Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-09-22
A LETTER TO THE PUBLIC.
Sheriff and Deputies at Shenandoah Wore
Fired at From Saloon and KotalIated
With Deadly Eneot-A Can for Troops
President Mitchell, of tho United Mine
Workers of America, In an Open Letter
to the Public, Explains the Miners sido
of the Controversy.
tBy Telegraph to virginian.pIlot.,

posse fired on n crowd of rlotous men
near here this afternoon, killing two
persons and wounding seven others.
Sheriff Toole and Deputies O'Donnell
and Brenneman were called to Shenan-
doah to-day to suppress the mobs that
threatened mine workers and, coiliery
property. At quitting time three
sheriffs and Il small posse, whom the
sheriff had summoned on the ground
went to the Indian Ridge colliery of the
Reading Company to escort the work
fngmen to their homes. The colliery is
located short distance east of Shen-
andoah.
The workingmen left for home short
ly after o'clock. They walked up the
middle of East Center street and
reached the Lehigh Valley railroad
station. Here had gathered large
crowd OF Poles, Slavs and Huns. III q
women and children, who lined bc9a
sides of the street. A shot rang out
from a saloon. This was followed by
II shower of stones. Many OF the
crowd had picked up sticks and stones
and were acting in n threatening man.
ner. Seeing this the sheriff, who had
previously cautioned his men to keep
cool and not to use their firearms
commanded them to fire. The order
was obeycd with terrible results. The
crowd pursued the sheriff and his posse
to the Ferguson House. where they
took refuge.
Sheriff Toole shortly afterward tele-
phoned to Harrisburg and asked that
a detachment of troops be sent here
1t was learned that Adjutant- General
Stewart was in Philadelphia. and a tel
egram was sent to him there.
CASUALTIES.
Following is n list of the killed and
wounded:
Siiled-Mike Yuckavagc shot in the
eye.
A little girl, name unknown, shot in
the back Of the neck.
Wounded-So far as can be learned:
Edward Coyle, aged about so years:
bullet wound near the heart. He was
sitting on his stoop.
Michael Seaman. shot in the arm.
Anthony Skarnaziz. shot in the left
wrist by % calibre bullet.
John Wusdickey. aged 40. shot in the
head: married.
Peter Stalcomovitch, 2S, shot in the
shoulder at the back.
Mike Sasitska, shot in the left shout
der.
Anthony Axalavage, shot in the left
side; serious. y 40 calibre bullet re-
moved.
Among those who were injured by
the rioters were the following:
George Bedding. OF Ringtown, ugly
cash on right forehead. caused by a
brick.
Robert Edwards. aged CA, injured Sc
riously by being hit with stones.
Charles Rawland, aged 33. injured in
the neck and head by stones.
Hazleton, Pa, Sept. 21.--PreSident
Mitchell tonight issued an open letter
to the public, in part as follows:
THE striking mine workers recog
nize as their real opponents in this
struggle for slight amelioration of
the hard. grinding conditions of the
average miners life nine railroads,
which, besides producing approximate
ly u per cent. of the hard coal, are
coal mined in the anthracite field of
Pennsylvania, and for this service of
carriage n charge from 40 to &c per
cent. per ton, according to the size of
the coal, is made. Incredible as 1t may
appear, they charge three times as
much to carry Il ton of anthracite coal
100 miles as is charged to carry n BIZ
luminous ton of coal the same distance.
So eXorbitant are the rates that the
legitimate profits which should be
credited to the mining interests of
these railroads are absorbed by freight
rates, and as n consequence their coal
properties are made to show very
small profit on their capitalization.
Speaking for the 10000 mine work
ers this day on strike. 1 recognize these
railroads as our real enemies and name
their presidents as the men responsible
for refusal to arbitrate or even confer
upon the differences which have grown
up, not between them and the organi-
cation I represent, but between them
and their own employees, who. through
delegates selected by themselves. met
in convention in this city on August
10 and framed n list of grievances
which were mailed to the general
superintendent of the mining depart
ments of these railroads, accompanied
by an invitation to meet in Joint con-
vention on August 81 for the purpose
of discussing such changes in the scale
of mining and conditions of employ
ment as were warranted by the condi-
lions of the coal industry. The cordial
invitation extended was not even ac-
knowledged by those in charge of the
coal departments"
Mr.. Mitchell then gives his reasons
for no! consenting to arbitration in the
Markle case, saying Markles coal
would be appropriated by the Lchigh
Valley Company and used as weapon
to defeat the strike. and that Marlsle
could pay higher scale of wages than
others only so long as the strike con-
tinued
He declares himself In favor of arbi-
tration, but says arbitration would be
unnecessary II miners and mine owners
were to adopt the system of adjusting
wage disputes in force in the bitumin-
Gus districts. where annual conventions
OF employers and employees agree upon
the scale of wages. President Mitchell
concludes:
II and my official colleagues will not
ask to be recognized or consulted by
the mine owners If the officers OF repre-