Milford chronicle., 1902-08-08
FIERCE FIGHT
WITH MOB
Infatuated Strikers Caused Reign
of Terror at Shenandoah.
TROOPS SENT TO THE SCENE
Sheriff Could Not Preserve Order
and Appealed to Governor.
orEIoEEs aAN Foa LIE Tvs

Deputy's Attempt to Escort NOn-union
Men Through Strikers Lines Started
Battle, In Which Many Were In
Jured, Some FataIIy-TweIve Hun
dred Soldiers. Under General Goblin,
to Maintain Peace.
Shenandoah. Pa. July S1-A reign |
OF terror, compared with which the
scenes enacted during the riots IF 1900 |
seem insignificant, held Shenandoah in |
its grasp last night Centre street.
which is one of the principal streets OF
the town, was in the hands Of an in
| furiated mob Four of the borough po-
lHcemen were shot. two perhaps fatally.
1 Joseph Beddal. a leading merchant and
cousin OF sheriff Beddal was brutally
dubbed, and upwards Of a score
Of strikers whose names could not
be aseertained, were shot by policemen
and it is expected that many deaths
| will result Sheriff Beddal arrived
from Pottsville at 7.45 o'clock with a
posse OF deputies. He admitted that
he has asked Governor Stone to send
the militia
The trouble started about six o'clock
last evening when Deputy Sheriff
Thomas Beddal attempted to escort two
non-union workers through the strikers
line of pickets The workmen 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
I him and when 1t was found to contain
I a blouse and overalls the man was ia
ken from the deputy and beat 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 Other
S strike breaker We're now compelled tC
: fly for their lives, and took refuge
e in the Philadelphia and Reading Rail
t road depot. The depot was soon sur
t rounded by an angry mob Of 5000
: which was becoming more threatening
2 and demonstrative every moment
r Joseph Beddal, hardware merchan
g and brother of the deputy sheriff wa
D seen making his way through tn
q crowd in an effort to reach his brother
l. and the mob divining that he was car
> rying ammunition to those inside tn
a depot, seized him and beat him wit
q clubs and billies into insensibility.
n shortly after this the entire boroug
N police force arrived on the scene an
n escorted the deputy sheriff and his ma
n to an engine which had been baeke
- into the depot for that purpose Whe
i. the mob realized that their prey Wa
~ about to escape they surrounded II
engine and the engineer was ARA
7 to move In few moments, hoy
I" ever, the police fired a volley ii
persing the crowd for a brief perio
% and the engineer turned on full stea
NC and got away with his men. Ston
- were thrown thick and fast about Il
ue heads of the police, whereupon Chi
Nc John Fry gave the order to fire,
" the first volley the mob fell back, al
y several were seen to fall Their
'o- treat, however, was but momental
They turned, and, with revOlve
On stones and even a few shotguns, tn
,er charged on the little band OF poll,
ne men and made them fly for their liv
at The policemen turned In their fig
iat at short intervals and fired volley
II ter volley at their merciless pursue
Dc but the mob seemed thoroughly inf
ter ated, and smoking revolyers seem
he 10 have no terrors for them Wh
his the Lehigh Valley Railroad crossi
IN was reached a passing freight tri
ted blocked the progress of the police, I
is Of whom were caught and bruta
his beaten.