Thirteen (13) Innocent Middle Eastern Men enjoying them selves and partying with merriment along side some railroad tracks near a coal mine which was being caught in a labor strike would suddenly and violently loose their lives in a most horrific an gory way as they where part of a group of 20 Men who would become Pawns in a complicated game of chess between striking miners and mine owners. As men of Middle Eastern Descent where brought in as strike breakers to work the mines when other nationalities would not.
On July 6 1906
A wooden railroad car full of coal weighing thousands of pounds would have its brakes released by unknown individuals possibly striking workers from Martin Branch of the Putnam Coal Mine near Portage in Cambria County. With the brakes released the car slowly started down and then quickly picked up speed as it went down the inclined tracks toward the 20 men described as Arabians.
As the car neared the curve it left the tracks and mowed down and ground up the men so severely some where unidentifiable and where picked up and taken to the local undertake by shovel and wheelbarrow.
13 men in all wold be brought to the undertaker most under 21 years of age and who wrapped them in blankets and they where buried in a mass unmarked grave nearby. in the northeast corner of
Prospect Cemetery with out caskets there lives of little value to the mine owners .
Several days later two Bulgarian Brothers who where on strike at the mine where charged with releasing the car but it is unclear if they where convicted.
This crime like so many back in those days went unpunished. For all the wrong and cruelty mine owners where accused of including using the Iron and Coal police to control towns . The Coalminers themselves where just as guilty of viscoius and thoughtless crimes againts each other and the mines owners.
Many of these incidents never to be solved to this day.
No comments:
Post a Comment