Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 November 1901 — KILL IN A MINERS’ RIOT. [ARTICLE]

KILL IN A MINERS’ RIOT.

Strikers and Nonunionists Engage in a Fierce Fight. In a pitched battle between strikers and non-union miners at the Providence Coal Company's mines near Madisonville, Ky., two men were killed and four wounded. The attack which was made by the strikers, armed with rifles, lasted two hours, and over 2,000 shots were exchanged. The adjutant general of the State ordered two companies of militia ft the scene. The trouble began at 6 o,’elock Sunday morning, when seventy-five armed men appeared on a hill about 400 yards from the slope mine of the Providence Coal Company and began firing on the tipple. At the first tire the guards n were aroused and all prepared to resist the attack. They were soon joined by many of the non-union miners. The attacking party continued to fire on the tipple and the defenders were forced to seek shelter elsewhere, as the bullets were falling all around them. Many of the guards sought refuge in the houses of the non-union miners. Others hid behind box cars and coal cars and again began to fire at the men on the hill. Finding that their fire had little effect on the union miners, the guards and nonunion miners began to advance. The attacking party poured another heavy fire into them and they were again forced to seek shelter, this time behnd a pile of coal slack, where they kept up the fire on the strikers. Soon re-enforcements came and the guards and non-union miners concentrated their tire on the men in the ditch, causing them to scatter. Two held their ground and volley after volley was sent in their direction. For a few minutes the fire was returned, but presently one man was heard to scream. His rifle dropped to the ground and he fell with a bullet in his head. His companion fired a dozen or more shots and then he, too, fell, wounded. A few minutes after the leader dropped the firing ceased and the assailants fl. ’.