Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-04-15
THE VOLCANO BURSTS.
Bullet and Firebrand Do Their
Work at East ST. Louis.
Armed Deputies Fire On q Mob With Dead
Iy EHect--The Slaughter Followed by
scenes of Terror by Day and Fire
at Night--The Militia on Hand.

"
Scenes of Terror by Day and Fire
at Night--The Militia on Hand.
ST. LOUIS, April 10.-Yesterday, while
Sheriff Ropiequet of East. st. Louis was
awaiting telegram from the Governor
of Illinois asking for military aid, crowd
was gathering at the Louisville & Nash
willie trestle work crossing Cahokia creek,
Just south of the bridge crossing on the
wagon entrance to the bridge. A small
force of deputies were on duty on the
trestle work to keep back the crowd,
which seemed each moment to grow lar
ger and larger, and to indicate more
trouble. The crowd was kept at bay until
two O'Clock and after, when pistol or re-
volver shot rang out on the air, and one
of the widest scenes imaginable ensued.
1t was what all were expecting, and yet
no one was looking for it iust at that
moment. No one except the one who
did the shooting could tell from just
what quarter the shot came. If any one
on either side saw it, the knowledge of
it was lost in the bewilderment of the
events occurring Immediately thereafter.
seconds the shooting was general.
Both the officers and the crowd were
well armed with Winchesters, shotguns
and revolvers, and in the few moments
which followed almost, if not quite, half
a hundred shots were exchanged. When
the firing ceased the officers fed. The
crowd, to a very large extent, adopted
the same policy, and when the ground
was cleared partially away the effect was
woman seriously, if not fatally, wounded,
and from three to half a dozen men shot
more or less seriously, three reported
fatally. Two men were seen to tumble
of of the railing on the wagon bridge
over Cahokia Greek, wounded, into the
water below. Two more bodies were
outstretched on side porch of a house
just west of the creek. A third was cold
In death near shanty east of the creek.
A lady, Mrs. Pfeiffer, who was on her
way home from ST. Louis, and was just
crossing the foot-bridge, had been taken
to Rathlander's drug store, shot through
the groin. A child named Kleinhein,
grazed by ball as it was crossing
the bridge, also on the way home
from ST. Louis, was carried away,
uninjured, but suffering from the shock.
The crowd was dispensing rapidly, but
still leaving large numbers at the scene
of the tragedy. A part of them had cap
tured the yardmaster. and hurried him
30 the Green Tree Hotel. The crowd
around him was clamorouS, and for
time it seemed as though he would have
TO answer for the high pitch of excite
ment into which the people had been
worked. Cries of "lynch him. were
heard on all sides. But cooler counsel
prevailed. Several voices were heard,
calling, 81 know him." "He's all right"
''He didn't do the shooting;" and the
advice of the hot-headS was not followed.
Other parties secured the town, some
going to hardware stores and other
places where they knew guns and revolt
Vers were kept, and, going in, took pos
session of them without any superfuous
inquiries as to price, condition of sale,
etc. Others went to their homes and
there secured firearms of various descrip-
lions, and all appearing on the streets
thus equipped gave the town the ap-
pearance of the stronghold of an army
anticipating an attack from foreign foe.
Squads of men thus dangerously provid-
ed with weapons of aggressivenesS as
well as defense, were seen in all parts of
the town, ready to answer any question:
ing of their rights and privileges. Thus
the city assumed an air of restlessness,
oiled to the core with subdued excite
and apparent good order.
SCENE OF THE SHOOTING.
While all this was going on the scenes
On the toot-bridge and the trestle-work,
near where the trouble occurred, were
dull and eventless. Two or three hum
dred men were standing around, in groups
of half-dozen and dozen. The bodies
of the victims of the collision were still
unattended and uncared for. The quiet
was painful. The excitement had all
passed over. When engaged in CONVEX
sation the men talked as coolly and calm
ly as was possible under the circum-
stances and in view of the
surroundings. But nothing clear
as to the history of the collision could be
learned. The men claimed that prior to
the collision they were in much the same
position as they were found afterward,
only in much greater number. Accord
ing to their version, the deputies, about
dozen in number, were doing picket duty
on the Louisville & Nashville bridge or
trestle, while the crowd surged around,
occupying the adjoining tracks and the
foot bridge north of the Louisville &
Nashville crossing. AS in all such cases
of crowds, one-half of which is moved by
curiosity, the front ranks, they said, were
occasionally pushed up to the trestle-
venture As they did SO the deputy in
charge advanced from his forces and
warned them back, ordering them to dis
perse. He was met with no violence,
and no signs of violence, but was hooted
and leered to some extent. This had
been repeated several times, it was
claimed, when the front ranks OF the
crowd were pushed up closer on the tres
tle-work than before. The deputies be-
came impatient, and again ordered them
back and to dispense. They fell back
only to receive the weight and impetus
of the surging mass OF humanity In the
rear, and again going forward. as a wave
rolling up on the beach, received a shot
from the picket guard, which was re-
piled to by the crowd with Winchesters,
revolvers, etc. What followed could
not be mtelligently learned. The crowd
fred nervously at the deputies, but there
being but few of them, they were in a
good position to be favored by accident,
which directed the bullets between and
above them. Firing as nervously, the
shots of the officers had more effect, as
they had human wall as target, and it
would have been a miracle had the balls
passed harmlessly through. Thus the
first shot is left to be accounted for by
dBdividual testimony, and may not be re-
-vealed even by the coroner's jury aud the
judicial in, estigations which must in
.avitably follow.
The scene ON the bridge directly after
the shooting was one of the widest con-
fusion and excitement, and for time all
traffic ceased and foot passengers were
warned that to attempt to cross was to
no