Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-04-18
SHOT TO DEATH
ATTACKING OFFICERS
Bloodv Riot Occurs In Pennsyl.
vania Mining District.
SOLDIERS ARE NOW IN CONTROL

Three Miners Killed, Boy Fatally Shot,
and Many Others Wounded in an At
tempt to Rescue Men Who Had Been
Arrested by Officers.
Johnstown, Pa, April 17.-After
weeks of anxiety the situation brought
, about by the controversy of the coal
miners with the operators eliminated
Monday night in a riot at Windber,
near this city, which finally ended in
| bloodshed. Three are dead and num-
Der injured, and throughout the night
the town was patrolled by armed
| guards.
The shooting was brought about by
an assault upon the jail made by Sle
| striking miners who attempted to res
cue comrades who had been placed un-
der arrest. The riot occurred during
the early hours of the night and con-
tinued for several hours, working the
residents up to such pitch that the
night was one terror.
The dead are principally foreigners
and were miners who were out on a
strike. They are:
Pietro Martini
Antonio MaZuca.
! Paul Zills, who was the leader of the
! mob.
Curtis Kester, 10 years old, a by
stander during the trouble, was shot
through the bowels and was taken to
the hospital, where he is seriously
suffering and is expected to die.
When the deputies fired upon the
mob they fed, leaving three of their
number on the ground dead and the
strikers refusing to permit the under
takers to remove the bodies, the lat
ter remained where they fell until an
early hour Tuesday morning.
The situation was so serious that
Sheriff Bagley was summoned from
Somerset to take charge of affairs, and
an appeal was made to Governor Pen
nypacker for troops.
At 8 o'clock Tuesday morning the
conditions were more quiet and no fur
ther trouble was expected until later
in the day.
The rioters were of the foreign ele
ment, for the most part, VINO had been
celebrating Easter Sunday, holiday
that has always been greatly observed
in this section by them
Monday the streets of Windber pre-
sented a carnival appearance There
was much liquor consumed, and many
men were under the influence of Ii
quor- When the trouble broke out
the state constabulary that was at
Greensburg, was Immediately ordered
to Windber, and a special train was
procured and rushed toward the scene
city, however, the train was block
AIDED by freight wreck and the troops
did not reach Windber until after
o'clock Tuesday morning At that
time the town had quteted, and no dem
onstration was made. The constabu-
larry relieved some of the deputies that
were patrolling the town, and the beats
were placed at SO yards.
Had they arrived while the crowd,
was still on the streets Monday night
there would undoubtedly have been
further trouble. AS it was, however,
the streets were almost deserted and
the officers, of which there were 18,
in charge Of two sergeants, took up
their stations and awaited daylight.
There were alterations and bolster
fc cSr
the day, but no serious clash occurred,
and even a large mass meeting was
held without any disorder until Depu-
ty William NJ. McMullen appeared.
The foreigners are apparently antago-
nistic to McMullen and have an old
score against him. He was former
chief of police of Windber, and during
his administration, it IS said, ma lie
himself unpopular with the miners.
The sight of McMullen infuriated
some Of the men, and he was looked on
as spy. Many of the men rushed
for him, and threats were made
against his life, and he fed, taking
refuge with neighbors.
During the riot about 20 of the mi,
ners 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 any missile that was at hand. The
deputies surrounded the jail, and with
the aid of the fire department, tried to
restore order. The mob was persis.
tent and refused to listen to cooler
heads who advised them to disperse
and go home, and closing in an the
Jail began to assail the deputies. The
latter tried to stop the onslaught Eith
bayonets, and when it seemed that the
deputies and fremen would go down
before the infuriated men, the deputies
f1red. This was not done, however
before 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.
More serious trouble was expected
to occur when the strikers appeared
Tuesday morning and saw the state CT.
ficers in charge. There were no de-
velopments, however, up 70 8 o'clock,
but there was feeling of anxiety as
TO the action that would be taken
when the strikers saw their comrades
taken from the jail to Somerset.
President Dlaz Returns from Hunt.
City of Mexico, April 17.-President
Diaz and party are back from the hunt
ing trip, having had the good fortune
Of killing three mountain cats and
II deer. The president was in excel
lent condition, and stood the fatigue
of the expedition better than some of