Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-17
A..oeIaled Prsa pI.paleh nr sr.cInl NC.

Associated Press Dispatch by Special Wires
Johnstown Pa. April i7-After weeks
Of anxiety the situation brought about
10y the controversy of the coal miners
with the operators eliminated last night
In a riot at Nindher. near this city. which
finally ended in bloodshed Three arc
deud and a number are injured; and
throughout the night the town was
patrollod by armed guards The shoot
ing resulted from am assault made upon
the inil by striking minors who attempted
TO rescue comrades who had been placed
under arrest The riot occurred IN tho
early hours of the night and continued
for several hours, working tho residents
TO such a pitch that the night was one of
terror The dead are foreigners and were
miners who were out ON strike. They are
Pietro Martini. Antonio Mazuca and Paul
Iills, who was the leader OF the mob.
Curtis kester, 10 years old, bystander
during the trouble, was shot through
the bowels His condition IS serious
When the deputies fred on the mob it
fled. leaving three Of It's number on tho
ground, dead, and, the strikers refusing
TO permit the undertakers 20 remove the
bodies, the latter remained where they
fell until am early hour this morning. The
situation was so serious that Sheriff Beg
ley was summoned from Somerset to take
charge OF affairs and an appeal was made
90 Governor Pennypaoker for troops.
Tho rioters were for the most part Of
| the foreign element, who had been cele-
hmting Easter Monday, q holiday that
has always been greatly observed in this
section by them. Yesterday tho streets
of Mindber presented a carnival nppear-
] nj NH. In.
iluence of liquor. When the trouble
broke out, the State constabulary at
/ Greensburg was 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
4 o'clock this morning. At that time
the town was quiet. The constabulary
relieved some OF the deputies that were
patrolling the town, and the beats were
! placed 40 so yards Had they arrived
/ while tho crowd was still on the streets
last night, there undoubtedly would have
been further trouble As Il WAS, how
ever, the streets were almost deserted
and the constables, Of whom there were
is, in charge of two sergeant0, took up
their stations and awaited daylight
There were many alterations and
boisterous arguments on the streets
throughout the day, but no serious clash
occurred, and even a large massmeeting
was held without any disorder until
Deputy Sheriff W. NJ. McMullen ap-
peared. Tie foreigners apparently are
antngonistic TO McAlullon and have an
Outstanding antipathy 10 him. For
five years he was chief Of police of Wind
ber and during his administration, IL is
snid. made himself unpopular with the
miners. The sight of McMullen miiiri-
ated some Of them. and he was looked
upon as "a Spy 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, how
ever, gave chase, and soon a mob OF $500
surrounded the Davis home and stoned
it until the occupants were obliged ia
seek refuge with neighbors. During the
riot about 20 of the minors were placed
under arrest and landed in jail. Under
the leadership Of Paul Iills, who WAS shot
dead. subsequently the mob assailed the
jail, throwing stones and other missiles
me deputies surrounded the jail and
with the aid of the Fire Department
fried to restore order. The mob was per.
sistcnt and refused 10 listen 10 cooler
heads who advised Il to disperse and e
home. and. closing in on the jail, begar
fo assail tho deputies. The latter tried
10 stop the onslaught with bayonets, anc
when It. seemed that the deputies and
fremen would GO down before the infuri.
atod mon the deputies fred. This wa'
NOT done. however. before knives and
revolvers appeared 10 the hands Of the
strikers. But ono volley was hred and
at the sound Of the guns the mob broke
and fed
More serious trouble was expected e
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