Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-01-30

Deputy Sheritfs Are Blamed for Fir
ing Without Sufficient Provocation
Upon Group OF Strikers Who Were
Peacefully Posing for Picture
Bullets Fly and Blood Flows.
PlttShurg, Pa. Jan. 29.-ln Il fight
between deputy sheritfs armed with
revolVers and rifles and strikers arm.
ed With stones from the Rankin plant
Of the American Steel and Wire com
pany, subsidiary of the United
States Steel corporation, one man was
killod,two fatally injured and ten seri,
ously injured All the wounded. with
the exception OF two deputy sheriffs.
were spectators Not striker was
injured, SO far as can be ascertained
Hawkins Square, where the trouble
occurred, was bloody battle-ground
for over an hour and the fight ended
only when the deputy sherifrs. led by
sheriff Rrun, rotroated within the
fence of the hiS wire mills.
Deputy Shcritts TO Blame,
According to witnesses OF the
trouble, the deputy sherifs we're 10
blame, as there was little provocation
for firing on the crowd,
Tho dead man was George Kosely.
twenty mine, shot twice In the stom.
aCh
The fatally injured were Frits
Beck. thirty-two. shot twice In the
head, and Annie leba. aged eighteen.
shot in the stomach
Shortly before p m, three hum
dred strikers emerged from the pub
lie hall in Fourth street after having
held big massmeeting, and gathered
together If an orderly manner In
front of the hall to pose for n news.
paper picture, At about the same
time thirtN.eight deputy sheriffs, led
by Sheriff BURGESS Miligan and Chief
of Police Barnett. left the wire mill
and marched IN the hill towards
Hawkins avenue
The picture finished the strikers
dispersed and were starting for their
homes when they were met by the
file of deputy sherlffs marching in
military order A dead silence fol-
| lowed, when OF sudden someone
| picked up lump Of coal of loaded
coal wagon that was passing and
threw Il into the ranks of the strik-
ers. In trlco the battle was on.
Fierce Battle RACES.
Coal, bricks and miscellaneous mis-
sies of all kinds flying through the
air mingled with the whistle of bull
let's and the rafting discharge of
magazine guns and automatic revolt
vers. Screams aud yells of rage filled
the air. while men and women fell to
the ground bleeding and moaning In
some places the pavoments were torn
up by the strikers In their frantic Of
forts to secure weapons with which
they could protect themselves. APP
| parently beaten, the deputies retreat
ed down the hill to the mill.
Fifteen minutes later the deputies
appeared again. This time, II is
said. they were supplied with shells
loaded with buckshot.
Soon the battle was on again. Near
| ly every window In Hawkins Square
was broken and several persons in
the houses were injured
The crash of musketry. the rattle OF
buckshot against the buildings and
| the cries of men and women inter-
mingled For over a quarter of an
hour the battle waged back and forth
until, apparently having exhausted
their ammunition. the deputies again
retired to safety behind the high walls
OF the mills.
The scene of the riot ls four thou
sand feet from the mill where three
| hundred men struck last Saturday
After the riot Sheriff Brufr made
the following statement:
II have only six deputies here and
| the officers In the riot were not
mine. The men were employees OF n
| detective agency and were In the en-
| ploy OF the wire company. have
/ been told there were thirty-eight spe-
cial officers engaged In the lighting.
My men were not on the ground and
! had nothing at all to do with the
! trouble. came here 10 confer with
| Burgess Milligan and the officials OF
| the wire company and TO look over
/ the situation. In my efforts to quiet
| the men was fired at three times. ]
/ am now In charge OF the situation
and there will he no further rioting II
1 can helm IT,"