Milford chronicle., 1904-04-22
SIX PERISHED IN
INCENDTARY FIRE
Miners Home Burned During Strike
Trouble at Garrett, Pa
ARMED MEN PARADE STREETS

| Somerset, Pa, April 2O.-An out
break even more disastrous than the
riot at Boswell in January last has
been expected hourly at the town of
Garrett, tho scene of the mining oper-
ations of the Garrett Coal company,
the Somerset Coal company and other
lesser operations. Trouble has been
| brewing there ever since the inaugura-
tion of the miners strike there five
months ago. A number of thS striking
miners at Garrett own homes there,
but recently the Garrett Coal company
erected a number of houses, and the
bringing in of new men to occupy
these houses and take the places of
the strikers in the mines, has worked
the latter up to a high state of ex-
citement and resentment, and for the
last few days the town has been a
veritable mine of indignation that
might easily be exploded. The strik-
ers have been parading the streets
openly armed, and they have prevented
the moving of the household goods Of
incoming miners from the railroad sta
tion to the new company houses.
A horror that may or may not be
connected with the strike situation at
Garrett was the burning to death of
two women and four children in their
homes at that place.
The victims were: Rosanna Meyers,
her two daughters, Lucinda and An
ME, aged 80 and years respectively. |
and her son Richard, aged years. The
two other victims were young chill
dren of Lucinda.
The house was a one and a half
story log building. and the women and
children were sleeping in the upper
story. Mr.. Meyers and Jonas Sulli-
van, a boarder. were asleep on the
first floor They we're awakened by
the smoke and the noise made by the
fire and had barely time to save their
lives by rushing from the building.
The victims in the upper story per-
ished without help, and their bodies
were all reduced to ashes. The origin .
Of the fire is unknown. It may never
be known. but rumor connects it with /
the troubles growing out of the min +
ers' strike. One story is that evidence 6
of the fire was discovered on the ex- {
-erior Of the building while 1t was
Meyers, the head of the
was a miner, and until re-
,ently worked for the Somerset Coal
company. Lately he has not been
and it is said he has been
by the miners union. The
itril-c"s Icy the origin Of the fire to a
lumber of Italians who are working
or the Garrett Coal company, but
What motive the foreigners could have
or such crime has not developed.
Strikers armed with Winchesters
'araded the streets. They say this =
emonstration is to prevent the Ital- [
ans from leaving the community be- T
ore the coroner's inquiry has been
ompleted They say that in doing =
his they are acting under the in /
truction of the township constable.
When Sheriff Coleman reached Gar
EFT with his deputies, he found no
farming condition of affairs. though
ne people gathered in large numbers
bout the station, having learned that
e was coming. The sherif's first
ork was to arrest two Italians who
ere charged with setting fire to the 81
levers house. The only evidence thus -
II against the two Italians was =
atement made by Meyers. in which
2 alleges that they called at his house
sveral days ago to buy some butter.
I'd that when told that Meyers would
1t sell butter 20 "scabs," they left.
wearing vengeance
Three months ago the Garrett Coal
'mpany secured an injunction re-
raining the strikers and all other "
'rsons from interfering with the COM =.
my employees. This injunction is -
III in force, and the present condition
affairs is in open violation of it. It
Is to enforce. the requirements of this
junction that Sheriff Coleman went
Garrett a