Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-17

SOMERSET, Pa, April 16.-As the
result of drunken row at a-speakeasy
in Windber, the big coal town of the
Berwind- White Co., in Paint township,
this county, at 1915 o'clock last night
tour men were murdered, two others
were stabbed, one of whom it is re-
ported cannot recover, and another
was shot in the leg. An Italian is
charged with the crimes, but it is be-
lleved that he is already beyond the
reach of the law, as man answering
bis description, was ground under a
train at South Fork this morning.
The dead are: John Haverson, a
Swede; Augustus Graybaugh, German;
Edward McCauley and Samuel Strives,
both Americans. The first three were
stabbed in the heart with stilletto,
and Strives was shot through the
body. Strives fingered in great agony
until O'Clock this morning.
Of the three men injured, one was
stabbed in the bowels and cannot live
more than a few hours, another was
cut in the breast, and the third was
shot in the leg. All are Italians whose
names cannot be learned. The four
men killed were all prominent en-
ployes of the Berwind-White Co., Nc
Cauley being the assistant foreman of
the railroad running from Windber to
South Forks. .''.s
The speakeasy where the wholesale
tragedy occurred was conducted by a
French woman on the outskirts of
Windber. 1t is said that the man who
did the slashing had been living with
her ever since she became asresident
of the place. The murdered and in
jured men were drinking in the house
with the woman when party of half
drunken Italians asked for admit
lance, and upon being refused began
to lombard the speakeasy with
stones, a number of them passing
through the windows.
In the excitement that followed the
bombardment the Italian dashed into
the room with stilletto raised in his
hand, and at once began to slash
right and left. iHalverson was the
first victim, and before he fell to the
floor the demon withdrew the steel
blade from his heart and plunged it
into the heart of Grayburg, who was
sitting in a chair.
McCauley and Strives attempted to
seize the murderer, but before they
could lay hands on him the bloody
blade was plunged into the body Of
the former and the latter fell forward
with a bullet hole in his forehead, the
Italian having drawn a revolver with
his left hand and opened fire. AS he
dashed for the door he slashed at the
remaining three men in the room, ia
tally stabbing one, seriously wounding
another, and firing a bullet into the
right leg of the third.
There were a dozen or more men in
the house when the ARRAY occurred
and none of them can be found, and
it is impossible to even learn the name
of the murderer or any facts concern
ing him beyond that he wore SLOUGH
hat, slightly creased. 1t is believed
that he would naturally flee toward
Altoona, however, and as South Fork
is on the road there, it is generally be-
lieved that he was the man killed this
morning.
Mrs. Stuck, the proprietress, and
two other women who were inmates
of the house, are under arrest, and
the place is being guarded by men
with Winchesters. Various stories are
afioat as to the cause of the row, but
the women refuse to talk. One story
is that Mrs. Steux angered the MUIR
derer by giving too much attention to
other men; another that the fight was
over game of cards, and third that
1t was result of bad blood over the
strike at the Horatia mines.
The town is in a state of wild ex-
element Hundreds of people sur
rounded the house and the pools of
blood on the street where the men
died. Rough treatment will probably
be accorded the murderer if it proves
that he is still alive and is cahght.
The fact that he was able to do so
much execution without himself re-
ceiving harm is accounted for on the
theory that he was probably the only
one of the party armed, and that he
was not so drunk as the others.
Sheriff Saylor was telephoned to
bring a posse to the scene. Notwith-
sanding it's big population Windber is
an unorganiZed town, and does not eX-
pect to become incorporated as viii
lage until this fall 1t is without po-
lice protection, and rows and riots are