The weekly clarion., 1870-02-03

FTre Suedes Killed. and Nugsber ef or
era Hosu.ded--Ize' End Of u Louis
DesDernd0.
Erom the Sd. Louls Tines, Jan. pc.


From the st. Louis Times, Jan. 1e-
It viii be recoIIected by the readers of
the Times that a few months ago Capt.
| Samuel a. Hatch and Col. james j.
OFallon were awarded a contract for
finishing several miles of the Hawes-
Harris levee, near Madison parish, La.
Gen. JEFF. Thompson i chief engineer OF
the work, the special contractors being
the brothers Col Joseph and Capt. JAS.
Kelly, of Columbia, No. The work was
commenced, the first gang of men COM
prising 240 Swedes and 100 Irlshmen.
William ID. Slower, of this city, after
ward went down In charge of 120 addi-
| tionaI laborers. When he reached there
he discovered that an 1l-feeling existed
between the two nationalities, the last
named being headed by one Michael Nc
| Laughlin, well-known St. Louis despera-
do. He was a watchman, his specicl
line of duty being to deal out grog, watch
camp, &c Stoyer felt convinced from
the start that he would raise a riot, and
gave notice to that effect to the Kellys,
with a suggestion that he had better be
discharged. They, however, did not an
| ticipate any serious trouble, and suffered
him to remain in their employ. Two Of
the bosses Of the gang were Swedes, and
/ this only tended to make matters worse
On the 22d Of December last, while the
/ Rev. Father Gentelle was celebrating
mass at the Swedish camp, Mclaughlin,
armed to the teeth, broke in ON the solemn
ceremony, and commenced brutal at
tack upon Lunn, one of the Swedish bos-
ses, ending by shooting him in the leg.
| Lunn was armed with no less than four
revolvers, but was too cowardly to shoot,
and took refuge in the Swedish quarters
| 1t was o'clock at night, and as McLaugh-
/ lin had but few followers, he did not con-
/ slider it safe to rush in among hundred
men, and accordingly resorted to the des-
perate strategy of setting fire to the Swede
quarters. As soon as the flames began to
get uncomfortably warm, the inmates ran
for the woods, and in their flight were
1 shot, stabbed, and beaten most terribly.
Lunn remained in the building until alb
solutely forced out by the fire, When he
was set upon by Mclaughlin, who butch
cred him with a knife. The poor fellow
swooned from loss of blood, when the
fend, supposing he was dead, robbed him
ofhis watch and chain, money, and other
valuables.
The building was totally consumed, to-
gether with its contents, which consisted
of so double blankets, bedding, baggage,
etc.
About half a mile below was another
camp of Swedes; about 100 in number,
and Mclaughlin, bent upon clearing them
out also; broke open a barrel of whisky
and freely distributed it among some 80
of his comrades, until they became as
mad as he, when at daybreak they started
for the camp. The priest used his utmost
endeavors to persuade the malcontents
from committing anv further outrages,
but to no avail. The Swedes broke for
the woods, and most of them reached
there in safety. One was killed outright
at the lodge, and FIVE others so badly
wounded that they subsequently died.
The baggage and other property in the
building was either destroyed or stolen
AT 8 O'clock, Capt. Stover succeeded in
securing about 100 of the Irish laborers to
90 ON with the work, and Mclaughlin
was ordered to visit the quarters Of the
contractors to receive the money due him,
having been previously discharged.
Col. Kelly, at the time, was lying on a
bed sick, his brother being in charge
Mclaughlin, determined to brave the
matter out, rushed into the colonePs quar-
ters armedwith a large knife. Capt. Kel-
Iy ordered him to remain at the door, but
he refused'to obey and continued to ad-
vance, when, after a second order to stop,
Kelly fired upon and riddled him with
bullets. He fell to the floor nearly dead,
and was afterward removed.