St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-04-17
THE VOLCANO BURSTS.
Bullet and Firebrand Do Their
Work at East ST. Louis.
Armed Deputies Fire On Mob With Dead
ly Efert--The Slaughter Followee by
Scenes of Terror by Day and Fire
at Night--The Militia on Hand.

ST. LOUIS, April 1O.-Yesterday, while
Sheriff Ropiequet of East. st. Louis was
awaiting q telegram from the Governor
of Illinois asking for military aid, crowd
was gathering at the Louisville & Nash
VILE trestle work crossing Cahokia creek,
lust south of the bridge crossing on the
wagon entrance to the bridge. 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-
yolver shot rang out on the air, and one
of the widest scenes imaginable ensued.
It was what all were expecting, and yet
no one was looking for it just at that
moment. No one except the one VINO
did the shooting conld tell from just
| what quarter the shot came. Ii any one
on either side saw it, the knowledge OF
| it WAS lost in the hewil'ermcnt OF the
events occurring Immediately thereafter.
It was quickly replied to, and i'll few
seconds the shooting was general.
Both the officers and the crowd were
we'll armed with Winchesters, shotguns
and revolvers, and in the few moments
winch followed almost, if not quite, half
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
summed up as three known dead,
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
| off of the railing on the wagon bridge
over Cahokia Greek, wounded, into the
| water below. TWO more bodies were
outstretched on side porch of house
inst west of the creek. A third was cold
in death near shanty east OF the creek
lady, Mrs Pfeiffer, who was on her
vay 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,
| erazed by ball as it was crossing
the bridge, also on the way nome
from St. Louis, was carried away,
uninjured, but suffering from the shock.
The crowd was dispensing rapidly, bus
still leaving large numbers at the scene
of the tragedy. A part of them had cap
tured the yardmaster. and hurried MN
to 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;" GILES all right"
"He didn't do the shooting;" and the
advice of the hot-hcads 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 superfiuous
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 Zoe.
Squads of men thus dangerously proVId-
ed with weapons of aggresslveness as
we'll 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,
filed to the core with subdued excite
ment, while outwardly there was quiet
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 hun
dred men we're standing around. in groups
of half-dozen and dozen. The bodies
of the victims of the collision were still
unattended aud 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 a
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 6
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'
work upon VIII ich they were forbidden te
venture. AS they did SO the deputy in
charge advanced from his forces ant
warned them back, ordering them to dis
2erse. He was met with no violence
and no signs of violence, but was hootcc
and jeered to some extent. This hat
been repeated several times, it was
claimed, when the front ranks of the
crowd were pushed up closer on the tres
Network than before. The deputies be
same inpatient, and again ordered then