnor, aged 80
years, of Beaver Meadow, also
special officer. He received shot
wounds In the head but will recover.
Joseph Lesko, aged 3S years, OF
Sheppton, n striker He was shot in
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 Sheppton. The
former sustained scalp wounds and
the latter had four ribs broken.
The Oneida Colliery having been in
operation since the Inauguration of the
strike, the union men at Oneida and
Sheppton, where many Of the employees
OF the Oneida and Derriuger Collieries
of Coke Bros. & Co. live decided to
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 the
strikers to remain at home. Some
turned back, others did not. Those
who went to the colliery were stoned.
Van Blargin. one of the nonunion em-
ployes. 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 remained at the colliery
all morning. AS the small mine loco
motive used in hauling coal from the
No. 2 and No. 3 Colleries to the
Oneida breaker pulled up on the road
near the latter colliery n 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-
justed. The women refused to listen,
and stoned the superintendent, who
was wounded i'm the head. Then the
striking men and the women rushed
toward the No. 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 air.
Policeman Mills was the first to fall.
Then Joseph Lesko, a striker, stagger-
ed to the ground. No one knows who
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
ball from a revolver with which all
the officers were armed.
After the shooting the strikers dis
persed. 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, went to the
scene with a force of men.
Rev. Carl Houser, Lithuanian min
lister from Freeland, who baptized a
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
by friend and escorted safely to the
station