Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-10
THE LABOR TROUBLES.
STRIKERS FIRED ON BY DEPUTY
SHERIFPS.
Several Killed and Wounded-Troops
Ordered TO the Scene-Further
Trouble Imminent.
lsrrcsAI BY TELEGRAPH TO THE RECORD UNION.


the Gould southwestern system, rumors OF
riots and bloodshed have daily gained cir.
culation but until to-day no serious con.
fiict has occurred. To-day opened with
but little prospect of serious trouble, al.
though some Of the strikers intimated that
the roads would find it less easy to run
trains than they had anticipated, and early
IN the morning the yards presented an ami
mated scene. Switch engines were run
ming up trains, platform men were busy
Loading and unloading freight, and trains
were arriving and departing without any
interference. This condition of affairs
continued until noon, aud ii was
thought the day would pass without
any demonstration by the strikers.
AT that hour, however, the trouble.
which aiterward grew to such alarming
proportions, began. A number of strikers.
without apparently having formed anv
Preconceried plan, congregated at the relay
depot and began the discussion of the
general situation. As time passed their
numbers was augmented, until the original
Knot OF men bad increased 10 fully 200.
The discussion became animated, and the
crowd more demonstratiYe until some
one proposed that thev 90 to
the Louisville and Nashville yards
and drive out the men employed
there. cry of :" On to the Nashville
yards was caught up, and the crowd ad-
Vanced: As they proceeded their numbers
again increased, some Joining the mob
simply as spectators, while others were in
tuli sympathy with the movement, until
300 to 400 were advancing toward the yards.
Arriving there, they swarmed into the
yards and persuaded the men at work to
desert their posts. The crowd remained
IN the yards for some time, and although
considerable excitement prevailed no vio-
lence was resOrted to. Just at this time
however, a Louisville and Nashville freight
train was slowly passing, guarded by eight
Deputy Sherltfs, armed with Winchester
rifles. In the meantime crowds of men,
women and children had congregated
on Broadway, where the L. and n.
tracks cross the street, and also
upon Broadway bridge, which spans Chokia
creek, and in the open space to the east
Just as the train reached the Broadway
crossing the trouble began. The crowd on
the bridge began to yell and jeer at the
officers, and it is asserted that stones were
thrown which struck two or three of them,
and it is also said that pistol was dis
charged. The deputies Immediately lev
eled their rifles and fired
TWO vOLLEYs INTO THE CROWD
On the bridge with fatal effect, four men
being killed and one woman mortally
wounded. The dead are Patrick Dris-
col, Wabash station hand not striker
Oscar Washington, painter; not striker.
John Bonner, coal miner not striker
Major Rychman, mill employe; not
striker. Mrs. Pfef1er, said to be the wife of
a striker, was shot in the back and NOR
tally wounded. The greatest excitement
Immediately prevailed, and pandemonium
reigned The crowd fled in every
direction, and when the deputies re-
allied how fearful was the result of
their fire, they sought means of escape
by rushing for the bridge with a
view of fleeing to this city. At the ap-
proach, and just at the bridge tower on the
east side they were met by Mayor Joyce
City Clerk Canty and g third man, who
seized the deputies guns and endeavored
to turn them back. One of the deputies,
in his terror, fired upon the trio, killing a
man named c. f. Thompson. who stood
between Joyce and Canty. Some shots were
fired by the remaining deputies at the
strikers, and all started over the bridge.
THE SCENE ON THE BRIDGE
Was one of the widest confusion and ex-
citement. Coal teams and other teams,
with wagons, were galloping westward, and
their drivers shouting TO all pedestrians and
teamsters to run back. Women and men
on foot were running toward the city, wav-
ing back all they met, while Immediately
behind came the deputies, pursued by the
vanguard of the crowd from East St. Louis
One of the frightened guards threw his gun
into the river, while another hid his
weapon in a wagon that was in full re-
treat. On arriving in this city, the depu-
ties went at once to the Chestnut-street
police station, where, after stating the
facts, they surrendered to the sergeant in
charge and were taken TO Four Courts.
where they were placed in custody, after
giving the following names: p. G: Hew-
lett, John Hague, Sam Jones, John f.
Williams G. Luster Stewart Martin, Geo.
Marnell and w. f. Laird.
Some of the deputies who waited to es-
cape with those who fled TO this city, were
chased by the crowd into the freight ware
houses and offices of the Louisville and
Nashville The warehouse was surrounded
by an immense crowd, who hooted and
yelled, and urged the men to attack the
stronghold and drive the deputies out.
Men went among the crowds urging others
to procure arms and shoot all the deputies
they could find Some Of the depu-
ties, watching their opportunity, slipped
out and worked their way among the
freight cars unobserved A Louisville and
Nashville freight car backed down along
side the platform and took away the others
to place of safety. Two were sighted by
the strikers who had procured arms, and
were chased under the bridge. One of
them was caught in front of Toneys house
on the levee, and was beaten to death by
the mob. Another was reported TO have
been shot as he was escaping under the ap-
proach to the bridge. The other deputies
escaped unharmed.
AN INCENDIARY APPEAL.
About half an hour after the shooting an
IL i :. IL
square between the City Hall and the no.
lice station. A man named Dwyer, gam
bier, in no way connected with the strike
became the center of the crowd, who
cheered the incendiary statements which
he uttered. He urged the men to hang
and kill, and was IN the midst of an APP
peal to the mob to follow him to
the Ohio and Mississippi depot, TO hunt for
the Deputy Sheritfs, when John w. HAYES
4 member of the General Executive Com
mittee OF the Knights of Labor, and an
other Knight of Labor, named Brown, az
rived from this side. Mr.. Brown. who
travels with the General Board in the ca
pacity of Knights of Labor Organizer,
mounted the stairs leading to the police
station and yelled at the mob for attention,
but the infuriated men answered him with
Hang the ours p - Kill themw Mr..
Hayes, who was standing at Mr.. Brown S
side, turned to a prominent Knight and
asked him to introduce Mr.. Brown to the
mob as a representative of the General
Executive Committee. The man replied, in
a frightened manner, "If l do they
will hang me-" Brown turned on him
and said Yes, and if you don't they
ought to hang you" Then turning to the
mob, which kept up the cry to XIII, Kill
and burn" Brown began
AN IMPAssIoNED APPEAL
low a1J or1ar 49, ,l..,
force of his earnestness riveted the atten-
ton of the crowd, but only for a few min
utes at a time, for they would break away
from the spell of his eloquence and tax,
Up their revolutionary yells. BE said