The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-10
BLOODSHED AT ST. LOUIS.
SCENES OF THE Widest EX-
CITEMENT AND CONFUSION.
Four Men and One Woman Killed
by Deputy Sheriffs Doing
Guard Duty.
ONE OF THE OFFICERS BEATEN
TO DEATH.
Details Of One Of the Most UnfOr-
tunate Incidents OF the
Strike.

ST. LcUIs, Mo-, April o Ever since
the railroad employees in East St.
Louis cea'ed work, in support OF the
striking Knights Of Labor on the
Gould Southwestern system, rumors
Of riots and blooGshed have daily
gal ed circulation, but until to-day no
eelious conflict has occurred between
them and the oeputy theriffs and
| United States Msrsha's stationed in
the yards to protect the companies
employees and property. The County
Sheriff has sworn in numerous depu-
ties, and upon versl occasions has
brought TO that city bodies Of armed
men to suppress an anticipated attack
upon the IA alroad-yaIds and their pro-
| tectora. Upon one occasion only, how
ever, has the presence of these men
been really needed, and the railroads
have, with some few exceptions, but
generally with slight interference,
done their usual business. To-day
opened with but little prospect OF seri.
Gus trouble, although some of the
strikers inGmated that the roads
would fiud ii less easy TO run their
trains than they had anticipated, and
early in the morning the yards PIE.
stnled
AN ANIMATED SCENE.
Switch engines were running back
wtrd and forward making up trains,
the platform men were busy loading
aud unloading freight, aud trains were
arriving and departing without any
interference from the strikers. This
condition of affairs continued until
noon, and it was thought that the day
would pass without any demonstra-
ton by ths strikers, and that it would
be recorded as one OF the quietest
since the strike was begun. at that
hour, however, the trouble which
afterwards grew to such alarming pro-
portions began. A number Of strikers,
without apparently having formed any
preconceltsd paD, congregated at the
relay depot, and began discussion OF
the general situation. AS time passed
their number was augmented until
the original knot Of men increased to
fully 200. The discussion became
more animated and the crowd more
demoustrative, until some one pro-
posed that they go to the Louisville
and Nashville yards and drive out the
men employed there. The cry of
"oN TO THE NASHVILLE YARDS 70
was caught by the crowd and they
advanced; as they proceeded their
numbers again increased some join
irg the mob simply as spectators,
while others were in full sympathy
with the movement, until from 3 20 10
400 were advancing toward the yaf,Ss.
Arriving there they swarmed into the
yards and persuaded the men at work
to desert their posie. The crowd re-
maine in the yards for some time,
and although considerable excitement
prevailed no violence was re 'oIted to.
Just at this time, however, Louis
vile and Nashville freight train was
slowly passing, guarded by eight De-
puty-Sheriffs armed with Winchester
rifles. In the meantime, crowds OF
men, women and children had congre-
gated on Broadway, where the Louis
vile and Nashville tracks cross the
street, snd upon the Broadway bridge,
which span9 the Cahokis creek, and
in the open space to the east of
the bridge. 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 stones were thrown which
struck two or three of them, and it is
also said that pistol was discharged.
The deputies Immediately leveled
their rifles aud fred two volleys into
the crowd on the bridge with fatal
effect,
FOUR MEN BEING KILLED
and one woman mortslly wounded.
The dead are Patrick Driscoll, Wa
bash section hand, not a striker; Os-
car Washington, painter, not a
striker; John Bonner, coal miner, not
a striker, a2d Major Rychman, a mill
employe, not striker. Mrs. Pfeiffer,
said to be the wife of striker, WAS
shot in the back and mortally wound
ed. The greatest excitement imme.
diately prevailed and pandemonium
reigned. The crowd fed in every di.
rectioD, and when the deputies real
ize how fearful was the result OF their
fire sought means of escape
by rushing for the bridge, with
view of fleeing to this city. At the APP
proach and Just at the bridge tower on
the East Side they we're met by Mayor
Joyce, City Clerk Canty end third
man who seized the deputies guns and
endeavoled to turn them back. One
of the deputies, in his terror, fred
upon the trio, killing a man named O.
E. Thompson, who stood between
Joyce and Canty. Some shots were
fired blythe remaining depu les at the
approaching strikers, and all started
over the bridge. The scene on the
bridge was one of
Widest CONFUSION AND EXCITEMENT.
Coal teams loaded snd other teams
with wagons were galloping westward
and shouting to ali pedes rians aud
eamtt ters to turn back. Women and
men on foot were running toward the
city and waving 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
retreat. On arriving in this city the
deputies went at once to the Chest
nut Street Police Station, where, after
stating the fac's Of the shooting, they
surrendered TO the sergeant, aud were
taken to the -Four Courts, where they
we're placed IN custody, after giving
the following names: P. G. Hewlett
John Hogue, Sam Jones, John F.
Williams, G. Luster, Stewart Martin,
George Msrnell and W. F. Laird.
DEPUTIES KILLED.
Some OF the deputies who failed to
escape with those who fed to this
city were chased by the crowd into
the freight warehouse and Offices OF
the Louisville and Na.hville. The
warehOnEa WAS surrounded by an inn