Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-04-09
Met in Deadly Conflict.
A Battle Occurs Between the
Officers and Ambushed Strik-
ers Near Fort Worth.
Three Officers and One Striker
are WOunded-Tw0 of the
Officers Will Die.

Great Excitement and Fear
Preyails-DetaiIs of the
Deadly Encounter.
The Railroad Strike.
A BLOODY FIGHT,
FIT. WORTH, April 5.-What had
been predicted has come to pass. The
striking Knights of Laber.and the Of
fcers of the law have met in a deadly
conflict. Two officers fatally wound
ed and third shot through both hips,
are casualties inside of the law. o.
the strikers, SO far as can be ascertain
ed, only one man has been wounded
1t was announced by the officers of
the Missouri Pscifc that a
train would move to-day or that
there would be blood shed. The
strikers on the other hand put it down
as settled that no train weuld be
allowed to pass over the
mand of the strikers for ar
bitration was conceded. There are
only six men among the strikers
here who were formerly employed by
the Missouri Pacific, the Missouri Pa
cific and Texas & Pacific having pool
ed their Fort Worth business SO that
the freight was handled and trains
n owed almost exclusively by Texas &
Pacific employees.
The places OF these men have long
been filled, but they dare not make a
fight on the Texas Pacific, because
that road is in the hands of a receiv-
er. Last night the sheriff and his
deputies were busily engaged in
SERVING wRITs
on an injunction against the strikers
and their coufederates, and by the
time this morning dawned the most
of them had received an official no
tice to keep away from the yards of
the Missouri Pacific road, and warn
ing them against interfering with the
servants of the company in their ef-
forts to take out trains. The effect of
the writs was to keep the yards
clear, and at nine o'clock this morn
ing not a man save the employees
could be seen in them. In the street
near the yards, however, could bs
seen lots of men who had collected to
see what would be done to-day. At
IL o'clock the officers began to col
lect at the Union depot, and numbers
of them were stationed in the yards.
At 10: Is o'clock about dozen or more
of them went to the round
house, and in a few minutes
engine No. "a was loaded down with
armed officers who pulled out and
steamed to the Missouri Pacific yards.
AS it rolled past crowd gathered on
either side of the road and derisive
cheers went up from 400 threats, but
not man
ATTEMPTED TO INTERFERE
with the moving engine to prevent it
from coupling on to the caboose which
was standing on a side track. Having
done this the engine was run ON to the
main track and backed up the road to
Hodge from which point it was to pull
the freight train into the city. For
nearly two hours the crowd awaited
the return of the engine with the train
from Hodge, and as the minutes rolled
by they amused themselves in various
ways. The raw weather could not
scatter them, and the men wrapped in
heavy overcoats were continuously
stamping their feet to keep warn.
At IL o'clock the engine left Hodge,
and No. 1135 steamed out of the
yards. The train consisted of a caboose
and ten cars loaded with coal. As
the train approached 9th street the
crowd rolled out but halted on the
line of the hight of way, and remained
there. Not man made a meve
toward the train but at the
lower end of the yard
THREE WOMEN,
wives of strikers, appeared on the
track, one of them armed with flag,
which she waved as signal for the
engineer to stop. No attention was
paid to this, and the train passed on
and continued its journey to the
south.
The suggestive silence that marked
the passage of the train through the
city was not without its sequel. When
the train left the depot it was under
the charge of twelve officers, COM
manded by Jim Courtright, special
deputy Marshal. Some of the officers
were deputy marshals and others
were members of the regular police
force.
The tram proceeded slowly to the
crossing of the Fl. Worth 4 N. o.
railway about mile aid half south
Of town, where it stopped as is custo-
hafara Tho tol
was found open and two men stood
near the crossing. The officers ap-
preached the switch, and as they did
SO discovered five men with Winches
ter rifles partly concealed in the
weeds few yards distant.
The entire posse advanced toward
the men in ambush, and they reached
the side of the track, when they were
ordered to throw up their hands
The command vas obeyed, but as the
hands came up they brought Win
chester rifles. Officers were armed
only with revolvers. They demanded
| the surrender of the strikers. Both
sides
almost simultaneously, there being not
more than two seconds between the
| time of the first and second shots fired
After the first fire the posse advanced
and continued firing. The strikers
retreated behind some piles of ties,
which proved an excellent breast
work, and from that security they
poured forth q murderous fire into the
posse.
The casualties among the posse were
found to be three. Police officer Tul-
ford was shot through both thighs.
The mayor issued proclamation ap-
pointing 75 deputy policemen and or
dered all saloons to remain closed an
til Wednesday next
A petition has been sent to Gov.
Ireland for the state rangers and
military. Transportations for troops
were applied for from Receiver Shell
don. High winds are blowing to-
night and if q riot occurs the town
will be an easy prey to fame. The
streets are full of armed men. Pre-
caution will be taken to prevent trou-
BILE.
It is thought that if tonight is
tided over there viii be no further
danger of mob violence, as troops