Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-06-16
WAR At THE M1Nrys

4 Collision Between Miners and Nn,,.
tho Bellsvtlle Dfstriet-Fenale Ria'
Forcibly Take Possession of q Min"
Imprison tho Owner-The Militia. r,3
Upon by tho Infatuated Miners. fiA
tho Fire. Killing One Man, 1espi
AN AMAZON MOD.
CoLL1Nsv1LLs, Ill, M,,.
The wal between the miners and "
owners eliminated yesterday in a ni.aa
battle between the militia and the strisl
In which over five hundred shots wara
changed, n miner killed, and one inv.
30 that he car not recover, and half . ~
wounded seriously. Strikes have bas,
progress in Madison and st. Clair Cona.!
for the past two weeks, and have c,ns
such a condition of affairs that
Thursday Governor Hamilton ordered
the militia to protect the mining pron.,
near here. Companies from Taylorsrin
Edwardsville and Virden RESPONDED
three commands amounting to about a r
dred men. They were placed in comm,
Of Colonel Barley, of Springfield, 3
was to receive his orders from the She's
In whatever county the soldiers were q
toned.
just as the new force of miners was All,
to begin work in the Rose Hill mine, NJ
West Belleville, yesterday morning, a hn
Of one hundred and fifty women, m
of the wives and daughters Of the striksI
marching two abreast and armed with bes1
clubs, appeared on the scene and comnan,
the men to quit work. A Sheriff's ns
started out to guard the mine, but ws
driven off by the women. Having CONN.,
ed their work at Rose Hill and left a gT n
there to see that the mandate was carr arr
out, the women marched to Reinacp
mine, three miles from Belevil1
on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad am
having been reinforced by a large mmh
of strikers, they drove out the men workin
there. They then tore up the railyoa
switch and threatened to burn the snrfs
work Of the mine. The mob at that moi
increased rapidly in numbers during n
day, and by evening numbered several bn1
dred, including about one hundred wome1
who were the most unmanageable Of n
crowd, and r beyond the control Of n
civil authorities. The Sheriff telegraphed
Governor Hamilton for aid.
Word was sent to the commander of
militia. The three companies at onl
boarded a train and arrived at Belleyil
late In the afternoon. They then went
the Reineck mine, arriving at the train
$3.50. On looking from the window of 4
train they found a mob Of five hundr{
strikers and about n hundred franz
women in possession Of the mine. The wom}
were wild with rage and. fury, al
more demonstrative than the md
The train stopped in a ravine between III
high hills. Both the bluffs We're cover
with the strikers, the women on the SUNNI
Deputy Sheriff Anthony, ofSt. Clair Count
assembled a box on the depot platform, anI
addressing the strikers, said he had n
come there to have trouble. He wanted q
laws complied with in a peaceable mannd
If possible.
Just then the report of a pistol rang d
on the air, followed by a couple more frd|
the summit of the hill. The deputy felt Il
bullet whistle by his ear, and noticing Wild
the smoke came from in the mob, he drd
his revolver and fired at the spot. This vi
a signal for a general fusilade from the md
and one of the soldiers who was Just Il
ting out of the cars dropped with a bull
through the knee. Two-thirds of the md
tia were still in the cars when Deputy Sha
if Anthony ordered Colonel Barley to N
the order to fire, and the Colonel should
out his ORDER The militia poured a volId
into the strikers with deadly etfed
The miners retreated and returned III
fire when a second yolley went after ID
first. Both men and women scattered lid
sheep, and went helter-skelter through III
gulleys and ravines. After the smoke hal
cleared away it was found that one Of til
mob had been instantly killed and anotld
shot so badly through the head that he cal
not recover. A third was shot through hi
hips, and several made their escape leavia
blood trails behind them. The exad
number of wounded could not be Learned
but the following is the best authenticatd
list:
Fred Hoffmestcr, glass-blower, killed.
shot through the head. William Starkpd
shot through the head and hips; will did
James Blanchard, wounded in the sidd
dangerously. Martin Carroll, wounda
slightly in the left leg. Elmer James, d
E~dwardsville, II of the militia, shd
through the feshy part of the leg; I'D
dangerous.
Twenty-six of the mob were captured an}
made prisoners, and are now held by thl
soldiers in camp. Company F, of Edwards
vile, numbering forty-five men, are garr1|
soned at Reineck with the prisoners. Th(
Taylorville and Virden companies left la4
last evening for home, it is said, but it \
rumored to hold themselves in readiness y
move to Collinsville this morning, whe1
trouble is ANTICIPATED. At a late hour every
thing was quiet in the Belleville district.