The evening Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1902-1902, 1902-07-31
RIOT AND BLOODSHED
-Four Policemen and a Score
of Strikers Shot.
SCAB MINERS MOBBED AT SHENANDOAH
The Sheriff Asks the Governor For
Troops-lt Ii Estimated That One
Thousand Shots Were Fired.
story of the Fight.

SHENANDOAH, Pa. July 31.-A
score of strikers and four policemen
were shot IN a riot here last evening,
and Joseph Beddall, cousin of Sheriff
Beddall, was beaten SO badly that
there Is but slight chance of his re-
covery. The others seriously injured
are:
Frank Traits, a policeman, shot
through the head, will die; Chief Of
Police Fry, shot in arm and badly
beaten, condition serious; Policeman
Rengheisher. shot in shoulder and
hand and beaten with stones and
clubs, condition serious.
One other officer and about twenty Of
the strikers were wounded. The con-
dition of the injured strikers is not
known, as they were hurried away by
friends. Sheriff Beddall soon arrived
from Pottsville and at once asked the
governor for troops.
The trouble started about 6 O'Clock in
the evening, when Deputy Sheriff
Thomas Beddall attempted to escort
two nonunion workers through the
strikers line Of pickets. The workmen
were dressed III their street clothes,
but one of them carried bundle un-
der his arm, and this aroused the sus-
picion of the strikers. The bundle was
torn from him, and when it was found
to contain blouse and oyeralls the
man was taken from the deputy and
beaten almost to death.
In the meantime Beddall 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 another in
the foot. The deputy and the other
strike breaker were now compelled to
fly for their lives and took refuge in
the Philadelphia and Reading railroad
depot. The depot was soon surrounded
by an angry mob of 5000, which was
becoming more threatening and demon
strative every moment. Joseph Bed
dali, hardware merchant and brother
of the deputy sheriff. was seen making
his way through the crowd in an eff
fort to reach his brother, and the mob,
divining that lie was carrying ammuni-
ton to those inside the depot, seized
him and beat him with clubs and bill
lies into insensibility. He died ell route
to the Miners hospital.
Shortly after this the entire borough
police force arrived on the scene and
escorted the deputy sheriff and his
man to an engine which had been
backed into the depot for that pur-
pose. When the mob realized that their
prey was about to escape, they sur
rounded the engine, and the engineer
was afraid to move. In a few mo-
ley, dispensing the crowd for brief
period, and the engineer turned on fun
steam and got away with his men.
Stones were now thrown thick and
fast about the heads of the police,
whereupon Chief John Fry gave the Or
der to fire. At the first volley the mob
fell back, and several were seen to fall.
Their retreat, however, was but mo-
mentary. They turned, and with re-
vOlvers, stones and even Il few shot.
guns, they charged on the little band
of policemen and made them fly for
their lives. The policemen turned in
their fight at short intervals and fired
volley after volley at their merciless
pursuers, but the mob seemed thor
oughly infuriated and smoking revolv-
ers seemed to have no terror for them.
When the Lehigh railroad crossing was
reached, passing freight train blocked
the progress of the police, two of
whom were caught and most brutally
beaten.
1t is estimated that upward Of 1000
shots were fired, and the wonder 10
that more fatalities did not result