Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-08-15
GUARDS SHOOT
into A CROWD
Special Officers Cause an
Outbreak at Duryea.
One Striker Shot in the
Knee and Two Coal and
Iron Policemen Beaten in
the Scrimmage.


Shots fired by guards at the Warnke
washery, Duryea, yesterday afternoon
melted an attack by several hundred
men and boys in which one of their
number was shot, and led to an assault
upon two men, one a coal guard.
Twenty-four of the coal guards and
watchmen have been arrested and are
hsld under bail. Only the efforts of the
local police and the GOODNESS OF the Off
GERS Of the mine workers prevented an
outbreak
The injured men are: Henry Collins,
Saranton, a coal and iron guard, head
cut and bruised An unknown man,
badly beaten on the head and face.
Andrew Uravitch, shot in the left leg
between the knee and ankle.
The attack was made between and 3
o'clock. A large crowd was wrought up
to such pitch Of excitement by the
washery guards taunts that it advanced
upon the workings. Behind the barbed
wire barricade the guards, fifteen in
number, were posted, armed with Win
chester repeating rifles. The trouble
was caused by shot fired from the
washery at man In the crowd who ran
close to the washery. Stones followed
and scores Of them ratified on the sides
and roof of the washery and whizzed
near the men on guard
The guards fired some twenty or
thirty shots before the crowd began to
withdraw, carrying off Andrew Uravitch,
who was shot through the left leg,
between the knee and ankle. A few of
the guards were slightly injured by
stones.
While this was being done Mr.. Warnke
telephoned the sheriff's Office and Dep
uty Sheriff Rhodda, who with nine dep
uties had left Duryea at noon, hurried
back
At the same time Chief of Police Cos
grove, OF Duryea, went to the washery
and placed fifteen guards and George
Warnke, a brother of the owner, under
arrest and took them to the borough
lookup. On the way Henry Collins, a
guard, broke from the ranks and ran
for the railroad station, a short distance
away. The crowd gave chase and over
hauled him. He was knocked down
asd beaten, and when picked up was
unconscious and bleeding.
Upon the arrival OF Deputy Rhodda,
he took the seven men at the washery
in custody and lodged them in the lookup
with the guards and there they were
also placed under arrest by the borough
authorities. All OF them were armed.
The arrival OF Vice President Adam
Ruscavage and Organizer Schlosser, of
the United Mine Workers, resulted In
calming the crowd and after most OF
them had been dispersed, Burgess Bur-
llngton went to the lookup and there
held all the prisoners under $4,000 bail.
A special train was run as close to the
lookup as possible and then, with
twenty five deputies to guard them and
keep back the crowd, while the United
Mine Workers officers aided, the coal
guards were escorted to the car, taken
to Wilkesbarre and lodged in jail.
Frederick Warnke, the owner of the
washery, said: 81 have asked Sheriff
Jacobs to request that troops be sent to
Duryea to guard the washery and pro-
tect our men while we work. We cer-
tainly need them"
Burgess Burlington said: "All is
quiet now, and | do not expect there
will be any further trouble. We do not
need troops. The local police can man
age the situation easily with little help
from the sheriff. All we need is eight
or ten deputies at the washery, and
there will be no trouble in town"
Sheriff Jacobs said that he did not
think there was any occasion for calling
for troops unless tho situation grows
more serious.