Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-17
MINERS KILLED
IN FIERCE RIOT
Continued from Page one1

antagonistic to the state officers. When
something like order began to appear
in the town 1t was learned that the
names of the dead men were Pietro
Martini, Paul Zills, leader of the riot
ers, and Antonio Mazuka. The boy
who was fatally wounded is Charles
Poster, 10 years old.
An eye witness of the riot, in de-
scribing the affair tonight, said the
trouble started at o'clock when
Deputy Sheriff McMullin went to the
mass meeting held by the striking
miners in a wood at the edge of town.
Many of the miners had been drink
ing and the sight of the deputy made
them furious. The officer was quickly
surrounded by miners, who threat
ened to kill him. McMullin, realizing
that his situation was desperate, fed
for his life, finding refuge in the house
of Councilman Charles Davis.
Attack and Wreck House
Practically every man who had gone
to the mass meeting Joined in the
chase after the fleeing deputy and soon
after the latter had entered tine Davis
house 1t was surrounded by mob of
1000 shouting, cursing miners who
challenged McMullin to come out.
When McMullin failed to appear the
mob attacked the house and literally
wrecked 1t. The deputy sheriff was
roughly handled but again managed
to escape. The members of the Davis
family fled to the homes of nearby
neighbors for shelter. Other deputies
who had been on duty guarding the
property of the coal company had been
notified of the trouble by this time,
and twenty of the rioters were landed
in the lookup at Windber The mob,
to the center of the town and pre-
pared to storm the Jail and release the
rioters. The deputy sherlffs fixed the
bayonets to their rifles and surround
ed the Jail to keep 1t from the mob's
possession, If possible. The members
of the fire department were also
called out to help restore order. The
foreigners were urged to be orderly
and leave town but, infiamed by liquor
they refused to listen, greeting the ef-
forts to pacify them with boots and
jeers.
Deputies Open Fire
At signal the mob began to close
in on the Jail, shouting to the dep
uties to throw away their guns and
give up the prisoners. The officers at
first tried to keep back the mob with
bayonets but the effort was ineffec-
tual, and when it became certain that
the little band of deputies and flremen
could not stand before the bowling, in
furiated mob. they opened fire. Those
of the foreigners who were closest to
the jail had already begun using knives
in the attempt to disarm the deputies,
while others flourished revolvers The
deputies fired but one volley and the
foreigners broke and fled in wild dis
order, leaving three of their number
dead in front of the Jail. The wound
ed who were able to walk were hurried
to their homes, while an ambulance
took the more seriously hurt to the
Windber hospital.
Fears are entertained that the strik-
ers will make another effort to free
the rioters now in Jail.
Deputy sheriffs are now guarding
the streets to Windber pending the ar
rival of the state constabulary.
Late tonight the bodies of the men
who We're shot were removed from
the streets where they had fallen to
an undertaking establishment. Charles
Foster the 12-year-old boy who was
wounded, died at the hospital. Word
was also received from Somerset that
Sheriff Begley had started for Wind
ber to take charge of the situation.