The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
FIRST BLOOD.
Riot Breaks Out in the Pennsyl-
vania Strike Region.
Three Miners Killed and Num-
ber Injured.
WTNDBER TERRORIZED
The Governor Sends Troops in
Answer to Request.
Twenty Rioters Arrested ana
Placed in Jail.
WINDBER TERRORIZED

,-5-.s at vyindber after night of riot
and bloodshed in which three lives were
LOST and a dozen men were seriously
injured. With daylight arrived lhe
state constabulary ordered to WlAopeA
by Governor PennypacNer and tne Town
is now practically under martial law
No further trouble is at this tline ap-
pretended.
TO avoid the possibility of a conflict
of authority the state ponce
sworn in as deputy sheriffs. The miners
did not return to work In great num-
bers this morning. although four mines
of the company are in operation with
limited forces.
short time after 6 o'clock this
morning Sheriff ". c. Bsgley and a
force of deputies escorted the eleven
men arrested last night to the street
car line and started them on their way
to the county jail at Somerset The
officers were all armed with rifles and
formed a Gordon around the prisoners
who were handcuffed together.
Curtis Kester, the boy who was shot
though the abdomen was enormously
reported dead during the night, but the
physicians believe he has a fighting
chance for recovery.
All the remainder of the wounded are
doing nicely except one, foreigner
named Paul Bill, whose condition is
serious.
story of the Trouble.
Johnstown. Pa. April 17.=After
weeks of anxiety the situation brought
about by The controversy Of the coal
miners with the operators eliminated
last night in a riot at Windber near
this city, which finally ended in blood
shed. Three are dead and q number are
injured and throughout the night the
town was patrolled by armed guards
The shooting was brought on by an
assault upon the jail made by strIk-
ing miners who attempted to rescue
comrades who had been placed under
arrest. The riot occurred in the early
hours of the night and continued for
several hours, working the residents up
TO such q pitch that the night was one
OF terrof The dead are prfnc1paliy
foreigners and we're miners who we're
out on strike. They are. Pietro Mar
tint Antonio Mazuca and Paul Zills,
who was the leader of the mob. Cur
It's Kester. 10 years old, bystander
during the trouble, was shot through
the bowels and was taken TO the hos
pital.
When the deputies fred on the mob
they fed, leaving three of their num-
Der on the ground dead and the strik-
ers refused to permit the undertakers
to remove the bodies, the latter re-
naming where they fell until an early
hour this morning.
The situation was so serious that
b6ElCN
Somerset to take charge OF affairs and
an appeal was made to Governor
Pennypacker for troops.
This morning the conditions were
more quiet and no further trouble was
expected until later in the day.
Rioters Were Foreigners.
The rioters were for the most part
of the foreign element who had been
celebrating Easter Monday a holiday
that has always been greatly observed
n 7fe .1-,-~ -
streets Of Wfndber presented carnival
appearance. There was much liquor
consumed and many men were under
the influence OF strong drink. When
the trouble broke out the state con
stabulary that was at Greensburg was
Immediately ordered to Windber and a
special train was procured and rushed
toward the scene of the riot A few
miles west Of this city, however. the
train was blocked by a freight wreck
and the troops did not reach Windber
until after O'Clock this morning At
that time the town had quieted and no
demonstration was made. The con-
Etabulary relieved some Of the depu-
ties that were patrOllng the town and
the beats were placed at fifty yards.
Had they arrived while the crowd
was still on the streets last night there
would undoubtedly have been further
trouble As 1t was, however the
streets were almost deserted and the
officers of which there were eighteen.
their stations and awaited daylight
There were many alterations and
boisterous arguments on the streets
through the day. but no serious clash
occurred and even a large mass
meeting was held without anv dis
order until Deputy Sheriff William
McMullen appeared. The foreigners
are apparently antagonistic to McMul-
len and have an old standing amin
athy t. him He was for five wears
chief Of police of Windber and during
his administration it is said made
himself unpopular with the miners
The sight of McMullen infuriated them
as he was looked upon as a spv. MANY
OF the men rushed for him and threats
were made against his life and he
fed, taking refuge in the home of
Charles Davis The crowd. however
gave chase and soon a mob of 2.5O0
Eurroun ded the Davis home and
stoned it until the occupants were
obliged to seek refuge with neighbors
During the riot about twenty Of the
miners we're placed under arrest and
landed in jail.
Mob Attacked the Jail.
Under the leadership Of Paul Zills
who was shot dead subseouentIv +be
mob assaiIed the iail throwing ~+-,,o.
and any missile that was at hand The
deputies surrounded the iaiI and wifi
the aid of the fire department tried r
restore order. The mob was nersisfa,,5
and refused to listen to cooler aea 4.
who advised them to disperse and -
home and closing In on the iail he.
gan to assaH the deputies The lat
ter tried to stop the onslaught V,fft
bayonets. and when It seemed fha-
the deputies and fremen would -
down before the infuriated men tbs
deputies fred. This was not done
however. before knives and revolver,