The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-09-05

Tue most thrilling and sanguinary
tragedy 10 the annals OF Jefferson
county happened at the little mining
town of Florence, eight miles from
Reynoldsville, Sunday night, Septem-
ber 2nd In the darkness OF night,
while rain descended In torrents. a
pitched battle was fought between a
detachment of twenty-six members OF
the State Constabulary ana few des-
perate Italians fortified in boarding
house. When dawn came, two valiant
constables and an Italian desperate
1 we're cold in death, one more constable
injured fatally, two wounded by buck
shot, and the house which had shelter
ed the Italians was reduced by dynamite
and fire to a heap OF ashes. This In brief
is the tale OF that bloody nights work
"a tale paralleled only in ferocity by
deeds Of actual war.
Along about the middle OF Sunday
afternoon Sergeant Joseph Logan,
dressed in citizens clothes, wandered
out to Florence on the lookout
for foreigner accused of slashing a
fellow countryman, on the Walston road
the day before. While standing talk
ing to DR.. Bodenhorn, fist fight start
ed near the Mahoning Company store
| between two Italians. He started for
tho fray and attempted to arrest one of
the participants. Salvatore Waltsoch.
Wal,soch backed into an Italian board
ing house and Logan followed, The
men were barely inside the door when Il
stletto was thrust at LOGAN, presum-
ably by another Italian named jim
Timbone, alias Trabone and Malbone.
Logan retreated without his man.
When short distance from the house
fire was opened on him by someone in
second story of the house. He replied
with revolver shots. but neither party
was injured. Logan promptly 'phoned
to the barracks in Punxsutawney for
assistance and Ave men were sent to
Florence by trolley. being Privates
Chambers, Henry, McIllvain, Mullen
and Koch. Together they started to
charge the house, Henry In command.
Twenty feet from the house shot rang
out from the second story and Henry
fell in the road. He rolled over with an
awful groan aud expired. Appalled,,
his comrades stopped and two, Chamb-
ers and Mullen, attempted to carry
Henry back. In the act deadly fire Of
buckshot was opened on them, from the
boarding house and b. h were wounded,
Chambers fatally. H. was almost an
hour before Logan, Mullen and Koch
we're able to rescue tn" dead and injured
men. Another call was sent in to the
barracks and this tim. twenty mounted
troopers under commend of First Ser
geant Lumb weut ga.loping over the
hills to the scene. This was about half
past six in the evening. When the
mounted constables arrived, another
attempt was made to enter the house
under cover of fire from part of the
| troop. Six mer burst in the door and
three of them started to ascend the
stairs. A fusilade of bullets met them
and one man, Francis Zehringer, fell
back on his comrades, shot. The others
retreated, leaving Zehringer's body lay
ing in the doorway.
The desperateness Of the situation
now fully dawned on the constables.
The knowledge that two of their COM
pany had been shot in cold blood and a
third fatally wounded, goaded them to
the severest measures. The police force
OF Punxsutawney, under Clayton Pal
mer, came to the scene and the whole
troop, stationed on all four sides, COM
menced to pour a merciless fusilade OF
bullets into the house. On the side OF
the house the firing never ceased. 1t is
said that over thousand shots were
exchanged during the night. It is the
marvel OF the constabulary how the inn
prisoned Italians managed to keep up
such continuous fire and to shoot with
such deadly effect whenever head
appeared anywhere within range. Al
one time it rained in torrents, but every
man stood his post and the battle went
on, At two o'clock in the morning the