New-York tribune., 1902-06-15
DYNAMlTED AND HELD UP
ATTEMPT TO DESTROY LIVES
AND PROPERTY or
WORK ER.S.
MINERS AND OPERATORS TRYING TO
DETECT THE CRIMINALS AND
PUNISH THEM
fYy TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE. ]


zyil.esharre. Penn. June 14-Murderously in
.ltned rniscreants placed dynamite the front
of the porch Of the house Of William Applegate
whose three sons work in the Cranberry Col
liery of Coke Brothers & Co, and exploded 1t
this morning. The damage was not great, the
charge not being heavy enough 10 wreck the
house. The porch was torn 10 pieces. the WIN
dows broken and much plaster shaken down.
but none in the house were injured beyond
few slight bruises. Neighbors. awakened by
the shock. saw running down the street
and fired at them. The police say that one man
thinks he can identify them
The fuse used was fifteen feet long and was
placed in the middle of the street, thus giving
the men time to get away. Applegate. who
had heard that twenty-three houses of anti
union men were TO be dynamited, sitting
on his side porch. twenty feet away from the
front Of the porch. when the explosion oo-
CURED, but. except for a severe shaking, was
not injured.
A sequel TO il occurred later in the morning,
when William Applegate and William Stecker
We're on their way TO Cranberry TO tell the Ap-
plegate boys what had occurred. They were
stopped by six men and turned back The
men made them promise TO join the union. and
collected 81 from each as initiation fees.
A. Pardee & Co. tonight caused the arrest of
George wefsenborn. miner for alleged i'm
pIication in the hold-up Of Applegate as he vas
coming from era nherry 70 West Hazleton He
was held under $500 bail
: District President Duffy announced tonight
that committee of three mine workers had
been appointed to Investigate the dynamiting-
If they are successful in unearthing the per
petrators the committee will them over to
the authorities. If mine workers are the guilty
ones they will be expelled from the organization.
not
nance lawlessness
It was learned tonight that in addition TO
Applegate two of his brothers and another man.
all working at the Cranberry Cclliery. have
been staying in the house that was dynamited-
Telephone messages were sent out to-day from
the various miners headquarters at Scranton
TO the officers Of the local unions. to call on all
men employed about the mines except the barn
bosses, who feed the mules, TO quit work before
next Monday. This action was decided upon at
a conference of President Mitchell and the dis
trict presidents.
The order is aimed principally at the fire
bosses many of whom have taken the places of
striking pumpmen engineers and fremen
A report from the lower end OF the region Is
that two hundred men employed by the Lehigh
Coal and Navigation Company have gone out
within the last three days and that others VIII
Join the strikers before Tuesday
The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad is
rushing non-union men and guards into the
Schuylkiil region at the rate OF a couple OF hun
dred a day, and work at some Of the colllery
pumps is going along briskly- AT others there
is still an insufficient force to make headway
against the water. which rushing in, and il
viii he a long time before they are cleared
President Mitchell said tonight. regarding the
statement from the operators published this
morning in which il was said after the strike
the working force will be reduced one-third.
Il understand that il came from representa-
tjves Of the companies, but as l always had my
dealings with the presidents Of the companies.
] shall pay no attention to it until the assertion
comes from them.
There is much speculation about the nature OF
the information that the Illinois delegation of
mine workers officials will bring here in re-
gard to a general sympathy strike OF soft coal
miners. Mitchell says the delegation is coming
to discuss local conditions in Illinois. but there
is q general belief that they viii tell Mr. Mitchell
the true feeling Of the soft coal men on the
question Of a sympathetic strike.
Patrick Cilday. Of Morrisdale, Penn, president
Of the Central Pennsylvania bituminous district
of the Mine Workers Union. arrived here to-
right and held conference with President
. Mitchell Mr.. Gday. speaking Of the anthra-
4 cite strike said that the men in Central Penn
sylvania are ready help the hard coal
miners and will not fail TO respond when the
anthracite workers call them. he also Sale
that the local unions in his district will assist
in every possible way to prevent the Shipment
Of soft coal into the hard coal markets When
the time comes to take such action