The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-04-28
A FATAL VOLLET.
An East st. Louis Crowd Fired
Into by Officers.
A Terrible Occurrence which Cost q
Number Of Lives.

d 4C111U4O OOOu11 OuOO Wu4Ou SUGk q
Number Of Lives. 81
The bloody collision between strikers and
deputies at Fort Worth, Texas, has been fol-
lowed by a still more terrible and deplorable.
episode in East st. Louis, Ill, on the Missis.
sippi river, and just opposite St Louis. The:
trouble, as described by dispatches, came
about as follows: 3531 s35 4
The various railroads seemed to be moving
an unusually large quantity Of freight par.
ticularly the Louisville & Nashville. When
the strike was ordered twenty-seven OF
this comgany's employees left its
filled, and thirty deputy sheriffs were em-:
ployed by the company to protect the new
men and it's property. The officers were
armed with Winchester rifles, some of them
carrying revolvers also. T.. G.. Hewlett was
made their leader. More than half the force
guarded the freight houses Of the company.
outgoing trains. Trains were continually pass-
ing to and fro from the freight houses all day,
and before 10 o'clock in the morning hun.
dreds Of idle men and boys and few women
gathered on and about the rickety wooden
bridge that spans small body Of muddy wa,
ter known as Cahokia creek. The Louisville
and Nashville road running west crosses this
creek on a trestle ssi5
bridge watching the trains pass. The
rougher element cursed the trafnmen, and
promised them at short shrift in the near fn-5
ture. The deputy sherifs who stood on the
trestlework were treated in the same way.
Sheriff Roplequet appeared with small
posse and ordered the crowd to disperse. The
law-abiding persons in it did 80. The others
paid no attention to the demand The
sheriff left the ground at once and tele-
Of affairs and asked for military help Mean
while the crowd had never moved from it's
position or changed its tactics except to grow
more violent in its demonstrations against the
trainmen and their guards. 1t suffered de-
sertions but gained more than it lost. and at
o'clock the bridge and its vicinity was oc,
cupied by mob of 400 or 500 persons. Many
of the younger men in it carried stones in
their hands, and when opportunity offered
hurled them at the armed men on the trestle-
work or at the men on passing trains Saw
age curses and epithets were also hurled at
them. ~ ~.
Nine men stood on the trestlework. They
were between two crowds and faced about at
short intervals The only one who exhibiteda
revolver was Charles Kensler, the cowboy
fireman" He carried two pistols in his
belt and had the barrel Of his VIM
chester slung over his left arm. The guards
made no reply to the abuse showered on them
and the mob grew bolder. It stood on
thoroughfare and felt safe. Finally one man;
stepped on the company's property. Deputy
Hewlett promptly arrested him. A part OF
the mob surged forward to the rescue. A
voice cried "Kill the cowboy" There was
a pistol shot, which in few seconds
was followed by the ringing reports OF
Winchester rifles. The shrieks and yells that
rose from the crowd could be heard on,
the bridge, third Of a mile away. Crack,
crack" went the deadly rifles. The crowd.
in opposite directions. The small and the
weak were knocked down and trampled upon.
Terror was king and drove all before him.
The deadly hail had been fred at short range
against solid wall of flesh and blood The
guards were seemingly appalled, at the e1-
tent an6 nature Of the retaliation.
they had inflicted on their persecu. .
tors. On the bridge and roadway lay Mrs
John Pfefer, shot through the spine and
mortally wounded; John Bonner, a coal
miner, dead; Oscar Washington, a painter,
hand, dead, and Major Rychman, rolling
mill employe, shot in the head and shoulder,
mortally wounded. '.....
When the fleeing mob recovered from it's.
terror, and turning saw its assallants in 5ful
flight toward the Louisville and Nashville
freight house, shouts rose from it Of To arms,
to arms" and men who stood over the dead
and wounded vowed they would have terri
BILE revenge. Some Of the widest spirits.
rushed through the town calling on the {
strikers and their friends to arm them (
selves and kill all deputy sherifrs on sight.
Pale-faced men soon appeared en- the streets
armed with revolvers and shotguns. Here
and there man could be seen carrying a
small coil of rope. The cry of Hang themn
kept pace with that Of "Kill them all. ~ The
fleeing guards never stopped till they reached
the Louisville and Nashville freight house.
to fee to St. Louis for their
lives. Some of the men refused,
and barricaded the freight house with the in
tention Of protecting it against assault: These
men were afterward com )elled to fly and
narrowly escaped with their lives. Hunting
parties were organized by their enemies, and
every Granny that could possibly shelter
deputy sheriff was searched. Fea
The fleeing deputies were crossing the iron
bridge on their wayto St. Louis when they
and some officers, and asked to return, but
they refused to 60 back. Mayor Joyce and
Officer Dowd endeavored to drag two Of the
guards with them. One Of the guards who
wasn't in custody raised his rifle and fired In
.he direction of the crowd. G, E. Thompson,
of st. Louis, dropped in his tracks, shot in the
stomach. At this report the two guards with
Mayor Joyce and Officer Dowd tore them
selves loose. One of them struck the mayor
with his clubbed rifle knocking him down.
Both men at once Joined their companions
and continued their flight across the bridge.
The scene on the bridge was one OF widest
confusion and excitement. Coal trains
loaded and unloaded, and vehicles OF an
descriptions engaged in wild race to 81.
Louis Women AMI men on foot were
all thsy 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 the
load of axe wagon that was in full re-
treat. The firing b I'd been heard in mid-rlver
by people on the ferry boats, who witnessed
an unusual scene on the levee. Frlghtenea
horses dashed hither and thither, and while
hundreds hurried toward the spot
whence the reports seemed to come, as
many dashed in an opposite direction. The
huge bridge shook and swayed as the line OF
immense draft horses thundered over II
Teamsters shouted and acted as If destructaon
was at their heels. aud pedestrians were PET.
riieG with astonishment as the long line OF
vehicles flashed into Washington, avenue at
recing pace. A crowd gathered instantly
and choked the entrance to the bridge. -,
Not more than thirty minutes after the
shooting C. R.. Barnard, master OF transpor-
tation for the Louisville & Nashville road,
and James A Chesuey another official, met