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

n n n #*# MN MN x&***
PorrsvrLLE, Pa, Sept. l9.--Judge Mari IN
bis charge TO tho Grand Jury few days ago
took the Sohuylkll county correspondents
NJ oertain New York and Philadelphia
nevupapers to task for sending to their
newspapers what he described az grossly
libellous articles concerning crime In schuyi-
kill county. In an interview published In
a Bhiladelphia newspaper at the same
time a. the substance Of tho charge to the
Grand Jury, Judge Mari Is quoted az
saying:
aAs simple record Of fact would say
that. all things considered, Schuylkil
county, as a WHOLE is law-ahiding ana ID
annually improving In this respect.
This last statement Of Judge Mars 10
interesting to students Of social conditions
in the anthracite country. Schuylkiii 10
probably no better and no worse tnan
other counties in the coal region OF east
ern Pennsylvania. Its average OF CRIME
IL probably no greater. year in and year
out, than that OF Luzerne, Lackawanna,
Columbia, Carbon and Northumberland
counties.
Therefore, when Jduge says that Schuyl-
kill county, with population OF lso.Uo
and a record of nineteen murders In nine
teen months. to say nothing OF scores OF
assaults OF all degrees Of atrooity. Is law
abiding and is in an encouraging condition
a. to the diminution OF crime. it suggests
the question, What was Schuylkill county
before It began to improve and what would
it be II IL were d shade or so less law
abiding2
New, sas a simple record Of fact to
quote the language attributed by the Phila-
delphia newspaper to Judge Mari. crime
is and has been rampant in Schuylkill
county as we'll as everywhere alse through
out tire anthracite coal region ever since
the strike Of 1900.
Only a few days before Judge Mars
charge to the Grand Jury the county COM
nissioners took radical action In the matter.
So many murders had been committed
and 90 few murderers had been arrested
that the county commissioners, after con-
sultation with County Solicitor Snyder.
decided to publish sweeping offer Of re-
gard as follows:
Five hundred dollars reward 10 offered
in each case for tho arrest and conviction Of
the person or persons who murdered
John Ryan. Shenandoah.
(}lacinti Marasco. Mount Carbon.
John Dumorski. Shenandoah.
John Rakimius. Buck Mountain.
Thomas Brennan. Thomaston.
Two hundred and fifty dollars reward 10
offered In each case for the arrest and oon-
viction of tho person or persons who COM
nitted tho crimes which brought about the
death Of the following:
Mary O. Wmts. Llewellyn.
Patrick Mcdonald assault and battery.
0irardvtlls
Two hundred and fifty doilars reward =
also offered for tho arrest and conviction
Of the person OF persons who committed
assault and battery with Intent to rob
Edmund Jones and wife. st. Nicholas.
Note.-Rewards win DO paid but once,
regardless Of persons convicted or the num-
=. R. KANrNER,
HORACE r. REBER,
GEoKoB OPIR.
County Commissioners.
In addition to these eight cases Of murder.
one of which was double crime committed
by the same person or persons. County
solicitor Snyder said = day or two ago
that there we're still two more murders,
making, ten In all. In which tho criminals
are still undetected and that In these last
two cases. "A we'll as in the eight just named,
special rewards for tho capture OF the
criminals would be offered.
But, as said above. Schuylkin Is no worse
than other counties In the coal region with
respect to homicide and other crimes
1t is now and for years has been a dark
and bloody ground. From the days Of
the Mollie Maguires down to this very year
1908 there has been an unbroken record
of bloodshed and brutality such as proba-
bly, cannot be matched elsewhere In the
country.
When the conspiracy OF murder and
manning and arson came to an end with
the hanging Of score Of more Of the Mollies
back in the '7Os. 1t was succeeded by the
era Of impromptu savagery which came
with the advent of the hordes Of Ignorant
half-civilized Huns, Poles, Lithuanians
and what-not from central Europe.
The Mollle Maguires were organized To-
the purpose Of dominating the coal country
by a deliberately instituted reign Of terror
II was no bugaboo reign Of terror. MURDER
swift and remorselesss, was the doom o.
all who came under its ban.
Other societies whose operations fire.
uuently crossed the boundary into the felt
of crime followed the extinction Of tn,
Mollies. The Huns Poles, Lithuanians
Italians and all the other Heterogeneous
groups, brought them from Europe. They
are here In the coal regions to-day and art
responsible for no small share Of the homi
cides and crimes OF violence which hav
made the history Of the anthracite countr,
30 dark q chapter in the record Of Ameri
can Industrial turbulence.
NOT LIKE THE MoLIIE MAauREs.
There L., however. a wide distinotion t
be drawn between the Mollis Mcguire
and these organizations Of the nom Englis
speaking miners. They have next t
nothing In common.
The Propenokis and Zukes are the name
OF two OF the Slavonic societies. In thei
purpose they are harmless enough. The
represent little more than the naturs
grouping together of people from the sam
neighborhood, or some geographical uni
in the old country, just like the organize
TONS Of County Clare or County Cork me
among the Irish, or the Pennsylvania
Missouri and Ohio societies such a
exist in New York. That is the origin