Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-17
RIOT IN COAL MINING TOWN
Free Fight Follows Argument Among
Druhke1 Men at Windber, Pa,
OFFICERS MAKE A NUMBER OF ARRESTS
Mob Attempts 60 Rescue Pris-
Oners and Police open
Fire, KiIItne Three
Wen.

/ Fire, KuIine Three
wen.
/ JOHNsTOwlI. Pa. iAprii 16-Three men
4 have been shot dead. a boy fatally wounded
{ and mining engineer. Eugene Delaney
seriously injured IN riot at Windbcr
\ among the striking coal miners tonight
! The place is In state OF turmoil and an
appeal has been made to Governor Penny
| packer for troops Several others OF the
rioters have sustained slight injuries.
! The foreign element has been celebrating
/ Easter Monday in the mining section and
much liquor has been used. The streets
/ have been thronged all day with a bos-
| ferrous crowd, hut no sign of trouble ap-
peared until tonight. body of strikers
! were assembled in front of the Windber
jail discussing tho mass meeting that had
been held during the afternoon and which
had been addressed by three Catholic
priests. The discussion grew into argu-
I ment and soon there was free for all
! fight Strike deputies made a number of
arrests. All OF the arrested men were
union men and their colleagues set UP a
cry that they were being Disseminated
against.
The arrested men were marched to the
| Jail door, but there mob had formed and
! an attempt was made to take the men from
the officers. Forced back from the Jail
doors. the mob growing more violent every
minute threatened the deputies until the
officers fired. When the smoke had cleared
| away and the victims Of the shots were
! viewed by the crowd. there were cries of
anger and soon miners that were armed
returned the shots OF the deputies. The
firing ceased almost as soon 1t began,
however. and the crowd filed away from
the Jail. There is much dynamite stored
here and it is feared the strikers will re-
sort to the explosive in revenge.
Shortly before midnight the town quieted
down and the crowds began to disappear
from the streets. The state nstabulary
had been summoned from Greensburg, but a
freight wreck has delayed It's special train
and It will not reach Windber until early
morning. Trouble is anticipated when the
constabuary arrives at the mines as the
foreign element are very antagonistic to the
state officers. 5s
When something like order began to APP
pear in the town it was learned that the
names of the dead men were Peitro Mar
TIM; Paul Zllls. leader of the rioters, and
Antonio Mazuca. The boy who was fatally
wounded is Charles Foster, u years OF age.
story of the Fight.
An eye witness OF the riot, i'm describing
the AFFAIR tonight said the trouble started
at o'clock. when Deputy Sheriff w. II.
McMullen went to the mass meeting held
by the striking miners in a woods at the
edge of the town, Many of the miners had
been drinking ana the sight of the deputy
made them furious The officer was quickly
surrounded by miners, who threatened to
kill him. McMulen. realizing that his sit
uation was desperate. fed for his life find
ing refuge in the house OF Councilman
Charles Davis. Practically every man who
had gone to the mass meeting Joined in the
chase after the. fleeing deputy. and soon
after the isttet had entered the Davis house
it was sutEouhded ~ a mob of 1000 shout
ing cursfpg .4SiuHr who challenged Nc
Mullen TO come 6titfA
When McMullen failed to appear the mob
attacked the house and literally wrecked
it, The deputy sheriff was roughly handled,
: but again managed to escape. The men,
bers of the Davis family fed to the homes
of neighbors Tor shelter. other deputies
who had been ON duty guarding the prop
erty 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.
: Mob Surrounds Jail.
=
marched to the center of the town and
: prepared to storm the Jail and release the
rioters The deputy sheriffs fixed the bayo-
I nets to their rifles and surrounded the jail
: to keep II from the mob's possession II
possible. The members of the fire depart
ment were also called out to help restore
order. The foreigners were urged to he
orderly and to leave the town. but inhamed
by liquor, they refused to listen. greeting
; the efforts to pacify them with boots and
jeers. At a signal the mob began TO close
! in on the jail shouting to the deputies TO
throw away their guns and give up the
prisoners. The officers first tried to keep
|. back the mob with bayonets. but the effort
: was Intellectual and when 1t became certain
: that the little band OF deputies and fremen
: could not stand before the bowling infuri-
j ated 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
: hourished revolvers. The deputies fired but
one volley and the foreigners broke and
fed in wild disorder. leaving three Of their
number dead In front OF the Jail The
, wounded who were able to walk were
3 hurried to their homes. while an ambulance
E took the more seriously hurt to the Wind
! Der hospital
Fears are entertained that the strikers
will make another effort TO free the rioters
now in jail
Deputy sheTiffs are now guarding the
streets OF windber pending the arrival OF
the state constabulary.
ohio Operators sign Scale.
PITTsBURG. April I6.-Chairman Fran
. els l.. Robbins Of the Pittsburg Coal COM
pany announced tonight that all the Hook
ing Valley. o., mines excepting those OF
the Sunday Greek company, had started e
work this morning the operators and min
ers having concluded and signed the inter
state aud district wage scales. The mines
: ! in operation represent an annual produc
ton OF $4,000 tons OF Hooking VALLEY
!, coal, half OF tho entire Hooking output snC
: employ $500 men.
The following clause which was attached
= to the Hooking agreement, was given Out
: | by Mr.. Robbins
! Tta