The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-08-06
BLOODY RIOT IN PEANsYLV LVANIl.
Pitched Battle Between Miners
and PoIice---A Merchant Club
bed to Death---Twenty strik-
ers Shot.

of terror, compared with which the
scenes enacted during the riots of 1900
seem Insignificant, holds Shenandoah
in its grasp tonight. Since 6 O'Clock
this evening, Centre street, which is
one of the principal streets of the
town, has been in the hands Of an IN
furiated mob.
Two Of the borough policemen were
shot, one perhaps fatally. Joseph
Beddal, a leading merchant and eou-
sin of Sheriff Beddal was brutally
dubbed to death and upwards of
score Of strikers whose names at this
writing could not be cascertained were
shot by policemen and it is expected
that many deaths will result.
Sheriff Beddal arrived from Potts
vile at 7.45 o'clock with posse Of
deputies. He has taken up headquar-
ters at the Ferguson hotel. To an As
sociated Press reporter he admitted
that he has asked Gov. Stone to send
the militia. The governor wired that.
if the citizens Of the town petition for
troops, he will send them, and petit
ton is being circulated for that pur-
pose now.
The trouble started about 6 o'clock
this afternoon when Deputy Sheriff
Thomas Beddal attempted to escort
two non-union workers through the
strikers line of pickets The work
men were dressed in their street.
clothes, but one of them carried
bundle under his arm and this
aroused the suspicion of the strikers.
The bundle was torn from him and
when it was found to contain blouse
and overalls the man was taken from
the deputy and beaten almost to death.
In the meantime Beddal opened fire
on the mob which had gathered by
this time and emptied his revolver.
Two of the shots took effect, one man
being shot in the leg and the. other In
the foot. The deputy and the strikers
were now compelled to ay for their
lives and took refuge in the Philadel
phia and Reading railroad depot. The
depot was soon surrounded by an
angry mob of 5000 which was becom-
ing more threatening and demonstra-
tive every moment.
JOS. Beddal, a hardware merchant
and brother of the deputy sheriff, was
seen making his way through the
crowd in an effort to reach his brother,
and the mob, divining that he was
carrying ammunition to those. inside
the depot, seized him and beat him
with clubs and billies into insensibil-
ity. He died en- route to the miners
hospital. Shortly after this the entire
borough police force arrived On the
scene and escorted the deputy sheriff
andihis man to an engine which had
been backed into the depot for that
purpose. When the mob realized that
their prey was about to escape they
surrounded the engine and the engi-
neer vas afraid to move.
In a few moments, however, the
police fred volley dispensing the
crowd for a brief period and the engi
neer turned on full steam and got
away with his men. Stones were Iow
thrown thick and fast about the heads
of the police, whereupon Chief John
sey gave the order to fire. At the first
volley the mob fell back and several
were seen to fall. Their retreat, how
ever, was but momentary. They turn-
ed and with revolvers, stones and a
few shot guns they charged on the lit
tie band of policemen and made them
fly for their lives. The policemen
turned in their fight at short inter
walls and fred volley after volley at
their merciless pursuers, but the mob
seemed thoroughly infuriated and
smoking revolvers seemed to have no
terrors for them. When the Lehigh
railroad crossing was reached pass
ing freight train blocked the progress
OF the men, two of whom were cacghe
and brutally beaten. One of them,
Stiney Yacopsky, will die.
It is estimated that upwards of one
thousand shots were fred and the won-
der is that<more fatalities did not re-
suit. More than 20 strikers, all Of
whom were foreigners, were shot and
at least two of them will die. Many
of the merchants and politicians are
refusing to sign the call for troops,
fearing that the miners will boycott
them after the trouble is over, and as
the governor has made the sending Of
troops contingent on the petition of
citizens there is some doubt as to
whether they will be sent.
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