New-York tribune., 1902-07-03
RIOTING IN COAL FIELDS.
SITUATION Is CRITICAL. AND TROOPS
MAY BE CALLED.
UGLY CROWD MENACEs BIG CoLLIERY-
MOBS THREATEN TO LYNCH
SHERIFF'S PRISONERS.
Try TELEGRAPH To TIE TRIBUNE.

nObS THREAT EN- ~ l>1NCh
sHERIFF's PRISONERS.
Try TELEGRAPH To IRE TRrBUNE.I
Wilkesbarre, Penn, July 2.-AH afternoon the
excited Italian strikers at Duryea threatened
the Lehigh Valley Coal Company's William A.
colliery, and tonight the hills surrounding it
are black with men. Inside the coery d
doubled force of guards has been reinforced by
Sheriff Schadt and deputies from Scranton. They
fear an attack during the night. for the men
are deeply aroused. The union leaders. headed
by the national board member. John Fallon,
are trying TO quiet the foreigners. The shooting
Of the striker who was found dead yesterday
morning outside the stockade and the arrest
of seven coal guards this afternoon on the
charge Of murder the causes Of the great
excitement, and to-night's situation is critical.
The trouble started this afternoon when
crowd of angry strikers tried to mob Charles a.
Brown, surveyor. who left the colliery and
got some distance away before they saw him.
Hundreds Of stones we're thrown as the crowd
pursued him. and he drew mis- revolver and fired
three shots in tho air. The borough police
rushed at him and carried him prisoner to the
office of Justice birmingham, who held him
under $500 bail three Charges-inciting
riot, firing within the borough limits and carry
ing concealed weapons. He sent TO Jail in
this city. None of the rioters were arrested.
Sheriff SChadt. who was on his way to Duryea
to arrest tha coal guards on duty at the time
Of the shooting yesterday. fortunately arrived
in time to prevent any further riotng and dis
persed the crowd. He had warrants for seven
of the guards. charging murder. and with
strong force of deputies went the mine for
them
MOB THREATENS LYNCHING.
In the effort to get the guards to the station
he mObbed
Hundreds of the strikers and others. wild with
excitement. hemmed them in, and cries OF
Lynch the men' arose from a hundred throats.
The officers fought their way slowly, and all
the time the excitement grew Had it not been
for one cool man there might have been serious
consequences. $. Tiscara, Italian consul in
Scranton. mounted a high porch and begged
his countrymen not to be violent. After some
persuasion the mob parted and the officers
reached the train.
All the afternoon the I'D remained sulen.
and every few minutes revolver shots
fired toward the coliery AS the revolvers did
not carry as far as the fence the guards did
not return the fire
The arrested guards were sent to Jail by AL
derman Howe. of Scranton but almost
Immediately released on habeas corpus writ
and taken before Judge Kelley. who admitted
them to bail
The first march or women TOOK place TO-
night north of this city. route several miles
long being covered by about hundred of them
marching two by two along the road They
hooted and yelled in front of all the non-union
mems houses they passed.
CALL FOR TROOPS LIKELY.
The situation in the Hazleton district is rapid
ly approaching such a critical stage that call
may be made for the State troops. This morn
living outside the collieries were prevented froni
going to work, and some were beaten The ap-
peal Of the operators to the borough and town
shop authorities has been in vain and Sheriff
Jacobs has not enough deputies on hand to pre-
vent interference with the workers.
mob started for Jeddo early this morning
to stop the workers at the Drifton cOlliery.
where there have been many disturbances since
Monday The strikers. three hundred strong
we're met on the road before they reached Drift
ton by Deputy Sheriff Eckert in command of
several officers. Most of the strikers obeyed
his order 10 disperse, but number, led by
Duck Shovln. who armed with big
revolver. defied the deputies. Eckert led the
charge upon the men and arrested Shovlrn
and three others. who were all brought here
and sent TO Jail in default of bail. This is the
first arrest of strikers by deputies.
The operators have instructed all the men
turned back by the strikers to make complete
statements of the circumstances and these, IL
is expected will be used as evidence against
the officials of the township or borough In
which the interference occurred Notice has
been served on these officials that they must
protect the workers.
ARMED THUGS" JUSTICE CALLS GUARDS
Daniel r McKelvey justice of Hazle Town
ship in replying to the notification sent a long
letter one paragraph of which reads: From
the speech of the people in the township OF
Halle | find that the only people that are en-
gagged in attempted breaches of the peace are
the armed thugs who masqueradng under
the guise of the law whose evident purpose is
to incite peaceful Iawabiding miners TO break
the peace so that they may be justified in shoot
ing them down"
Chief Engineer Alvin Washer, of Coke Bros.
& Co. was badly beaten by a crowd of rlotlug
strikers last night and to-day is confined to hts
bed.
The Delaware Lackawanna and Western
Company reported to-day that enough certlf1-
Gated miners had applied for work at the coll
ieries in the Wyoming division to operate any
one colliery Other companies report continued
accessions to the ranks of their workers.