The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1902-10-02
WHOLESALE ARRESTS AT OEN-
TRALlA.


hundred and twenty striking miners
at Centralia Tuesday by Sheriff
Daniel Knorr and Deputy Bruce
Black. They were arrested on
charges of rioting and unlawful as
sembling. The disturbances oc-
Cured at Centralia Thursday night
and Friday morning, when a num-
Der Of men, great many of them
leaders in the miners organization,
probably two or three hundred in
all met at the Lehigh Valley depot
and made an attempt to prevent the
pumpmen employed by the Lehigh
Valley Coal Company at Packer
Colliery from going to work.
Information was lodged by Coal
and Iron Policeman Ferdinand
Steinmetz, Friday night and the
warrant was issued by Justice OF
the Peace Guy Jacoby on Saturday.
When the men became aware of
the tact that Sheriff Knorr aud his
deputy Bruce Black were in town
with warrants for their arrest they
hurriedly called a meeting and
unanimously agreed to accept the
situation peaceably and to insist on
being brought to Bloomsbnrg for
hearing. The determination to
have the hearing held at Blooms
burg was an unexpected turn for
the sheriff and he was at his wit
ends to know how to procure sufi-
cient conveyance to bring them
over. After considerable difficulty
he succeeded in getting thirteen
teams, and the start for Bloomsbury
was made about two o'clock We'd
nesday.
The procession headed by the
Centralia Band, the members OF
which figured in the disturbances
arrived in Bloomsbury about seven
O'Clock in the evening. Amid the
strains of Marching Through
Georgia" and cheers for Mitchell
and the Union, the train moved up
to the Court House where the men
got out. A number of them went
to the office Of their counsel Judge
Herring, for consultation. At eight
o'clock they were arriagned before
Squire Jacoby for a hearing. The
Court room was perfect jam. The
prisoners occupied the first three
rows of seats, while interested spec
tatoIs filled the others. The aisles
were all congested and many were
unable to gain admittance at all.
1keler & Ikeler and W.. c. John
ston represented the Lehigh Valley
Coal Company, and Judge Herring
the miners.
The first witness was r. S. Mer-
cur, division superintendent of the
I.ehigh Coal Company. He testifi-
ed that on Thursday evening two
or three hundred men met at the
railroad station for the purpose Of
stopping the pumpmen employed at
the Packer Colliery from going to
work. They informed him that
their organization had decided to
stop any further work at the mines.
They would request the men to quit
work, and if this failed other means
would be employed. When the
train reached the station, he was
pushed rudely to one side, while
two of the leaders made speeches tc
the pumpmen. Several of the pump
men made an effort to get away but
they were held and forcibly detain'
ed. The witness said he wished tc
call special attention to the intimida'
tion and underhand threats made
The mod was at the station agair
Friday morning, and prevented the
men from going to work. Only
three got on the train. Others were
coilared and held. There was con-
siderable loud talk, and threats, but
there were no weapons of any kline
used.
Capt. John Porter, deputy sheriff
of Centralia, was sworn. His ties
timony was corroborative of tn at o
Mercur. The men, he said, were
unruly but used no violence.
Other witnesses called by th'
prosecution were Ferdinand Stein
metz, member of the coal and irol
police, William Mensch, an Engi
neer on the Lehigh Valley Railroad
and George George and John Eisen
hover, employees at the Packe
Colliery. This evidence was all II
support OF Mercur's story.
For the defense John ODonnel
was the first to testify. He saio
that crowd numbering about on'
hundred went to the station ano
asked the men to quit work. They
met Capt. Porter who urged then