The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-20

22s a year. so that while nineteen persons
were being murdered In Schuylkill county
in nineteen months SOL would be made away
with in New York In the same period. The
figures would hardly he regarded as hope
full and indicating improving conditions as
to crime.
NOT SECRET SOCIETY MURDERS
In q certain sense Judge Mars state
ment that It Is untrue that murders are
committed at the direction OF secret or
CARNATIONS composed Of men OF foreign
birth. is confirmed by the experience OF
others residing In the county. That these
organizations commit murders after the
manner Of the Mollie Maguires as deliher-
ate act Of society business may well be
doubted but that the societies as societies
do commit murders Is proved by the COM
paratively recent records OF the very
court over which Judge Mari presides,
The Propenokis-Zlkes murder just ~
lated is case in point.
While no newspaper, 80 far a. Ii known,
has accused the Mine Workers Union OF
being responsible for murders OF post
strike occurrence, several Of tho politicians
Of Schuylkill county have come as vigor-
ously to the defence Of the union az though
the charge had actually been made. AZ
a matter Of fact, there Is no evidence that
the mine workers organization Ia respon-
sible for present crime In the anthracite
country, except, perhaps, In so far as crime
is a result Of the habits Of lawlessnees which
the recent strike developed.
With the actual figures beyond the reach
Of even the authorities Of the various
counties, it is probably safe to say that
since Jan. i. 1901, Immediately following
the strike OF 1900, there have been In the
anthracite regions st least 800 homicides.
In Luzerne county. for instance, there
have been in that period thirty-six indict-
ments for murder and eleven convictions.
RAaE VENTED ON DUMB ANIMALS.
An official Of the county who did not
wish to be quoted by name said this week
that he had no doubt that In addition to
the thirty six cases In which indictments
we're found, at least from ten to fifteen other
murders had been committed between
JAN 1, 1901 and the present day. OF course,
some OF these killings were part Of the crop
OF anarchy and violence that reigned In the
region during the strike Of 1872. The vast
majority, however, have been independent
OF strike issues.
Wilkes Barre recently an atrocious crime
which was said to be the outgrowth OF
strike bitterness. A foreigner who lived
at Georgetown, or Nhiskey Hill, as It is
called. was guilty during the strike OF haul
ing non-union coal He had his troubles
at the time. and has had them since.
He owned horse. COW and heifer.
A few weeks ago somebody broke into his
barn at night and led these unfortunte
animals out into an adjacent field. where
they deliberately chopped of one Of the
horses legs, leaving the poor beast to
hobble about In agony until he was found
and put out of his misery In the morning
The heifer was killed outright by choppirg
off her head and the COW was hacked and
gashed and left with her flesh hanging
In shreds, to be found and finished In the
morning as the horse had been.
MOTIVES OF THE CRIMES.
This crime is one that has been cited
as the result Of union hatred Of man who
disobeved union orders. Yet It Ia but fair
to say that such horrors are not uncommon
among these people as the result Of per.
sonal antipathy or jealousy Of one OF their
number who Is little more prosperous
than his neighbors.
Only few weeks ago somebody broke
into the barn Of one Winkiewicz, a pros.
porous Pole or Lithuanian over In Shen.
andoah, SchuylkiIl county, and stabbed
to death five horses. This atrocity was
in no manner connected with strike or
union feuds. The generally accepted ex-
PLANTATION OF it ia that 1t was the result oil
business rivalry or jealousy.
The supposed criminals In both case.
are under arrest. Both cases are typica
Of the all but incomprehensible savager,
which exists among a certain portion o.
the foreign mining population Of the Goa
region-a savagery which when aroused
stops at little short Of the barbarity of the
red Indian himself.
In the opinion Of those best informed
and most capable Of giving an impartia
opinion on the subject, the murders ant
other dee DIS Of violence which are unde
niably prevalent in the coal country ar,
largely impromptu affairs and not In tn,
nature Of racial or labor union animositiea
On the contrary, 20 far as the race question
Ia concerned, it Is fact that most OF tn,
| homcides are between person OF tn
same race. purely family affairs az 1t were
This for the most part applies to the muir
! ders involving the secret societies as we'll.
BRANCH OF THE MAFIA.
That the Italian Malta has fourishe
| in the coal country and that It's baleful In
fuence is still felt In some districts wher
the Italian element is strong. is not doubted
Only few days ago an Italian was az
rested in Carbondale Lackawanna county
charged with levying blackmail under threa
Of murder.
| In his possession were found document
strongly confrmatory Of the charge an
tending to show that the Carbonate OF
ganization was only q ramification froI
larger central body with hea dquarter
in New York. II this diabolica ere,
can terrify men in large cities, with a
the supposed advantages Of police protet
ton, into paying blackmail under threa
of death, how much more readily can the
do so in this coal country where oppor
tunities for carrying out the m urderou
threat are abundant and where, indeed
murder has stalked in almost open de
fiance Of tho law for years?
In 1894 and 1895 1t is we'll known the
| there was a Malta gang among the italian