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


dock. Among the other sharks who swarm
In the coal region to prey upon the Ignorant
foreign miner are hordes Of shyster lawyers.
A vast percentage OF the interminable law
suits brought by the foreigners against one
another are due to the malign industry OF
these legal disturbers OF the peace.
The lawyer urges John Polonsky to bring
a suit against John Witkowsky, and then
the, or some other unprincipled lawyer.
urges John Wltkowsky to bring counter
suit against John Polonsky. Thus the
issues are Joined. Tho respective clans OF
Wflkowsky and Polonsky take up the
quarrel.
In this manner tho ground is cleared for
violence running all the way from savage
free fights with stabbing, and shooting
accesso ries. to deliberate, cold-blooded muir
der. This lawsuit business is frequent
source Of homicide and frequently involves
the various societies which flourish among
the foreigners.
A TYPICAL MURDER.
An instance that occurred in this county
Of Schuylkill comparatively recently Is
typical Of many others. It involved two
OF the leading societies-the Propenokis
and the Zukes. From lawsuit. or threat
ened lawsuit. on the part Of Joseph Ruts-
kowsh against ROLLS Bubness It became a
bitter intersociety feud.
RutskowsH was Zukes. Bubness was a
Propenokis. The Proprenokis took up
their comrades trouble with Rutskowsh
and made 1t a society affair. They de-
clared war on all Zukes.
These societies choose for their leaders
men Of herculean size and strength, Just as
savage tribes choose their chieftains. The
Propenokis leader was Andrew Coras,
over feet tall and weighing nearly $50
pounds. The Zukes chieftain was Frank
Wilanau. physical match for Coras
The Propenokis assembled on a certain
Sunday at William Penn. where the Zukes'
leader and Rutskowsd, the .Zukes who
threatened to bring lawsuit against
Propenokis. lived. With Coras at their
head and with . large cargo Of mingled
beer and cheap whiskey on board, the
Propenokis started out on the warpath.
WENT OUT TO KILL AND DID KILL
A favorite expression Of hostility among
these people Is to threaten to disembowel
ternal mechanism around through the
streets. That is what the Propenokis
publicly and with land voices announced
that they were going to do with all Zukes
They halted in front Of tho Zukes leaders
house and shouted 20 him, as he sat at his
window. 10 come down and they would
make sausage Of him.
'Weare out 10 kill Zukes. they shouted,
and Zukes "a going to be killed"
It was pretty clearly proved at the trial
that under all this general snti-Zukes talk
there was deliberate. cold -blooded pur-
pose to hllsthe offending Rutskowski at all
hazards II incidentally few more Zukes
were slaughtered why. 30 much tho better.
But the gang started out with the fixed de-
termination to kill the man who had dared
to threaten Propenokis.
And kill him they did. They found him
standing in front Of his house and his taking
OF only needed the accessory OF scalping
to make It a job Of atrocity worthy of the
Sioux Indians.
PRISON THE ONLY PENALTY.
Nine mon wore indicted for this crime
and were tried by District Attorney Bechtel
ono OF tho most vigorous public prosecu-
tors schuyikil county has ever had. At
the first trial seven were convicted Of muir
der In the flrst degree and sentenced to be
hanged. ono was convicted OF murder in
the second degree, and the remaining
prisoner was acquitted.
At the second trial Coras alone was con.
victed Of murder In the first degree. He
was sentenced to be hanged. but the Board
Of Pardons let him OF with Imprisonment,
for life. The other seven got of with q
verdict Of murder In the second degree
and are serving terms Of from seven tc
twelve years In the penitentinry.
This crime attracted especial attention
not so much because OF its atrocity 10,
atrocious crimes Of this sort are common
enough in the coal region, but because
1t was the first time In the county that tn,
names and operations Of the Slavonic 80
cieties figured az elements In a trial 70,
murder. From this circumstance, doubt
less. dates a good deal Of the talk abou
murder societies among the foreign miners
There has been good deal Of this tall
| in the newspapers OF late. since attention
| to the prevalence Of murder in the region
was drawn through the action of the Count,
Commissioners In Offering rewards for tn,
eight murderers who are still at large
Further than that, with the career Of tn,
Mollie Maguires still living memory in thu
minds OF hundreds Of people in the coal re
gions, it is not difficult thing to make oil,
timers here believe in the existence of al
most any sort Of organization formurde
or any other form of crime.
Judge Mari in his barge to the Gran,
Jury. above referred to, said that the news
paper correspondents had sent to thei
papers stories to the effect that reigl
Of terror prevailed in the county and tina
murders had been committed in the count
at the direction Of secret organization
composed Of men Of foreign birth.
scHUYLKILL's MURDER RECORD.
In what paper Judge Mari saw the state
ment that a reign Of terror exists In Schuyl
kill county, he did not mention. Diliger
inquiry has failed to reveal anybody say
Judge Mari who saw the statement In an
paper or anything from which such state
ment might be implied
There is no reign Of terror here and wa
none from the days Of the Molie Magli,
until the strikes Of 1901 and 1902 develope
state Of murder, atrocious assaults, per
secution, intimidation and arson whic
amounted to virtual anarchy Throughout
the entire anthracite region. But tha
temporarily at least, is at an erd. ther