Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-16

full in the neighborhood of the Cornell
dam tonight nearly three hundred
armed deputies are guarding the
works, and each one of them is guess
ing as to what tomorrow will bring
forth. The striking Italian laborers,
whose homes are in the vicinity of
the works, are behaving themselves
excellently. But underneath their as
sumed quiet there is stubborn resolve
not to go back to work nor let any
outsiders take their places until the
contractors agree to pay the increase
of wages demanded. Strenuous efforts
are being made by Italian Consul
Branchi and Arbitrator Delehanty to
bring about settlement Of the diff
Guilty. Much depends on the outcome
of a conference which is to be held in
New York between the two contractors
and General Roe and Sheriff. Malloy
this evening. A great deal of weight
will be brought to bear on the contrac-
tors to give in, in part, if not entirely,
to the demand of the striking labor
ers, and if the contractors don't make
concessions there is no telling what
trouble may crop up within the next
fortyeight hours.
The strikers are very determined in
their demands and swear that outside
labor if brought here will be fought
tooth and nail. Angelo Rotella, who
is the recognized leader of the strik-
ers, said to-day:
'This is a fight to a finish. We
earn more money than we are receiv-
ing and the contractors must pay us
for our work. The State should pro-
tect us, and instead of sending deputies
and soldiers to help the bosses they
should compel them to treat us right
fully. Ours is a just cause. We only
ask for fair play. If the bosses at
tempt to bring the other laborers here
we shall prevent any work being done,
and if the military company trouble
them then we will fight the soldiers.
The bosses will have to give us our
rights, and until they do not another
stone will be put in it's place on the
big DAM"
Rotella spoke earnestly, and his re-
marks were listened to by crowd of
his countrymen, who voiced the same
sentiments in manner which showed
undoubted determination.
The strikers are well armed with
guns and pistols, and in this regard
they have a decided advantage over
the sheriff's deputies, who have only
long night sticks and 80 calibre re-
volvers. The deputies are in valley,
while the strikers command the adj
joining hill. With the guns the
Italians could riddle the sheriffs men,
who in turn could not send a bullet
from their revolvers half way up the
hillside in case fight should take
place. There were several additions
to the ranks of the deputies to-day, and
there are now nearly three hundred OF
them at the works. Most of them are
being fed at a nearby boarding house
and many of them complained to-day
of being insufficiently supplied with
food
In addition to this, they claim that
they are made to work overtime and
threats of a strike among them were
rife to-day.
The feature of the day was the ming
ling of the strikers and deputies at the
Easter service in the little Roman
Catholic church in the valley, which
was built by the contractors. The
majority of the congregation is made
up of the strikers and their families,
and it was feared that when they
would come in contact with the min
ions of the law there would be trouble.
The very opposite occurred. as the
men greeted each other amicably.
Rev. Father ]. ]. Owens, the parish
priest, celebrated the Easter Sunday
mass, and in addition to the regular
choir there was a mandolin and guitar
quintette, the leader of which was the
leader of the strikers, Angelo Rotella.
Father Owens counselled the strikers
to obey the law and shun the saloons.