Evening star., 1909-08-22
Workman's Grave Charges
Against Steel Car Company.
FILES SWORN STATEMENT
Austro- Hungarian Consul Demands
Investigation.
RAILWAY TRAINS GUARDED
Night of Rioting at Schoenville
Plant-Dynamite Bombs Used
by Strikers.

PTTTSBt E:G. Pa. August 3i-A charge
ot peonase was formally made late to-
day against Frank y. Hoffstot. president
II the Pressed Steel Car Company. and
Samuel Cohn. head of the service bureau
al the Schoenville plant. The charge
was contained in an affidavit sworn to
hy Albert Namos. an imported working
man. before United States Commissioners
William 7. Lindsey
The specific charge is that the two men
have violated section .,o26 ri the Revised
statutes of the United states in having
arrested. held and returned the COM
Plainant to condition of peonase
Vamos. who claims to be a resident of
New York city. alleges he was brought
IN here in complete ignorance of the
state of affairs at Sehoenville. August
i6. he AYERS. he made an attempt to es
apc from the plant. first asking per-
mission from Cohn To leave. He alleges
that he was then beaten. being injured
So severely that he had 10 go to a hos
pi,al from which institution he was re
leased only yesterday.
Aid of Consul Invoked.
Before appealing to the United States
commissioner Namos solicited the aid Of
The A!stro- Hungarian consul, who, in
turn Immediately started an inveStiga-
ton regarding the alleged illegal detain-
ing of Austrians and Hungarians at the
plan1 of the car company. The Austro-
hungarian consul, Edgar L. 6. Pvoch-
nick said tonight he had been informed
that many Of his countrymen We're being
held in the car plant against their wills.
If this is true. said the consul, Il
win take extreme measures to stra1ghten
The matter out.
Iat.. today the car company sent
emissaries throughout the strike zone.
il is said. and made advances to the
striking men as individuals. BY the
Offer Of a cash bonus. months rent
free and the 1870. scale of wages. the
agents asked the striking men to re-
turn To work Monday. 1t is claimed by
the strikers that the ear company will
he unable to operate permanently with
out skilled worllmen. hence the offer.
Trains Under Guard.
Tonight the trains on the PittsburS
and Lake Erie railroad entering Mckees
Rocks are guarded by order of the sher-
if o. Allegheny county IT was learn
ed that trains entering the strike zone
have been searched by alleged strike
pickets and passengers in some in
stances roughly handled.
There was pistol firing today about
-
I'd on the main office building inside
the stockade of the plant seemed to be
the mark for target practice about the
strike zone. At least fifty shots split
slate shingles and splntered wood cas-
ing about the electric lamp. The
searchlight is used at night to play in
and about the company's houses and
stockade and to avoid sudden attack by
the strike sympathiZerS.
Three imported workingmen. in the
Ohio Hospital suffering from ptomaine
poisoning. said to have been the result
of eating canned goods in the commits
sary of the car company, are tonight in
a serious condition.
Night of Rioting.
A night of wild rioting among the strik-
ing workingmen closed the week at the
car company's plant in Schoenville. A
daring attempt. partly successful. to blow
up the office building of the company was
made. This was the signal for serious
clashes between state troopers and strike
SSmpa thiZerS in which a dozen or more
men We're injured.
Shortly after 10 O'Clock tonight over half
thousand women and children gathered
about the companS's restaurant in Nc
keeS Rocks and We're partially dispersed
hy mounted troopers. One woman. bolder
than the rest. stood out of the mob and
drawing gas pipe loaded with powder
threw il at the feet of a troopers horse.
said. on account of its construction.
The crowd of women again formed in
the streets and as last resort a fire
Rose was played on them. This means
Of dispersal was effective.
While the angry women swarmed the
streets concerted attack was made upon
the company retaurant from the rear, and
setting upon negro cooks with ladies',
pokerS and cooking spoons, about fifty
women beat an entrance into the kitchens
OF the establishment and made off with
five barrels of potatoes barrel of onions
and even eauldrons of steaming soup.
Strikers Stop Street Cars.
While the women held the attention of
the troopers. a more serious riot occurred
near Il viaduct over the Pittsburg and
Lake Erie railroad Strike Sympathizers
gathered there and began stopping street
cars and holding passengers up for close
scrutiny. Three men who could not sat
lsfactorily explain their presence in Nc
kee's Rocks We're bodily hurled through
At car window.
When the men fell from the car mem
bers Of the mob on the street brutally
attacked them. The three men Were
dragged to the edge of the yiaduct.
of the railroad, and only escaped being
thrown over by the arrival of a de-
tachment of troopers.
Shortly before IL o'clock an attempr
was made To blow UP the Office building
of the ear plant. a three-story frame
structure. erected close to the stockad.
fence nearest the company houses Nitro.
glycern caps We're thrown over the stock
AIDE, and over twenty feet of basement
rock supporting the office building wa.
forn away by the explosion. There is ne
clue as 10 the identity of the men rcspon-
Sible FOR the deed.
y street car from Pittsburg was at
lacked shortly after il O'Clock by strike
SSmpa hizerS and over q dozen men
passengers aboard the car. We're severely
beaten and finally rescued by troopers
Yesterday was pay day at the car
works. many of the striking employees
drawing money due them since they went
out on strike six weeks ago
Al midnight tonight the situation in and
about the strike Zone was quiet but oni-
nous.