River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1872-10-18
CAUSE OF THE BLOODY AFFRAY.

night they knocked off work at an
early hour, when all hands seem to
have proceeded to prepare for a holi-
day. Quite early in the evening
Charles Coll, one of the white laborers
the one who was afterward killed
was seen to ha 70 bottle of whisky,
and was already under the influence of
the stimulant, which he passed freely
to his chums. They seemed to be
quite merry in the quarters OF the
whites at the tunnel.
In the negro quarters opposite, there
was also good deal of life and jollity.
The negros had banjo and some other
musical instruments, and put in the
early part of the evening with genu-
inc old plantation breakdown. Later,
some of the negroes-and here it begins
to be difficult to gather names-started
out on serenading expedition. They
went through Patenburg and some dis
lance up the thoroughfare running
through that village, remaining away
until after ten o'clock. Between ten
and eleven o'clock these men were re-
turning along the works near the mill
dam at Patenburg when they encoun-
tered some of the whites, who had also
been out on lark.
THE PRELIMINARY FIGHT.
The whites were confessedly drunk,
and it is probable that the negroes were
also. When the two parties met the
whites maliciously pushed against the
negroes, evidently intending to crowd
them off the embankment. Thenegroes
pluckily resented the assault, and gave
their white brethren rather more than
they bargained for. Indeed, the whites
were soon thoroughly whipped and put
to rout, leaving the negroes masters of
the field. The vanquished whites re-
treated up the works to the quarters at
the tunnel. where they mustered rein
forcements and returned to the charge
They again encountered the negroes
midway between the first point of at
tack and the tunnel, where they renew
ed the fight. The white men at this
time had armed themselves with pick
handles and other weapons, though it
does not appear that at that time they
had any firearms. They assaulted the
second time, and were again whipped
and put to flight, returning to their
quarters. The negroes also then gain
ed their quarters.
A HORRIBLE MIDNIGHT ASSAULT.
How or when the fight was renewed
it is impossible to ascertain. All that
is known definitely is that between
and o clock in the morning Mr.. John
Kelley, the contractors overseerin that
vicinity, who boards near Patenberg,
was aroused by the alarm of fire, and
running out from his house saw the fire
up by the tunnel. About the same
time he encountered a number of me-
groes going from the works, who told
him the white men had assaulted them,
| driven them out of their quarters, and
had set the buildings on fire. Mr..
Kelley directed the fugitive colored
men to go down to the shanties on Mrs.
Carriers farm, and remain there. They
were then thoroughly demoralized and
frightened, and glad to get away.
They were armed with clubs, pick
handles, two or three guns, and some
pistols. Some of them were bleeding,
and had evidently been badly wounded.
They went, as Mr.. Kelley directed
them, to the quarters on Mrs. Carriers
farm.
A DEAD BODY.
When he had sent the blacks away
Mr.. Kelley went up to the works to
quiet the whites and save the property
that Was threatened by the fire When
he reached there he found that the
white laborers had Quilted the negroes
| o,1o rtope i,oJ rina1 oaa,, 4 bo, O. 4ol ole,
plundered their property, including
such portion of their wages as had
been laid away, destroyed their cloth
ing, and were gloating over the mis-
chief they had wrought. The log
shanties were blazing funously; while
close adjoining was little frame
building filled with powder, the
exposure of which had es-
capped eEerybody's attention. Mr..
Kelley mustered some men, and Sc
curing wet blankets covered this build
ing, and so probably averted a fearful
calamity. When this had been accom-
plished, and there was time to devote
to other matters, survey of the battle
field was made, resulting in the dis
covery of the dead and mutilated body
of Charles Coll, one of the white labor
ers. An examination OF his body
showed shot wound behind his left
ear, and another through his shoulder,
while his head was literally hacked to
pieces with agrub pick, which was found
lying beside him. When found Lis
body was yet limp and warm, though
he was quite dead. ~
THE THIRST FOR REVENGE.
The discovery of Coils body seemed
to fill his comrades with frenzy, and
cry for revenge was at once raised.
Parties were despatched over the
mountain to the men employed at the.
western end of the tunnel, and they