Anthracite

In Pittston, Pa., where hard coal comes out of the earth, a Hudson closed car turned into hard-boiled Railroad Street, closely followed by a Peerless sedan. Crowding the Hudson to the gutter, the Peerless paused to belch a noisy blast of powder and lead slugs from several pump guns. Then it vanished toward the neighboring hamlet of Moosic, where it was abandoned, the occupants slipping away into a dense forest. In the shattered Hudson on Railroad Street lay Alexander Campbell, labor leader, and his friend Peter Reilly, both of them horribly dead.

Mayor William H. Gillespie of Pittston telegraphed President John L. Lewis of the United Mine Workers of America please to come and extinguish the feuds current between mine operators, contractors and two factions of the local mine union. Two other feudists had been slaughtered, a third wounded, in the past two months.

His hands already, full of bituminous troubles, President Lewis wired back a disclaimer of responsibility, begged United Mine Workers to "remain calm," warned against Communists.

The Pennsylvania Coal Co., in whose No. 6 mine the feud started, agreed to reopen the mine, which had been closed for two months, to give idle hands peaceful occupation. The idle miners met, voted to stay idle.