The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-04-08
reached tho city a posse was formed
arInedwith Winchester and startedfn pur'
suit of the nurderers.
II is estimated there were
TwEi RI MIN
TWEi II MIN

strongly guarded. NO other arrests nave
as yet been made. I'.,s-..
The Knights of Labor claim the first
shot was fred by the officers, but the
weight of testimony is against the prop
osition. Tim Wilson, also, was on the en-
CINE, and within three feet of Dick Town
send when he was shot in the back. He
states positively that the first fire
came from the strikers, and
that they we're in the grass a short dis
lance from the track.
d. l.. Stewart, dairyman, who was an
eyewitness to the shooting, gives it as his
opinion that the strikers fired first.
Sheriff Maddox this afternoon organized
TWO COMPANIES
Of citizens, who we're armed with Win
chester carbines, and marched them to
the depot, with the aVowed determination
of suppressing all symptoms of opposi-
ton to law. No further attempt will
probably be made to move trains before
Monday. The citizens are determined.
and posse will be kept under arms night
and day. 1t is thought that the
on the state rangers. The people are III
terrible state of excitement and appear
completely dumbfounded at the bastard
ly outrage of to-day. The breach between
the law and the strikers has been widened.
The bitterest expressions can be heard
on every hand There are hundreds Of
Knights of Labor in this city who do not
appear to regret the occurrence of this
day.
CONTROL OF THE TRAIN.
FoBT WORTH, A pril 3.-The coal on the i'll
fated train was destined for Waco, where
the coal was badly needed. The engine
was fired up with Ed. Smith in the Ca
boOse. Jim COPYRIGHT was placed in
command of the posse, which consisted of
officers L. j. Fulford, r. Dalby, James
Thompson, Dick Townsend, j. C. Bran,
non, William Hale, Joseph Wtcher,
Charles Sneed and Sebe Maddox. Vino
the mysterious woman was who waved the
red flag can not be ascertained. She
waved her signal again and again. The
crowd shuddered as the locomotive WIS
within ten feet of the woman. 1t looked
rs if she had determined to stop that
train or die, when Knight of Labor
seized her and pulled her from the track.
The train rolled on, and not a word was
spoken by the officers or strikers, but it
was noticed that two wagons pulled out
from near the union depot filed wi h men,
and were driven at run to the south.
Tne train disappeared from view and the
crowd dispersed. Many had not reached
their homes when Henry Ellis came dash
ing up Main street and announced to the
sheriff that the strikers had fired on the
coal train. This was only thirty minutes
after the train had passed through the city.
The news spread like wild fire throughout
the city. Sheriff Maddox passed alon
the street ordering citi. ems to arm them
selveswith with Winchesters and report at
the upon depot at once. Business men
closed their stores, and answered the sum
mons promptly. The gun stores were
emptied inside of an hour, and crowds
surged the streets. Women mingled with
tho throngs, and bedlam reigned. The Of
hcers fastened from the depot to arm
themselves with Winchesters, and secur-
ing horses left town IN gallop to search
Sycamore bottom for the men who had
done the shooting.
William Hale, constable of precinct No.
l, in this city, gives the following account
w WV was VII JhC bIdlIs anu was
an eye witness to everything that occurred
| was on the next car to the caboose We
were not dreaming of any trouble when
the train stopped. l jumped down to see
whether the switch had been turned.
There were five or six men on the west
side of the track that took to be strikers
They were near the engine. The officers
about the forward part of the train began
to search them for weapons. About this
time squad of f, ur or five men on the
other side of the track, who were squat
ting in the grass about one hundred
yards from the track, opened fire on the
officers. They had Winchester rifles forty
fives- six teens-the best guns made, and
handled them rapidly and we'll. We re-
turned the fire, but were at disadvant-
age as we had nothing but ix-shooters.
There was not Winchester on the train.
| think that Fulford, Townsend and
Sneed were all hit by the first yolley.
Seeing that we were fig citing with heavy
odds against us, en- account of the differ
ence in weapons, we got the wounded on
the cars, and came back to the city.
suppose that about
ONE HUNDRED SHOTS
we're fired altogether. The number Of
men on our side did not exceed dozen
Judge, about half that number of
strikers were engaged in firing on us
THE FIREMAN's STORY.
c. Il. Nicewarner, fireman of the engine, |
took in the situation fully. He said I'VE
we're going about twelve miles an hour,
when approaching the switch at the cross
ing, when noticed several men near the
switch. We stopped the
rain, and some of the
deputies jumped off and searched four
men who had thrown the switch,
which would have sent US down the Fort
Worth 4 New Orleans track. They were
placed under arrest, when all of a sudden
he
CRACK OF WINCHESTER
ras heard followed quickly by four or
i've other shots, which came from five
men in clump of weeds, about 200 feet
outheast of the locomotive. Dick Town
end stood i'll front of the locomotive. and
'as hit at the first fire. The officers re-
urned the fire from their pistols, and the
ring became general on both sides.
Dick Townsend fell back against the pi-
lS,,N ,,l