The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-24
FAMINE WILL
 BREAK STRIKE Steel Car Plant in Operation. STATE FORCES INCREASED Council at McKses Rocks Asks
 Removal of Troops. Every Precsution Taken To Prevent Another Outbreak of Foreign
 strikers--Geverpmest wni
 Investigate Peonsgs

Pittsbure, Pa, Aug, 23--The McKees Rocks city council. late tonight at a special meeting called for the purpose. appointed a committee to go at once to Harrisburg and ask Governor Stuart to call the state constabulary from the plant of the Pressed Steel Car Com pany, whose $500 employees are on strike. Neither the car company nor the strikers were criticised at the council meeting. the purpose being simply to protect the citizens of Me- kees Rocks and Schoenville.
 The death list resulting from last nights rioting was swe1led tonight when Mike Desoski. one of the strik- Ing men. living in McKees Rocks. died at Mercy Hospital from gunshot wounds. This brings the death list up to seven. All of the seriously wounded are showing slight improvement
 Three columns of smoke floated lazily from the chimneys of the Pressed Steel Car Company's plant in schoen- ville tonight
 I These mute signals told Better than ofucial pronunciamentos that the striking employees of the car plant had yet to wait long to win their fight against the car company officials, for the plant was still in operation despite the wild efforts of the infuriated mobs " SN0AG OAA ttlo lHipOTteQs WOTklnkfnGn during the past twenty-four hours.
 Tonight, the striking men realized for the first time that their jobs were no more: that the company could do without them and that they no longer were wanted within the big gates of the car plant. The women and child rem of the strikers grasped the situa- tion as soon as the men and the flea of starvatioG and eviction with win ter coming on caused walls of anguish In many a strikers cottage.
 Eighty state police, are on their way here tonight to augment the company of mounted censtables now on duty at the ear plant, Since last nights carnage these fearlass cavalrymen have evinced a. desire to strike fear Rfe tho hearts of the men who took ail comfsAd deS fifes. - < # ,s Ereapers ReceAve Akuse.
 The strikers realize that the mounted troopers are more than match for them. Yet all during the day. these troopers have been subjected to abuse from house windows and doors when evef they chanced to pass a strike syIhpathizer's home. < In retaliation. not striker or sympathizer left his doorstep today, but he was unhanded and searched. Besides the searching, the troopers insisted on examining the bodies of the strikers and if they bore bruises or traces of being clubbed, they were promptly arrested. as the troop CTS considered such evidence proof that the men had participated in last nights rioting.
 The strikers,-wives were viewed by disfavor by the troopers today. Sev- eral of them. carrying large baskets, were made to turn over the contents to see that they were carrying nothing contraband into the houses. Twenty five men were arrested and put into the box car jails by nightfall.l The men who resisted were manacled to the troopers horses and dragged through the streets to the plant en- trance.
 Silence Cathedral Bells.
 At noon the great bells of the Cath ollie Cathedral in McKees Rocks began tolling. This was kept up for over two hours. Then the bells were or- dered silenced by State troopers and 1t was pointed out that such demonstra- ton at the present time only went to- wards agitating the strikers.
 Late today strikers wives besieged Lieutenant smith of the State constab- ulary for news of their missing hus- bands. The lieutenant had ten hats gathered from Bloody Corner" after the conflict last night. Several of the women claimed that the hats belonged to their husbands or sons and wept copiously over the headgear.
 The strikers seem awed and gloomy tonight at the extent of last nights fatalities. The gloom over the little car company village, is also attribut- ed to the fact that tomorrow a fun eral has been planned for the strikers who were victims of last nights riot ing. So far as plans have been laid for the funeral. the strikers bodies will lay in state at the Catholic Cathedral in McKees Rocks during tomorrow morning and headed by the strikers and their sympathizers. will be inter- red tomorrow afternoon in the little cemetery just outside of Schoenville.
 Strikers Are Awed.
 The news that additional constables were on their way from Wilkes Barre and would be in the strike zone before morning seemed to act as a quietus upon those few strike sympathizers who gathered in doorways during the evening and discussed the situation.
 A meeting of the striking employees of the car plant scheduled for the late afternoon was not allowed to take place.
 The announcement was also made late today that the United States gov  ernment will heed the peonage charge against President F. N. Hoffstot and Foreman Samuel Cohen of the Pressed Steel Car Company to the extent of making a thorough investigation of the allegations made by Albert Vamos. who swore to the charges before Unit ed States Commissioner Lindsey on Saturday.
 If an investigation of the peonage charge shows that prosecution is war ranted new suits will be drawn, mak- ing separate charges against President Hoffstot. Foreman Cohen and the Pressed steel Car Company, as a cor poration.
 The death list resulting from last nights rioting is now seven and three men are lingering at hospitals at Me- Kees Rocks,
 WnutM investigation.
 xxyo.htnwton AuR 2a-9ecretary