Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-05-03
Don't Miss the Opening Days Of
This Sale, Friday and Sat-
urday, May 5 and 6
pedestrians were also hit by stray bull
of
Hand-to-Hand Fight.

The mob first attacked the office of
/ w. ]. Dixon, superintendent of trans
portation at the Edgar Thomson
works, and with clubs and stones,
wrecked it. Deputies, rushing to
prevent the destruction of the Of
/ flee, were compelled to use it as a
barricade, and from behind the
wreckage they poured shot after shot
into the mob, which withdrew. After
stoning the plant for As minutes an
other charge was made and, in a
hand-to-hand struggle tho deputies
and guards were forced back inside
the plant
Injure Men: Destroy Property.
The frenzied mob swept through
chimes and knocking down all who
stood in their way. Twenty or more
workmen were injured before they
were finally driven out and the mob
turned its attention to destroying
property.
From the chain works the mob
moved on the Swissvale factory of
the Pittsburgh Lamp, Brass & Glass
Company nearby, where $50 men,
women and boys were at work. Ev
erything possible was broken after
the workers had been chased away.
Rioter Shoots First.
Shouting and hooting, the rioters
next appeared at the Thirteenth street
entrance to the Edgar Thomson
Works.
For a time the strikers contented
themselves with a demonstration. in
which they called upon workmen in
side the wall to come out and join
them.
This continued for perhaps half an
hour, when a man rushed out from
the mob. and, pointing his revolver
toward the entrance, fired as he ran.
There was no response. A few min
utes later the firing from the mob
became almost general.
Harangued in Foreign Tongues.
After the street in front of the en-
trance was clear, members of the mob
reassembled in streets and alleys,
while leaders harangued them in for
eign tongues. The guards strength
ened their lines and prepared to es-
cort such of the 5000 or 1000 work.
men in the mill as desired to go
home at the end of the days work,
but the mob did not disturb them
as they passed out, nor did it inter-
fere with the night force which ap-
peared for work.
Homestead Riots Recalled.
The dark days of 1892, when the
Homestead riots occurred, resulting
in the loss of many lives, were re-
called when the disturbance took
place at the gates of the Edgar Thorn
son Steel works, which is a part of
the United States Steel Corporation.
All during the day the mob had
in the Turtle Creek and Mononga-
hela valleys. This afternoon, the
crisis came at the Edgar Thomson
mills, where they marched to pull
the workers out"
They were refused, and the guards
attempted to persuade them to leave.
but they began bombardment with
stones and started to scale the walls.
The Battle Ensued.
The two killed were John Barko,
% years old. of 1918 Willow Way,
Braddock, who leaves a wife and two
children, and Michael Havrilka, a
Greek, 80 years old.
Among those who were shot and
may die are Frank Williams and his
wife, who were watching the fight
/ from an alley when hit.
After-the conflict there was desul-
tory firing by guards and rioters at
the Thirteenth street and Baltimore IL
Ohio entrances to the Edgar Thomson
works where between 5000 and 1000
men were at work.
! Sheriff Richards, of Allegheny
county, sent 500 deputies to the scene
late in the afternoon and workers
in the Edgar Thomson works were
sworn in as Deputy Sheriffs and arm
ed with rifles and revolvers Most
of the foreigners are unarmed eX-
cept with bludgeons. Had they been
supplied with firearms a dreadful
massacre would undoubtedly have re-
suited.
Sheriff Richards was notified of the
situation at the Allegheny county
courthouse, here and 1t was decided
the Governor should be asked for de-
tachments of the National Guard,
which later were sent.