Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-29
A BLOODY CONFLICT.

A Fight Illinois Stato 1roUpD
and Striking Quarrymen at non
Assaulted with sticks and Stones the
Militiamcn Fire Into the Mob-Three
Me Killed and a Number OF Striker
aud Soldiers Wounded.
LrMoNT, ILL.,, May Sat 6:30 yesterday
morning Colonel Bennett, commanding the
troops at Joliet. received orders from the
Governor to proceed to Lemont, it being
feared that the striking quarrymen at that
point contemplated a disturbance. A
special train was in waiting, and at eight
s'clocA fom companies of the Fourth
Regiment, with a detachment of G
Battery of Artillery Of Joliet, and
Calling gun and camp equip
ments, left Joliet for this place. About one
and a half miles from the town they were
met by Deputy Sheriff Potter at the county
line, and the troops disembarked. Tho
Sheriff ordered the Colonel to deploy his
men, as there was a large crowd
assembled at the depot waiting for
the train. Company d, of Ottawa, was
extended as a skirmishing line through
the Quarries, the line reaching from
ulC Cttildl W tllo Uiule. ANo Nhdil uVuyt
consisting OF Company A, of Streator,
under Lieutenant ST. Clair; Company G, Of
Jelict, under Captain jackson; Company
G, Of Bloomington, under Captain Smith,
and the Calling gun detachment, under
Lieutenant Kimber, Of Springfield, moved
north along the bluff until they reached the
street crossing at right angles to the bluff.
Here they were met by the City Marshal,
followed by a crowd making DEM
onstrations The Marshal ordered the
troops to halt but he was told by Colonel
Bennett to "shu: up" or he would be placed
under arrest. The Marshal complied. Com
pany G moved across the street, and going
a short distance north took up a command
ing position with the Calling gun detach-
ment under cover, Major Hetfernan being
in command of the detachment.
Deputy Sheriff Potter then went forward
and ordered the mob to disperse, saying
that unless they obeyed they would be for
chilly driven back, and that the troops had
no means of knowing innocent spectators
from law-brcakers and unruly men. The
mob paid no attention to this and stubborn
ly refused to dispense.
The main body of the troops was then
formed into column of companies across the
street, and put in motion. The crowd
stood its ground, and the soldiers , were
ordered to charge bayonets. There was no
resisting the wall of cold steel, and the mob
broke and scattered, retiring precipitately
into gardens and houses, a considerable
number of the more courageous ones still
holding their ground as best they could,
and yielding inch by inch.
After marching in this way for three
blocks, the crowd III front being steadily
driven back. the portion of the mob which
hoI han,, 1riyaN i,,fn $1,n ,n,,,o nv,J ,n~l-
gathered again in groups in rear Of the
militia, and at an apparent signal, con-
sisting of a gun-shot fled from the
east side of the street, a body Of
several hundred strikers came out
of a street Oh the east and furiously at
tackled the re- of tho column with large
cobble stones, hitting nearly every man in
the rear a of company A. Private
George Baggs' injuries were the most seri-
GUS OF any. He was hit i'll the head, caus-
ing all ugly scalp wonud, and OH the hand,
rendering that member temporarily unfit for
use.
AZ the same time that Company A was
being attacked in the rear, Company B Of
Joliet, i'll advance of the column, Was at
tackled Oh the right flank, and several men
were struck with stones. The crowd in
front, encouraged by the flank and rear at
SUSh'o VI ei1SiA SOAi4CuC1ttCCS, CllCu dUttttlCcu
bodily and commenced III attack upon
the front Of the column. Hemined in
on three sides by from 500 to 1000 angry,
hoot;Eg men, the two military
companies, numbering all told seventy-five
OF eighty officers and men, were placed in
a most unenviable position. The first four
files OF Company Is were deployed across
the next street to the north, from which
another body OF strikers were approaching,
and as the mob persisted in the attack sew
eral of the soldiers opened fire. About ten
shots were fred into the crowd, and then
the command charged into the mob, which
retired and dispersed.
In the meantime Captain Blanchard, with
the Ottawa company as skirmisllers, was
soon driving everything before him, and
attaci1. All the companies then advanced
to the center of the town and took up posi-
tionS covering every street.
The strikers having dispersed, the troops
were marched through the streets to tho
north side of She town. In the brief alb
selN:e Of che troops the crowd had reas-
Scnlbled i'll the center of the place, near the
depot, but quickly dispersed again upon
sight of the soldiers. Colonel Bennett
marched his command through the town
from one end to the other without hating,
and went ntO camp on q bluff about half q
mile north, overlooking the quarries, where
he is now awaiting further orders.
The casualties us far as ascertained ara
as follows:
Kil!ed-Andrcas Stcltcr. shot through the
brain. Jack kuiawa, died OF his wounds.
Wounded-John Polacl1, wounded in the left
side with a. bayOnet- Adolf Miller, arm broken
from Il shot from u revolver while in the act
Of hurling rocks at the soldiers. A. Sipalipki,
stabbed in the back. j. Maddy, three slight
stlbs. Valentine Knonichc, wounded in the
head. p. Musial, wounde in the left side. j,
SchelmetZka, struck Oh the head with u
sword. w. Schacfer, bayonct thrust through
the arm. Frank SiZak. stabbed in the leg,
J. Schultz, wounded i'll the left arm. A. No
walk, flesh wound in the left side. Two women.
Mrs. Luper and Mrs. Lcmash, slightly wound
ed by being pressed back with the butts of the
muskcts Of the soldiers. Eight members each
OF companies 3 and G of the militia were in
cured by stones thrown by the mob.
1t is stated that Stiller, one of
the killed, was a block away from the
scene OF the disturbance, and that he was
not in sympathy with the rioters. Kugawa,
the other dead man, is said to have been
II OF tile most turbulent among the riot-
ers. The woman Lemash rushed up to a
soldier with a large stone i'll her hand and
attempted to strike him over the head with
it, at the same time Selling his musket
She was thrown to one side, but was not
badly hurt. All was quiet at midnight.
o. r JSATnN,r III Afo,. = =, Do.,x-