Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-05-09
FOUR ARE SHOT
DURING RIOT IN
MINING TOWN
Pennsylvania Constabulary
Fires Into Crowd After
Being Stoned; One Hun
dred Shots Exchanged.

Pottsville, Pa, May Sin a battle
between the police and a crowd esti-
mated at between 1000 and 5000 men
at Minersville early this morning, four
three were probably fatally wounded.
It Is believed that dozen or more
others also were struck by bullets.
"A woman, Mrs. Geo. Woll. who was
standing on her porch, was struck on
the arm by brick and was painfully
injured. The men who are thought
Ito have been fatally hurt are David
EDayis shot thrcrgh the stomach, and
two foreigners not Identified by the
authorities lat this time.
Another foreigner was shot through
the, leg and was seriously wounded.
The fight occurred on Fourth street in
the central part of the town and came
as result of a crowd attempting to
prevent Superintendent Geo. Keiser. OF
the Pine Hill Coal Co., from taking
two men in his automobile to the
colliery. Keiser had been coming to
Minersville the last several days and
taking Thomas Parry, repairman
and William Ward q pumpman, to
work. Today when Keiser called at
a garage for his machine he was
warned by a crowd not to take it out
and was practically held a prisoner at
the place. Chief Burgess Richard
Levan a veteran of the civil war, ad-
dressed the crowd and demanded that
they disperse but no attention was
paid to him. He thereupon requested
the state police barracks at Pottsville
to send detail to Minersville.
Three men who made daily patrols of
that section arrived on the scene and
shortly after were reinforced by four
more from the Pottsville barricks.
Under their guard the automobile was
taken from the garage and was being
cranked when some one in the crowd
threw a brick. 1t struck policeman
on the head. This seemed to be the
signal for an attack and Immediately
there came shower OF stones follow
ed by several pistol shots. The OFF,
GERS fired volley into the ground.
The crowd paid no attention. The Of
ficers then turned their weapons into
the crowd and commenced firing. The
shots were returned and a battle fol-
lowed in which 1t is estimated a hum
dred shots were fired. The firing res
suited in the crowd dispensing, leaving
four persons lying on the ground.
David Davis was taken into the garage
and physicians who were summoned
pronounced his wound fatal.
A detachment of troop D state
troopers, stationed at Butler, arrived
here this morning and detail Of
twelve men was sent to Minersville.
These, with seven members Of troop
C are patrolling the town and report
that the lawless spirit Is now under
control.
Major John c. Grooms Of Philadel-
phia. superintendent of the state po-
lice is here and Is in command of the
troops.
The state police left Minersville for
the Pine Hill colliery nearby where
an attack was feared on Superinten-
dent Keiser and the men working
there. It is announced that when ad-
ditional reinforcement arrive the en-
tire foreign section Of the town will
be put under guard until a thorough
search is made Of every house and
every foreigner Is disarmed.
A pathetic incident~of the shooting
of David Davis is that his wife is seri-
ously i'll. When she learned OF the
shooting of her husband, who was
merely an onlooker, she had a relapse.
Neither is expected to survive the day.
Davis was shot entirely through the
body, the bullets passing through both
lungs.