Evening journal., 1902-08-29
MINERS
STONE TRAINS
Carrying Soldiers Through
Panther Greek Valley
SITUATION Is VERY SERIOUS
Troops We're TauHted and Captain
Gearhart Is Suffering With
Wound on His Shoulder

Tamaqua, Pa, Aug. 29.-The first
clash between the striking miners and
the troops occurred yesterday morning.
and as a result five rioters were arrest
ed, and Captain ]. Beaver Gearhart, of
Company X, Twelfth Regiment is suf-
fering from a wound on his shoulder,
made by stone thrown by striker
A report gained currency that the
striking men we're gathering In force
to make a march on the No. 4 colliery,
where the Lehigh company is mining
and cleaning coal. The colliery is To-
Gated at the west end of the Panther
Creek Valley, and the Governors
Troop was at once ordered to that
point. Company f, of the Twelfth
Regiment, Captain J. B. Gearhart, and
Company X, captain w. H. Helm, were
placed on trolley cars and run through
the valley. When the cars reached
Summit Hill they were surrounded by
a mob OF strikers. While Jimmy Mar
teen, an Italian, was in the act Of hurl-
ing stone at. the car several soldiers
jumped off and made an attempt to
capture him. Marteen offered resist
ance, and the soldiers were compelled
to fix their bayonets. In the melee
which followed Marteen was wounded
in the left side. The wound, however,
is slight.
When the cars bearing the troops
reached Lansford a large mob mad
gathered, and for a time it looked as
though a serious riot could not be
avoided. AS the first car was passing
through the mob Captain Gearhart, of
Company f, was struck on the right
shoulder by a stone. Several of the
soldiers jumped from the car in pur-
suit of the striker who had thrown the
missile. After an exciting scuffle they
succeeded in capturing a young miner,
who gave his name as Joseph McCann.
The cars then proceeded on again. but
had proceeded but a short distance
when another crowd of strikers was
encountered, and the soldiers were
again tainted and stoned. Upon the
order of the officer in command of the
rear car, a detail of half a dozen IneA
jumped off and captured three men,
who it is alleged were trying to in
cense the crowd to attack the troops.
The men gave their names as John
King, Timothy King and John Kelly.
They were placed on board the car
and taken to the camp at Manila Park,
where, together with McCann and Mar
teen, they were placed under a heavy
guard.
Last evening Company X. of the
Twelfth Regiment, under the command
of Captain Helm, escorted the non
union men to their homes in Lansford
Summit Hill and Coaldale upon their
return from work. While large
crowds Of strikers gathered on the
streets. there was no hostile demonstra-
ton. The officers Of the Twelfth Regi-
ment stated that the second battalion
of that command, now stationed al
Shenandoah, will be ordered here un-
less the situation is greatly improved
The battalion will be stationed at Sum-
NIT Hill
John King, Timothy King, John
Kelly and Jimmy" Marteen, four Of
the men captured by the troops, were
released last night. Joseph Mccain
the fifth prisoner, was taken to Lans-
ford under a heavy guard, where he
was arraigned before Squire Lewis on
q charge of assault and battery, breach
Of the peace and melting to riot. He
was held in $500 bail for court.