The Washington herald., 1909-07-16
FIRE ON STRIKERS
TO CHECK RIOTING
Hundreds Injured in Many
Clashes Around Pittsburg.
FURTHER TROUBLE EXPECTED
Arrival of COnstabuIary Signal for
Renewed Trouble, and Outbreaks
Carried Away by Friends, and the
Number OF Victims Is Not known.

Pittsburg. July 5-This was q day Of
blOOdshed and riOting al the plants OF the
Pressed steel Car Company around Pitts
burg. where 400 men are on a strike.
The foreign element, which comprises
the main body Of the strikers. saw only
red when confronted this morning with
the uniforms OF the mounted State con
stables. and they attacked the officers.
The battle was long and bloody. Backed
by 900 deputy sherins armed With RIO,
guns and by about go special omcers. The
state constabulary OF Pennsylvania al
noon to-day began the hardeG aght. Back
and forth scrOss the town they fought,
riding down strikers everywhere.
The mounted State constabulary had q
bitter fight tonight with a mob Of sew
Jutsen Is in the Ohio Valley Hospital and
It IS estimated that fifty o; the mob were
badly injured by the troops. Jutsen was
knocked from his 'hotse by a thrown rock
and his horse, stumbling. fell and rolled
on him.
Troops Fire on Mob.
The strikers gathered near the troop
ers' barracks. began stoning them. and
when the horsemen. fifty strong. began 70
ride them down. the strikers. safe behind
piles OF ties anG other refugees. pelted
them numerically with stones. The
troopers fred several times with blank
/ cartridges. then finally loaded with ball
cartridges and fired one volley, and some
men in the mob fell
Al.
give an estimate Of the injured. but il
viii run into hundreds. For more than
an hour there was a free-for-au riot all
over the town Of McKees Rocks At one
time Trooper Fred Frash, OF the con-
stables. was knocked from his horse by
6 rock thrown by a striker. and as he
climbed back on his horse he pulled his
gun and fred over the head OF the mob.
This brought but a derisive shout. and
more rocks. Frash. reeling IN his saddle
now shot into the crowd al close range
and his six feIIow-constables did the
same thing. There was an answering
vOlley. in which the hat OF one constable
was shot of. and another was shot
through the fieshy part OF the arm. The
mob however. began TO break ground al
this display of real shooting. At least
eight OF the mob were seen as they were
assisted away by the women who had
come down and were hanging on the
rear OF the mob during the fray.
Greatest Trouble at Noon.
II was a few minutes after the noon
hour that the big riot occurred Frash
and his gang had their riot with seven
hundred strikers at O'DonOvan's Bridge.
and in the meantime Sherin Gumbert's
men and the rest OF the State constab-
ulary were having much trouble in other
parts Of the town. There was much
shooting. and not a few heads broken,
but as in all previous cases. the injured
strikers were hurried away.
Sheriff Gumbert obtained permission 70
close all saloons within three miles OF the
center % the distressed village. This an
gered the strikers. and about 200 attacked
the McKees Rocks brewery. drove OF all
employees. and. taking possession. began
"a roll beer out by the keg and barrel
II took fifteen State troopers and fifty
deputy sheriffs about forty minutes 10
oust the rioters
Thirty mounted cOnstables started 10
eyict the families Of the strikers from the
cOmpany's homes at Preston, just out
side the works. A mob OF perhaps 1oo0
women. many Of them bearing torches.
gathered in front OF their homes and
threatened 20 set the town on fire II they
were molested. When the constabies
phoned to headquarters Of the stand
taken by the women they were called on