New-York tribune., 1909-07-16
IBy Telegraph TO The Tribune. ]


Pittsburg. July 15-A day of rioting and
bloodshed at the McKee's Rocks plant Of the
Pressed Steel car Company was closed about 10
o'clock tonight after an hours fighting between
strikers and fifty mounted men Of the state
consta bulary, in which at least fifty strikers
were injured by the COnstables' bullets or by
being run down by the horses Hardly one OF
the fiftv constab!es escaped the showers of rocks
and missiles with which the strikers met them
each time they through the crowd.
Elmer Jrtsen trooper is in the hospital as
the result Of being knocked from his horse and
rolled on by the animal. but it is not thought
he will die. Fred Frash of the constabulary. is
also in the hospital. suffering from wounds in
ficted by thrown rocks in q riot at noon to-day,
The hospital is filled with wounded from riot
ing which begun about noon to-day and con-
tinued until late tonight. II IS conservatively
estimated that 30 persons were injured to-day
About six of them will die
With twenty-five alleged strike leaders under
arrest. herded together in box car. and the
Pennsylvania State Consta bulary overa wing tire
800 strikers by the free use of riot races and
revolvers, comparative quiet reigned a. mid
night.
The officials Of the company said to- night that
they could not understand why the strikers
were rioting. the entire plant Of the com
pany idle and no attempt being made
10 work any department
The most serious riot occurred at noon when
for an hour four thousand strikers fought the
. constabulary. the deputy sherffs and the special
officers II no concentrated battle but
series Of battles all the town The most
serious rioting occurred when FTash and six
others tried TO disperse a crowd of seven hun
dred strikers They were met with volley OF
stones and Frash was knocked from his horse
He was dazed, but. climbing his horse
again, began shooting over the heads Of the
mob His shots brought only another volley Of
rocks
STRIKERS SEIZE BREWERY.
Then Trash and his fellow officer began to
shoot in earnest and the mob stampeded II is
certain that eight injured men were carried
ahead of the retreating mob. but they cannot he
found. Trash and his fellows pursued the
strikers. captured two alleged leaders. hand
cuffed them and chained them to a while
Trash taken to the hospital About this
time the McKee's Rocks Brewery was seized
by FIVE hundred strikers who started to serve
free beer in the town, where all saloons were
closed. II took one hundred deputies an hour to
throw them out and close the brewery.
Efforts to evict families of striking miners
from the company's houses this evening pro
duced an impressive scene Hundreds Of women
many of them with lighted torches drove the
special mounted consta bIes back. threatening 70
set fire to that part of the town if any attempt
made TO carry out the orders by the officers
who retired
The situation quiet this morning Fol
lowing night Of wild disorder in which THIRTY
persons were shot or beaten, detachment OF
the PENNSYLVANIA state constsb bulary arrived
early to-day. and soon afterward the riotine
stopped. The temporarily awed by
the police.
CONSTABULARY ATTACKED.
When the police reached the plant they
stationed their horses inside the gates and then
took up positions outside the fence. a moment
later brick struck one of the troopers In
stantly the mill gate was thrown OPEN several
troopers vaulted into the saddle. and the next
minute dashing ierceiy into a crowd of
strikers and their sympathizers As they gal
loped through the crowd the state police struck
right and left with heavy riot clubs. The crowd
became demoralized under the terrific assault
and fed in all directions.
At O'Clock the strikers, with their wives
children and sympathizers. were gathered about
the gates OF the mill. There are seven gates
but only two of them the main arteries OF
the plant. At these gates almost a solid wall of
Winchester muzzles protected the openings.
Frank n. Hofstet president. and J. W
Company were out of the city yesterday, but are
said to be their way here.
An investigation of conditions in the Pressed
Steel plant is urged by friends of the foreign
workmen who assert that a system of graft has
been in operation for years. The workmen say
they have been compelled to pay from so to
$50 for job at the plant, and that even after
paying this their places were not secure, and in
many cases they were discharged after few
weeks Discharged workmen were not barred
from reapplying for work again, according 70
the strikers, who say they could get their old
JOBS back just as often they had the money
to pay for them. It is alleged that when the
plant was running full time and over time this
graft from workmen wanting employment
amounted to as much $4,000 month
The pooling system. which has so enraged the
workmen. is explained by them as a plan to
make the worknen pay the wages of each fore
man. Until 1907 the company paid the wages