Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-04-20
ORDER AGAIN RESTORED.
TIES ARE ABLE TO CONTROL
RIOTINI MINERS.
BLOODY BATTLEFOUGHT
Three Lives Sacrificed and a Dozen Men
Were Seriously Injured When
Jail Is Attacked.

YOUNGSTOWN. Pa, April 17.-Order
again reigns at Windber after a night of
riot and bloodshed in which three lives
We're sacrificed and a dozen men were
seriously injured. With daylight arrived
the state constabuary ordered to Wind
Der by Gov. Pennypacker, and the town
is now practically under martial law.
The state police and deputies have the
situation well in hand and no further
trouble at this time is expected.
The miners did not return to work in
great numbers this morning, although four
mines of the company are in operation
with limited forces.
Take Prisoners to Jail.
This morning Sheriff W. c. Begley
and a force of deputies escorted the
eleven men arrested last night to the
street car line and started them on THEN
way to the county Jail at Somerset. The
officers were all armed with rifles and
formed Gordon around the prisoners,
who were handcuffed together.
Apparently the foreigners We're com
pletely cowed as the threatened attempt
to rescue their comrades was not made
Another Of the rioters was arrested
this morning as he was leaving the
town. Curtis Hester, the boy who was
shot through the abdomen. is still living
He was reported dead during the night
He was Il bystander during the fight.
All the remainder of the wounded are
doing nicely except one.
After weeks of anxiety the situation
brought about by the controversy Of the
coal miners with operators eliminated
last night IN a riot at Windber, near this
city, which finally ended in bloodshed.
-Four are dead and a number are injured
and throughout the night the town was
patrolled by armed guards.
Assault on Jail.
The shooting was brought on by an
assault upon the Jail made by striking
miners who attempted to rescue com
rades who had been placed under ar
rest.
The riot occurred in the early hours of
the night and continued for several
hours. and the night was one of terror
The dead are principally foreigners
and were miners who were out on
strike. They are Pietro Martini, Antonio
Mazuca, and Paul Zills. who was the
leader of the mob.
When the deputies fired Oh the mob
they fled leaving three of their number
on the ground dead and the strikers re-
fuSinG to permit the undertakers to re-
move the bodies, the latter remained
where they fell until an early hour this
morning.
Celebrating Easter Monday.
The rioters were for most part of the
foreign element who had been celebrat-
ing Easter Monday, q holiday that has
always been greatly observed in this sec
ton by them. Yesterday the streets of
Wlndber presented a carnival appear
ance. There was much liquor consumed
and many men were under the influence
of drink.
Former Police Chief Unpopular.
There were many alterations and
boisterOus arguments on the streets
through the day, but no serious clash
occurred, and even large mass meeting
was held without any disorder until
Deputy Sheriff w. NJ McMullen ap-
peared. The foreigners are apparently
antag0nistic to McMullen and have an
Old standing antipathy to him. He was
for five years chief of police of Windber
and during his administration, it is said,
made himself unpopular with the miners
Thought Him Spy.
The sight of McMulIen Infatuated some
of them, and he was looked upon as
spy. Many of the men rushed for him
and threats were made against his life.
and ne fled. taking refuge in the home of
Charles Davis. The crowd however
gave chase and soon a mob of $500 sur
rounded the Davis home and stoned if
'tiit!i iiic occupants were Obliged to seek
refuge with neighbors
Many Arrests Made
During the riot about twenty of the
miners were placed under arrest and
landed in Jail.
Under the leadership of Paul Zills.
who was shot dead subsequently,, the
mob assailed the Jail, throwing stones
and missiles that were at hand. The
deputies surrounded the jail and with the
aid OF the fire department tried to re-
store order
Battle at the Jail
The mob was persistent and refused TO
listen to cooler heads who advised them
to dispense and so home, and closing in
on the Jail began to assail the deputies.
The latter tried to stop the onslaught
with bayonets and when it seemed that
the deputies and fremen would go down
before the Infatuated men. the deputies
nred. This was not done. however, be-
fore knives and revolvers appeared in
the hands of the strikers
But one volley was fired and at the
sound of the guns the mob broke and
fed.