Daily Republican

HAZELTON, September 5.-There was a race riot in this town yesterday, and during the progress of hostilities it looked very much as though several lives would be lost. It is pretty certain that John Cannon, the man who started the row, will die, and a number others are more or less dangerously injured. The disturbance arose from Cannon's assault on an Italian. The occurrence happened on South Pine street, right in the heart of a colony of Italians, where there is also a liberal sprinkling of Irish residents. Cannon, who came over from Jeanesville yesterday, got drunk and started in to thrash an Italian who had excited his displeasure. Four Italians came to the rescue of their countryman, and after hammering Cannon around in a lively manner, one of them knocked him down with a club and left him weltering in his blood. A party of Irishmen who witnessed the battle hastened to the scene, attacked the Italians and drove them across the street to their homes, where they fortified themselves until they were reinforced by others.

The Irish were then driven across the street and a hand-to-hand struggle began. The Italians were armed with clubs, razors, knives and stilettos, and several of their opponents went down into the gutter in rapid order, maimed and bleeding. The Irish were getting the worst of it, for their numbers were being thinned and they were not in a position to retreat. Stones and missiles were flying in all directions, and notwithstanding the Italians used their knives effectively, several of them were knocked down. About this time the whole community was aroused and the women of both nationalities joined with a vengeance in the conflict The Irishmen got hold of a lot of pick and axe handles, with which they fiercely attacked their foes, who were finally driven off. Many Irishmen were badly cut and injured. "Big Frank," a powerfully built Italian, had his skull slightly fractured and a deep gash cut on his head. Frank Mitsko had a finger broken and his neck badly cut John Materias had his right arm disabled by a blow from a pick handle. Mrs. Gunning got a fractured arm. About twenty or thirty others are suffering from frightful injuries. The police put in an appearance, but not until the battle ended. Several of the Italians were arrested and the remainder of them left town.