Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-16
Soldiers Appear Unexpectedly TO Protect Pan
ther Creek Mines and Striking Marchers
are Driven Back.
A RIOT NARROWLY AVERTED
TWO ARMIES OF STRIKERS HAD Determined TO CLOSE THE
MINES-W0MEh AND BRASS BANDS IN THE
PARADE.

Iansford, Pa, Oct. 16.-About 1900 men
and sixty women and girls marched
eighteen miles from the south side of the
Hazelton region during the night for tn !.
Panther creek valley, where they expected
to close the ten collieries of the Lehigh
Coal and Navigation company, but just
as the weary marchers We're nearing
their destination this morning they were
met on a mountain road by three COM
panies of infantry and at the point of the
bayonet We're driven back four miles to
Tamaqua and dispersed Another crowd
Of 800 strikers from the north side of Ha
zelton also marched here and succeeded
in closing the company's No cciliery at
Nesquehoning, near Mauch Chunk, be-
fore it was scattered. The presence Of
the soldiers was entirely unexpected and
the strikers We're much crestfallen that
they failed in accomplishing the object
Of their long march.
1t was probably the most exciting
morning that the Panther Creek and the
Nesquehoning valley have ever expert
enced. Strikers were scattered over the
various roads and companies Of soldiers
were scurrying in all directions. heading
off the marching men. For moment
just after two forces met in the road in
the darkness it looked as if a clash would
come but the good sense Of those who
had charge Of the strikers prevented any
conflict
The march on Panther Valley was on
the strikers programme for several
days. The United Mine Workers, ever
since the strike started, have been at
tempting to close the collieries of the
Lehigh Coal and Navigation company in
this region. Organizers were constantly
in the region but as a rule they did not
meet with much success, SO it was decid-
ed 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 val
ley. 1t was to have been held yesterday
morning, but owing to the heavy rain
and muddy roads it was called off until
this morning. Those who took part were
Etrikers from McAdoo, Yorktown, Bunker
Hill and Silver Brook, from the south
side of Hazelton ,and the Freeland, Drift
ton, Jeddo, and Beaver Meadow strikers
from the north side. The women and
girls all came from McAdoo, which bor-
ough is the only one of the Hazelton re-
gion which has organized female march
ers.
two
armies, the south side men marching by
way of Tanlaqua, while the strikers from
The north side went over the mountain
at Beaver Meadow and entered the Pan
.her Creek valley by way of Nesquehon-
ing. The south side army concentrated
at MeAdoo and the order to march was
given at 1920 O'clock last night. There
we're several fife and drum corps and a
brass band in the line.
The women and girls We're conveyed in
two large omnibuses. The whole town of
McAdoo was out to see the marchers
start. Until IL o'clock the night was very
dark, it being difficult to see any distance
in the moun tain passes, but after mid
night 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 namaqua was
entered ia a. M, the strikers began to
make as much noise as 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
Coaldale, four and half miles away.
Newspaper wagons containing newspa-
per correspondents who had been trailing
along at the rear of the procession, were
requested to take the lead SO they would
not interfere with the plans of the strik-
ers. Following the newspaper men came
the two conveyances containing the
McAdoo women, and then followed long
line of Hunghrians, Italians, Poles, Slavs
and English speaking mine workers.
At point half mile from Coaldale
there is a sharp turn in the road and as
the newspaper men rounded it there came
cry 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 Schuyl-
kill, 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 dis
perse and to return whence you came
The strikers began to protest that they
could not be stopped on public highway
and many of them showed disposition
10 resist the soldiers. The officer IL