Connecticut western news., 1902-08-07
SITTING ON A VOLCANO
Eruption at Shenandoah May
 Come at Any Hour.
ONLY A RABID LEADER IS NEEDED.

ONLY A RABID LEADER IH NEEDED. With . Daring Man at Their Head Lawless Element Among Striking Minera Would Attack Troops at the Drop of the Hat.
 Shenandoah, Pa.. Aug. 6.-All that is lacking here to precipitate an encoun- ter between troops and strikers is a determined and desperate man to head the idle anarchists.
 Shenandoah and the surrounding re zion are surcharged like a thunder cloud with dangerous elements, and the troops are now in the heart of the town, ready for the outbreak that may come at any minute.
 Strike Leaders Miles Dougherty, na- tional organizer, and Fahey, chairman of the district organization, who were here last week trying to maintain or der and who asked Governor Stone to withdraw the soldiers, have fled before 6 situation that they were unable to control. The civil authorities have con fessed their powerlessness to cope with the lawless element.
 Murder Threatened.
 Hostility of the strikers toward the troops Is becoming every hour more open and defiant. Nonunion workers are being watched whenever they can be found in unfrequented places. The names of many of them are in a pro scribed list, and bands of men are con- stantly lying in wait for them with the avowed intention of killing them.
 Even women are not safe from insult and attack.
 Although the final step of declaring martial law has not yet been taken, General Gobin yesterday ordered two companies to be brought over from in the town. These men are standing in the middle of the principal streets, rifles in hand and with belts full of cartridges, surrounded by hundreds of Lithuanians, who scowl at them from the sidewalks and talk in low tones among themselves in their own Ian guage. At the slightest disturbance the waiting and watching crowds rush from all directions to the scene, and mobs are formed in an incredibly short time.
 Anarchy Rampant.
 Burgess David Brown told me" said General Gobin, that the east side of the town was In a state of anarchy. He said men were being held up and clubbed and that violence was being done to women. He declared the riot CTS were openly threatening murder, saying they were looking for certain men and would kill them.
 "All that he told me cannot be re- peated. but could no longer hesitate. I told him I-weala bring troops into one company from each of the ress- ments here to come in today, and other companies, to be selected by their cole nels, will be brought in each day. It is not exactly martial law, but the troops will be in the town instead of at one side, as heretofore"
 Soldiers Attacked.
 Privates Ramsey, Keiter and Grove of Company I, Twelfth regiment, had an experience early yesterday morning which substantiated what the burgess said in regard to anarchy. This dis trict lies beyond the valley in the east side of the town and Is known as Fur key Run. The men went there late Monday night on leave and unarmed, believing that the strikers would not dare to attack three of them together No sooner were they recognized than they were set upon by fifty men. They tried to stand their ground; but, seeing the crowd increase. they beat retreat under a shower of stones. They were unable to return to the town, as the way was blocked.
 They were forced up the hillside, where there are no houses. while their pursuers followed, armed with clubs and stones. The entire hill is honey combed with mine workings, and at many points the surface has caved in over exhausted veins, leaving deep pits which the soldiers were unable to see in the darkness.
 Their pursuers knew the location of these pits and sought to drive the flee ing men into one of them. Once they
 
 discovered the chasm barely in time to avoid it.
 Death Threatened.
 ID vain the soldiers doubled and twisted in the hope of eluding their pursuers. The hunt continued until the soldiers. almost on the verge of collapse, reached Frackville, a small town six miles from Shenandoah. There they were picked up by coal operator, who placed them in his car riage and drove them to the home of Burgess McGinness for protection.
 The mob discovered them, and a crowd of men surrounded the house, shouting: Hang the soldiers! Kill themr' The burgess and several men whom he called to his assistance stood on guard with pistols In readiness to repel the expected attack.
 News of what was happening was sent to General Goblin by telegraph, and at daybreak the general ordered troops to go to the rescue of the men. The troops had started when a mes sage was received by telephone saying that the men had been smuggled out of the burgess house and secretly sent back to camp in a wagon.
 During the drill and the evolutions yesterday in the town not a threat was heard or an offensive gesture made. When the quarter of a mile of rife stocks crashed to the pavement In unison at the word of command, some of the townspeople applauded. but the strikers looked on in sullen silence. pressing close to the rear line. It is believed the parude had a good effect. Many of the sidewalk groups, which had been waiting all day for something to happen, went home when it was over.
 RAH~