Morris tribune., 1886-04-14
THE BAYONET RULES
AND PEACE RElGNS AT TROUBLED
EAST ST. LOUIS.
Eight Companies of Militia Sent On
After tbs Mischief Was Done.

Incendiarism, Riot and BIoodshed Hold
High Carnival for Awhile by the Big
Bridse-List of Those Who Were Shot
Commencement of the Trouble-Train-
men Going Back to Work Under Mill
tary Protection.
EAST ST.. LOUIS, Ill, April 12.-There
have been a day and night of excitement in
East St Louis All was quiet until half
past Friday afternoon, when posse
of afteen armed deputies in the pay of
the Louisville s. Nashville Railway com
pany, provoked by the taunts of men, wo-
men and children, fired upon an unarmed
crowd at the Broadway crossing of the
Louisville & Nashville road. Seven per-
sons were either killed instantly or received
wounds from which they died later, and
four were seriously injured. When their
work was done the deputies fed for their
lives One was caught and beaten nearly
! to death by the mob. The rest escaped,
most Of them seeking safety at
the Four Courts in St Louis, where they
were locked up. The shooting caused the
most intense excitement, and the strikers
and their sympathizers were thirsty for re-
venge. With the greatest difficulty the
leaders of the Knights of Labor persuaded
the men to restrain themselves. No further
violence was enacted. On being informed
of the situation Governor OglesbY at once
ordered eight militia companies to the scene.
Friday night orders were issued to two
panies arrived from Decatur, Springfield
and Nashville early in the evening, and it
was thought their arrival would quell all
riotous pro ee3angS
A few monlcnts before midnight fire
broke out in the Louisville & Nashville
yards, several cars being fired at about the
same time East St Louis has no fire de-
partment, and in response to an appeal from
Mayor Joyce two engines were sent over
from St Louis The strikers did nothing
until the fireman had got their hose laid and
gone to work Then they commenced cut
ting the hose and intimidating the tiremen.
These threats had the desired effect, and the
-firemen returned to st. Louis, leaving the
fire in possession.
Soon after the fire in the Louisville &
Nashville yards had broken out flames shot
into the air in the neighborhood Of the Cairo
Short line yards. Several cars had been
fired in there and the flames had spread
from them to the Cairo Short line round
house. Simultaneous with the appearance
of flames at this point fire broke out at
three other points, and it looked as though
all the railroad property in the town was to
be destroyed. The strikers went around
carrying clubs and pistols, and no one saw
fit to interfere with them The militia were
not visible at any stage of the proceedings.
THE VICTIMS.
As usual the dead were innocent specta-
tors, the strikers escaping almost to a man.
Subioined is the list of the dead: Oscar
Washington, painter, % years old, married,
shot through. the breast; John Boner, en-
ploye of the city water works; 26 years old,
shot through the heart; Pat Driscol, track
man, % years old, shot through the abdo-
men; unknown man, shot on Dyke Avenue
bridge and fell into Cahokia creek, body
not recovered; G.. E. Thompson, resident of
St Louis, shot through the groin on the
bridge approach; Mrs. Mary Pfeiffer, house
wife, shot through the back; Maj. Hickman,
deputy, - years old, shot through the
shoulder and badly wounded, has since died.
The wounded are: James A. Chesney, dep
nty marshal, resident of Nashville, Ills,
shot through the leg and skull fractured;
Gussis Clinehein, aged Z years, shot in the
hip, not dangerous; Mayor Maurice A.
Joyce, collar bone fractured by blow from
gun; Tom Murray, a boy, shot in the
mouth.
BEGINNING OF THE TROUBLE
As near as can be ascertained the trouble
ct the bridge occurred as follows: The posse
Of deputies guarding a man, halted at this
point, because of the crowd, which began to
get very, abusive, applying insulting
spithets and daring them to shoot The
man called "Cowboy" vas with the deputies,
and he was picked out as special target
.f0rRhusn Tho posse carried their guns in
their hands, and when the center of the
,trestls was reached they halted and formed
inte line. From the position they occupied
they had a full command of Dyke avenue
bridge and Broadway crossing The crowd
was entirely exposed. many sitting other
standing, but nobody offering any violence
Just ct that moment When the posse
halted they were ebzut Thirty yards
from the crowd, and ths man who
bad first spoken, and whose name is
Hewlett, ordered the crowd to disperse.
This order was received with jeers and
daughter, and several young men and boys
ffteen yards south Of the crowd, and the
same distance from the posse, picked up
stones and hurled them at the deputies.
Several of the mea wers bit and the boys
retreated behind the switch-house and CON
tinued throwing the missiles At this
moment John Boner, an employe of the
city water works, standing at the east end
OF the Dyke avenue bridge, stopped to pick
up a stone. The deputy called the Cow
boy" saw the move, and raising his Win
chester deliberately took elm for q second
and then fred. Boner dropped on the
bridge, shot through the heart. Then the
firing became general
The greatest excitement Immediately pre-
vailed and panderaonium reigned. The
crowd fled in every direction and the depu-
ties realizing how fearful was the result of
their fire, sought msans Of escape by rush
ing for the bridge, with view Of fleeing to
this city. At The approach, and just at the
bridge tower on the other side, they were
met by Mayor Joycs, City Clerk Canty, and
third man, who seized the deputies guns
and endeavored TO turn them back. One OF
the deputies, 4. 4. liz ..4 terror. fired upon the
trio, killing man named c. E. thompson, !
who stood between Joyce and Canty Some
shots were fred by. the remaining deputies
at tbs approaching strikers, and all started
over the bridge
THE SHOOTING DEPUTIES STORY,
Mr.. Hewlett, who was in charge of the
posse which commenced the firing, said the
posse was in the Louisville & Nashville
yards and the strikers at the Market street
crossing I'VE ran the train through all
fight, but after we got 1t through the
trouble commenced. A fellow called out to
Sam Jones, one Of the deputles, You red
headed L., we won't allow you to live to
gst out ~ Of town. / arrested the
man and ordered the crowd
30 disperse. Stones were then thrown
snA one came by my shoulder Here Hew-
So - kS.ww f~H