The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-05
Sheriff Prepares to Meet 1t in
Likens Coal Region.
The Striking Miners Refuse to
Serve as Deputies.
CLERKS PUT no WORK.
Taken Out of Offices and Placed
in Boiler Houses.
Imported Watchmen Ask Strik-
ers to Help Them Home.

Harrisburg, Pa, June 5.-Sherin Reif
swore in a small force Of deputies today
for duty in the Likens valley coal re-
gion. Trouble is brewing at Likens and
WyconsO and the sheriff says trouble
is likely to occur at any time. Three
hundred men congregated on the out
skirts of the oolliery at Likens today
and tried to prevent the fremen and
pumpmen from going to work. The
striking miners refuse to serve as depu-
ties and the sheriff was forced to secure
deputies in this city.
CLERKS PLACED IN BOILER
ROOMS.
Shamolzin, Pa, June 5.-Owing to the
scarcity of non-union men here the
Union and Mineral Coal companies were
forced today to put main office clerks to
work in the boiler rooms of their co.,
! lieries. The strikers made demOnstra-
1 tions against them as they walked into
the boiler houses.
| The Ninth district United Mine Work
J ers' headquarters today reports all col
/ lieries in the local district free of union
men, while number of non-union men
are said to be deserting from the mines
| IMPORTED OFFICERS WANT TO GO
HOME.
Hazleton, Pa. June 5.-The strike
situation in this region today is quiet
/ A man claiming to be one of the i'm
/ ported special officers brought up from
/ 3ulldQ0lDQla Cd11GQ al the mine WOIh-
/ ers' headquarters and informed the Of
/ ficers that it was the desire of the 70
/ watchmen quartered in the Yorktown
! store building to return home. He asked
the assistance of the mine workers il
I getting them back. The mine workers
are looking into the matter. A fore
man and timekeeper at Yorktown quit
I today when asked to take the places Of
strikers.
One thousand men started last night
from McAdOo on the first stage of
| march to Philadelphia with two non
| union men who arrived in the tormeE
| town Tuesday night and were captured
/ by the strikers. At Silver Rock, two
| miles south of here, the men will be
! turned over to another large body Of
| miners, who viii proceed with them to
| Tammaqua, where they will be taken
in charge by delegation Of Panther
Creek valley miners, who will marcn
them further toward their destination
STRIKERS MAKE GAINS.
Scranton, Pa, June 5.-The Lacka-
wanna valley had its first demonstration
against the working engineers, fremen
! and bumpers today No serious dis
I orders attended it, but 1t was effective
in inducing a large number of the men
| to give up their employment at the
! mines in and about Onphant, where the
| Delaware & Hudson company has been
fairly successful in keeping its steam
plant in operation.
The march was the result of a meet
ing last night Of the five local unions of
lnaI SecllQns ana began SnOrGly after y
o'clock this morning. the marchers in
tercepting the men going to the day shift
or returning from the nights WORK
These were taken in tow by pickets and
persuaded to meet the leaders of the
marchers, who finally got the men 10
join their ranks. There was no attempt
at violence. The company expected
some move of this kind, but its special
policemen were wholly Inadequate to
block tine plans of the marchers.
The I4ackawanna company also suf
fered the loss of its steam men at its
TINS morning and at strike headquarters
the claim Is made that the company
will not have a dozen old men working
by the end of the week.
District President Nichols also had re-
ports that many of the new men, un-
used to the work OF dremen, are also
deserting the company.
LOOK TO WHITE HOUSE.
Will1esbarre, Pa. June 5.-The efforts
of the striking miners today We're turn
ed toward the White House at Wash
ington- A new hope has arisen in the
breasts of the men that the president of
the United States at the suggestion of
the New York board of trade NAV take
up the task of attempting to bring
miner and mine owner together There
is strong belief here that President
Roosevelt will take up the matter and
try to work out solution of the prob
lem. Mine workers about strike head
quarters feel that the great coal COM
panieS cannot turn a deaf ear to the
/ CQl6I magistrate ana InaI II ne can be
prevailed upon to step into the breach
it is not improbable that the operators
would recede from the stand they have
taken. The miners, it is known, stand
| willing to arbitrate
President Mitchell had nothing to say
when approached on the new move to
} have the president take a hand in the
/ settlement of the strike.
The coal companies continue to lose
engineers, fremen and pumpmen. Many
Of the men who are now quitting are
doing so through a fear of bodily harm.
Reports come into WllkeSbarre almost
hourly of men on their way TO or from
the mines be attacked. The attacking
parties in most cases are boys and
young men. and their favorite methods
| is throwing stones. Several men have
been hurt but as yet no serious injuries
have been inflicted on any one
The coal and iron police. of whom
there are more than 5000 in the field.
are keeping very quiet, remaining in Sc
! clusion within the lines Of company pro-
perty. The chief of the coal and iron
police of one big company said today:
IF there is going to be any trouble the
strikers must start it So long as they
remain on the outside Of the company
lines there will be no disturbances but
we will not be responsible for what
happens in the miners cross the line
The entire Wyoming valley is very
quiet today.
ROCKS ON THE TRACK.
PittstOn, Pa. June 5.-The Erie COM
pany's work train carrying non-union
men to the mines of the company, was
derailed in Hughestown today by run
ming into an obstruction of rocks which
had been piled on the tracks No one
was injured All the non-union men at
work in the various collieries of the
Erie company are housed in one build
ing and are distributed every morning
to the mines by special trains. It is
supposed that strike sympathizers plac-
ed the rocks on the track.