New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-29
WORKER SHOOTS STRIKER.
HOPED THAT RIOTING WILL CEASE
WITH FAIR WEATHER.
rnx TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBuNE.I


Wilkesbarre, Penn, Sept. 2S.-In effort to
prevent a non-union man from going to work
tonight. Joseph Gillis one of the leaders of
crowd of strikers was shot and killed by James
Sweeney, on whom an attack was made. Swee-
ney is now in the station at Nanticoke, guarded
zby nrsnsersof depatfes and police. while a
crowd outside is wrought TO high pitch of ex-
citement. Two companies of the 9th Regiment
are held In readiness to respond in case of an
attack They reach the scene in a special
car in half hour. Burgess Williams thinks
the prisoner will be safe in the station, and no
effort will be made to take him out tonight.
Three companies of soldiers are stationed at
Nanticoke each morning, and these will protect
Sweeney his way to Jail tomorrow. The
hearing will take place at Z a. m.
Sweeney brother of Daniel Sweeney. a
watchman at the Bliss colery, of the Delaware
Lackawanna and Western company, who five
weeks ago was brutally murdered the spot
where the shooting occurred to-day. There are
five men in Jail charged with the crime. and
there have been threats that all the Sweeney
brothers would be killed. This afternoon about
O'Clock James Sweeney left his home to go to
the Bliss colery, where he is employed as
miner. Outside the house was crowd of forty
or fifty strikers They hooted him and threw
some stones. and Sweeney drew his revolver
This did not stop them. and. stones being
hurled at him. he fired, and ellis fell, fatally
wounded.
Sweeney took refuge in the house The
prompt action of the borough police in rushing
him through the crowd which collecting to
the borough station probably prevented more
trouble. crowd of two or three hundred sur
rounded the station. and, while no violence
offered. the borough police remained on guard
with some deputies, and the Sheriff and Colonel
Dougherty. of the 9th Regiment. were kept in
formed of the situation. The police and the
steady rain, however prevented the crowd from
growing too large TO handle, and there has been
outbreak
Gillis was carried to his home and died there
an hour later. There IS much excitement
them closely.
WAITING FOR FAIR WEATHER
The civil and military authorities and the
coal operators waiting eagerly for fair
weather. when the people of the region will
get out of their houses and the troops will
take practice marches 1t is expected that
then the moral effect of the troops presence
will greatly aid in preventing outbreaks and
stop the intimidation of the workers and their
families To-day when the 9th went into camp
there was heavy storm The lawless element
is not particularly impressed by the soldiers
yet and acts of violence continue
Last night there was serious riot at the
Exeter colliery, and a dynamiting at Sugar
Notch AT the Exeter late in the evening
when thirty employees started for their
homes. they driven back into the stock
ade by crowd of several hundred who
threatened the workers with death If they
came out Two companies of the 9th under
Major Sharpe. we're dispatched to the scene
AS they approached a number of stones were
thrown by the rioters. One man who was seen
throwing a stone pursued by a squad and
captured and the others were quickly dispersed
The prisoner sent to jail
At Sugar Notch about midnight severe ex-
plosion of dynamite shook the farmhouse of the
Lehigh and Wilkesbarre No. Coliery and de-
stroyed the steam pipes connecting ii with the
boiler rooms. The fan was stopped but the
damage quickly repaired, and little harm
was done to the mine There is no clew TO the
dynamiters This morning few patrols were
sent out as there work. and only a few
cases OF house stoning were reported To-mor-
row morning, however. the patrols are to be
trouble is expected owing TO
the pronounced intention of the operators to re-
Continued on second page.