The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-05
W.lsHERY STOCkADE FIRED on.
Troopers Threaten to Burn Miners Town
II Violence Continues To-day.

W1LKEsBARRE, April 4-Louis Ham
merling of this city, who aided President
Mitchell in the settlement of the 1902
strike. was called to New York by President
Mitchell this afternoon. He had a talk
with President Mitchell over the telephone
and said afterward:
Il feel confident that an agreement will
be reached with the operators and that
there will not be n strike
He said that he could not tell upon what
he based these conclusions. nor would
he quote anything President Mitchell said
to him. Local operators who attended
Tuesdays conference said to-day that
they had no knowledge Of any change
in the coal companies attitude and that
they were convinced the operators would
make no further offer than to renew the
present agreement.
1t is now certain that il there lie a strike
the operators will adopt a different plan
from the one they followed during the
1862 strike. They will do what they can
to induce the strikers to return 10 work
and to protect them. As Gov. Penny
IA cker has said that he will not issue any
more commissions for o and Iron Police
the 400 or 500 who now have commissions
will be gathered together, and the SherifFs
of the coal. counties will be asked to swear
in about 500 deputies. This. with the four
troops of the State mounted police, who,
it is understood, can be brought here in
case of violence. will give a force of ,250
experienced men, ample, the operators
believe, to guard what workers they will
get.
The first seriou violence since the sus-
pension of mining on Monday occurred
to-day at the Fernwood colliery of the
Hillside Coaland Iron Company, near Yates
vile, and at the West End colliery of the
West End Coal Company. at Mocanaq qua
In each instance the aid of the State police
was solicited. So serious is the situation
at the Fernwood colliery that the troopers
announced this afternoon that they will
burn the village of East Boston, where
they live, if the violence continues in the
morning.
At the Fernwood fifty men have been
gathered behind the stockRde to run the
washery, and sixteen armed guards protect
them. Starting at midnight last night,
there began a tusillade from the village of
East Boston, which surrounds the colliery,
from rifles, revolvers and shotguns. This
continued all night. Many of the shots
crashed through the o Of the buildings
where the men slept and through the side
and windows of the washery.
This morning when Sergt. Garwood and
two troopers Of the State police reached
the scene he took the sixteen guards from
the washery into the village, About 800
Italians live there. They lined up before
the troopers boldly. One man levelled his
gun at Garwood, who, putting spurs to his
horse, plunged through the crowd at him.
The man fed.
Garwood, seeing that he could not disarm
the crowd without precipitating a conflict.
Withdrew his men and sent for REINFORCE
.ments. Sergt- Dimon with ten more
troopers reached the scene and started 10
make a house to house search for arms.
While the troopers surrounded the first
house. where they got three shotguns,
men, women and children from the other
houses scattered into the woods, carrying
weap Sergt, Dimon then drew up his
men and through an interpreter told the
residents that il any shots were fired at the
washerv tonight ,or tomorrow morning
he would return and burn the town. The
company owns the houses and authorized
him to burn them il the shooting does not
stop.