The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-07-26
FIRST BLOOD SPILLED At
READING.
Thirty Killed, Several Wounded
SOLDIERS FIRE WITHOUT ORDERS.
Bridge & Rolling Stock Destroyed.
A Brush Between Soldiers and Cit.
Zens at Lebanon.
NEWS FROM ALL SECTIONS.

NEWS FROM ALL SECTIONS.
Reading, Pa, July 23.-The railroad
troubles, which have Great d intense ex-
element in this city, eliminated in a Sc
rious outbreak last night Shortly after
ten o'clock, upon the arrival of the last
passenger train from Philadelphia, about
1000 men followed after the train, from
Seventh and Penn streets to the new pas
senger depot. Night trains were prevent
ed from leaving the depot, and several
hundred persons commenced the obstruc-
tion of the tracks of the Lebanon Valley
Railroad leading to Harrisburg. Two ca
booses were set on fire, and an alarm of
fire having been struck, the entire fire
department responded. The iremen
were prevented, however by the crowd
from extinguishing the flames, attention
having been directed to the burning cars.
The work Of destruction was continued
at other points along the road tearing up
tracks, turning and blocking switches.
and burning freight cars. A train Of
freight cars on the main track on Second
street crossing was set on fire and five
cars were totally consumed. The Leba.
non Valley Railroad bridge, magnificent
structure, across the Schuylkill, costing
over fifty thousand dollars, was fred at
the western end shortly before midnight,
and totally destroyed. At 1.30 A. NJ. ali
the spans had fallen into the river. The
object in destroying the bridge is believed
to have been to prevent the passage of
troops through this city to Harrisburg
and points on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
BULLETS AND BLOOD.
Several thousand persons assembled
along the Reading railroad this afternoon
and stopped freight, coal and passenger
trains, only permitting mail trains to pro-
Ceed. At eight o'clock this evening seven
companies of the Fourth regiment, Ma
tional Guard of Pennsylvania, arrived and
proceeded along the railroad to Penn
street. While in the depot, extending
two squares, from Walnut to Penn Street,
the soldiers were assailed with stones,
and Immediately began firing, it is al
legged without orders, doing bad work
among the immense Concourse of people
in the vicinity, among whom were many
respectable citizens as well as ladies and
children.
THE TROOPS FIRED
down Seventh and up and down Penn
streets. Five persons are known to be
killed and from eighteen to twenty five
wounded, several mortally. Among the
wounded are several policemen, some se-
riously, Chief Callen had narrow es-
cape, having been shot in the breast, but
thick memorandum book turned the
ball. The police were stationed along
the railroad tracks to preserve order, and
received full the fire of the military. A
number of soldiers were knocked down
by large stones thrown at them.
VENGEANCE THREATENED.
Great excitement prevails tonight
The mob broke into the armory of the
Reading Rifles and captured all their
guns and sacked the gun stores. They
threaten vengeance upon the military
The mob is tearing up the railroad tracks
and there is blockade of freight and
coal cars. The railroad company has 8
strong guard around their machine shops
! and other buildings. Several companies
of United States regulars and the Six,
teenth Pennsylvania are expected to.
night.
M.-The number of killed is esti.
mated at about thirty, seven instantly
Fourteen soldiers wounded.
At Grafton.
Grafton, July 22.-The first collision
, occurred here to-day between the strikers
and railroad officials. Yard engine 81
| nth Ahn TO-, pf VNnr,ohoI1o Il
f about eleven o'clock this morning started
Q on the outside track, where the strikers
= had placed it, ostensibly to back on the
3 track alongside the ice-house to refill the
Q meat.boxes with ice, but really to start
the train and take it to Parkersburg OF
Cincinnati and try and sell it. After get.
ting ice in them, the hostler running
the engine was told to pull across the
bridge and back in the side-traCk at the
west end of the bridge. Engineer Clay.
ton and I. F. Bailey, Superintendent ol
the Parkersburg Division, boarded the
engine and told the hostler to get down on
the foot.board. He went down q,lickly
s and jumped off. Engineer Clayton pulled
: the throttle wide open and started. About
4 this time the strikers on the platform re-
r allied they were sold, and one of the
: ringleaders, named Butts, yelled, Let's
h 20 after them," and started for the pass
I euger engine 266, followed by the crowd
Going on the engine he sounded the
strikers signal-three long blasts of the
Whistle-several times, which brought
the strikers, citizens, women and boys
from every quarter. Soon the company'i
yard was filled with the excited crowd
: and the widest excitement prevailed.
! Some twenty-five of the strikers piled
on the engine and started, running hel
|. backward, making her fairly fly over the
road. The chances of run in with the
freight train and few first class funerals
. were discussed by the crowds left and cor
, sidered good. Around short curve, JUS
on the outskirts of Webster, four milel
west of Grafton. they sighted the trair
standing on the main track, and pileC
r into it at the rate of twenty-five mile
o per hour. They had sight of abou
e thirty or forty yards, In this distance al
L the strikers but two jumped off the en-
: CINE, most of them more or less bruised
As soon as they recovered from tn
u shock they all started for Bailey ant
: Clayton, but those gentlemen had started
for the woods. Had the strikers caugh
{ them it is hard to say what the conse
a quenCes would have been, as the striker
!. were wild with excitement and swearin
= vengeance.
n They put the 81 on the side-track q
g Webster, and pushed the freight trai
back to Grafton. All the cars and ais
engine were badly broken. The excite
nnent on the return of the strikera wit