Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-08-01
TROOPS ON GUARD.
Shenandoah Shows Little Trace
Of the Bloody Riots.
Mine Workers Incensed Over Calling
Out Of the Soldiers.
Death of Jos. BeddalI, Terribly Beaten
by the Mob.

Shenandoah, Pa, July 31.-Twelve
hundred state troops are encamped
here on a hill overlooking Shenandoah.
Down in the town where rioters and
policemen fought the bloody battle,
last night, all is quiet and the indca-
tons ere that so long as the militia
remains the peace of the community
will not again be broken. The riot
which caused the soldiers to be sent
here came like fash and was over al
most as quickly as it had started, and
since then there has not been single
case of violence reported. The tens
of thousands of idle men and boys in
this vicinity who had been gathering
in large numbers and marching from
place 10 place did not repeat their
demonstrations, today, so the author-
ties had little or nothing to do. The
arrival of the citizen soldiery proved
TO be great attraction for the large
army cf unemployed, and hundreds of
men and boys came to town to see the
troops.
Beyond the presence Of group of
soldiers here and there on the principal
street Shenandoah does not show any
evidence Of having passed through a
trying ordeal. The large number Of
persons who had been attracted to the
place by the coming of the militia left
during the afternoon, and, tonight, the
town presents its normal appearance.
The major portion of the population is
made up of foreigners. and, as rule,
they kept close to their homes during
the day. 1t is claimed by the citizens
of the town that the foreign element
was solely responsible for the trouble.
Contrary to popular belief, Shenan-
doah is not under martial law. Tho
local authorities and the sheriff of the
county have not relinquished control
of their respective affairs as they did
before the troops reached here. So
long as the situation remains as 1T is
at present, there is not any likelihood
that the regimental companies will be
scattered through the mining towns of
Schuylkill county.
The Mine Workers are greatly in
censed over the calling out of the
troops. They assert that this action
was entirely unwarranted and is an
unjustifiable expense to the stale. The
strikers through their officials are
making an effort to have the soldiers
withdrawn. The first step in this di-
rection was taken, this afternoon, when
the following communication was gent
to Gov. Stone:
1--WE, the undersigned officials Of the
ninth district of the Miners Union, be-
lieve that the request made to you to
send troops to Shenandoah was based
upon exaggeration. and as we are con-
firmed in this belief, we respectfully
request you to send a personal repre-
sentative into this town to investigate
the conditions and after such investi-
agtion believe that you will learn that
the presence of troons in this town is
unnecessary and that the order should
be revoked.
(SigneO MILES DOUGHERTY,
"TERRENCE GINLEY.
MARTIN POWAWASIS.
u. T. VILLA,
IT. J. RICHARDS"
Ii is said that the Mine Workers Off
cials intend to circulate among the
citizens of the town for signatures for
a petition calling upon the governor to
withdraw the troops.
OF the 20 or more persons who we're
beaten with clubs or struck by bullets
during last nights rioting, one. man,
Joseph Beddall, died shortly after 10
o'clock tonight. He was a brother of
Deputy Sheriff Thomas Beddall and
nephew of S. r. Beddall, the sheriff Of
the county He was 35 years 0: age
and was a member of the Baidall-
Taggart Co, wholesale and retail hard
ware dealers of this city.