Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-24
BLOODY WORK
At East st. Louis Over an Attempt by the
Illinois and st. LOuis Railroad Com
pany to Connect their Tracks
with those Of the
Union Transit Congratulations Of
fered by Mayor Bowman and the Citi.
Zens-SeVeral Shots Fired and
Number OF Citizens
Badly Wounded.

ST. LOUIS, July 23.-To-day has been a
| busy and exciting day In East st. Louis. For
| some months past the Illinois and st. Louis
| railroad company, whose road runs from
| Belleville, Illinois, to East st. Louis has been
| trying to connect their track with the tracks
of the Union transit company, so that they
| can run trains across to this city. They claim
to have authority from the Wider city coun-
Gil of East st. Louis to extend their track
along on the streets of the city, and have at
tempted to do so two or three times,
but have been prevented by Mayor
Bowman, who says he has a
perpetual Injunction from the courts against
impression that Mayor Bowman had gone to
Bellevllle to answer to the charge growing
out of the recent shooting affair between his
deputy marshals and the Metropolitan po-
lice, the company suddenly appeared on the
streets with a construction train and large
boCy of negro laborers, and began laying the
track, their force being protected by a party
of thirty armed men, engaged in this city for
the purpose. After laying about two hun
bred feet of the track Mayor Bowman appeared
with his deputy marshals and commanded the
track-layers to desist, or to continue at their
peril. The negroes under the peremptory
command of the mayor and the show of force
at his back, retired, and the work closed, not
withstandlng Superintendent harman, of the
railroad company, insisted that he had the
right to proceed with the work and connect
his road with the bridge track. A large crowd
of people gathered, most of whom were OPP
posed to the laying OF the track, and during
! the excitement which prevailed they tore up
the track and destroyed some of the COM
paDy's property. Superintendent Sharman
applied to the Metropolitan police for protec-
ton, but the latter refused to interfere. At
ter a good deal of buster and strong Ian
Ruage the railroad company Withdrew, and
matters quieted down to about the normal
condition of this e1ctable little city.
About six o'clock this evening several of
Bowman's deputy marshals and the Metro
politan policemen got into a row on the COR
ner OF Broadway and Main streets, during
which one man was knocked down with a
club, and another beaten in the face with
fists; pistols were then drawn and fred, aud
Lieutenant O'Neill, of the Metropolitans,
was shot in the hip and one of the deputy
marshals named Russell was wounded in
the groin. These parties then sep
arated, but In few minutes
afterward shots were again fired, this time,
it Is asserted, from the Metropolitan head
quarters and aimed at the markethouse,
about forty yards distant, on the opposite side
of the street, which is also used as a police
Office of deputy marshals. Some FIVE hundred
or more shots are said to have been ex-
changed. Captain Renshaw, chief of the
MetropolItans, received bullet through his
hat, and Chapman, the turnkey of the
Metropoitans, was shot in the leg. A little
girl, daughter of Mr.. Merit, living near by,
was shot in the hand while standing in tae
door of her home, and has since had three of
her fingers amputated. More of the deputy
marshals seem to have been hurt in this af-
fair, although they said some twenty or more
bullet holes can be seen in the walls and win
dows of the markethouse. Mayor Bowman's
horse, standing in front of the markethouse,
was also shot. The accounts of the row are
contradictory in the highest degree, reporters
from the scene saying that every man they met
told a different story both as to the origin and
result of the affray. The above probably
embraces the leading facts in the case, and
about everything reliable that can be OBJ
tanned tonight Whisky Is believed to have
had good deal to do with the origin of the
disturbance.
The BellevllIe Guards, some fifty or sixty
strong, arrived at East st. Louis at about half
past ten o'clock, by special train. They were
ordered out by Governor Cullom and are I'M
der orders of Sheriff Weber. They were
met at the depot by Mayor Bowman and
about a dozen of his deputies, and are now
camped in front of the markethsuse. There
is also strong guard of civilians in and
around the enginehouse, the headquarters OF
the Metropolitans.