Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-04
SHOT DOWN BY STRIKERS.
A BLOODY BATTLE IN THE LA
BOR WAR AT FORT WORTH.


An Ohdcer of the Law Already Dead
from his Wounds and Two others ny
ing-An Attempt to Run Train Across
n Switch PreCipitstes the Trouble
The Whole City up in Arms.
FORT WORTH, TEX, April S.--What
had been predicted has come to pass.
The striking Knights Of Labor and the
officers of the law have met in deadly con-
tiict. Two officers fatally wounded and
third shot through both hips, are the cas-
ualties on the side OF the law. or
the strikers, as far as can be
aseertained, only one has been
wounded. 1t was announced yesterday
by the officers of the Missouri Pacific
Railroad Company that trains would
move to-day or that there would be blood
shed. The strikers, on the other hand,
had put it down as settled that no trains
would be allowed to pass over the Mis-
souri, Pacific line until the de-
mand OF the strikers for
arbItration was conceded. 1t will be re-
membered that there are only six men
among the strikers here who were form
erly employed by the Missouri Pacific, the
Missouri Pacific and the Texas Pacific
having pooled their Fort Worth business,
so that freight was handled, and trains
moved almost exclusively by the Texas
Pacific employees. The places of these
men have long been filled, but they dared
not make fight on the Texas Pacific, be-
cause that road is in the hands OF re-
celVers.
SERVING wRITs.
Last night the sheriff and his deputies
were busily engaged in serving writs OF
injunction against the strikers and their
cOnfederates, and by the time this morn
ing dawned most of them had received an
official notice to keep away from the yards
of the Missouri Pacific railway and We're
warned against interfering with the
servants OF the company in their efforts
to take out trains. The effect OF the writs
was to keep the yards clear, and at
O'Clock this morning not man save en-
ployes could be seen In them. In the
streets, however, near the yards. could be
seen knots of men who had collected TO
see what would be done. To-day at 10
O'Clock the officers began to collect at the
Union depot. and numbers Of them were
stationed in the yards. AT 1918 O'clock
a dozen or more of them went to the
rOundhouse, and in a few
minutes engine No. 81, loaded
down with armed officers pulled out and
steamed up to the Missouri Pacific yards.
AS it ratified past the crowd collected on
either side Of the road, derisive cheers
went UP from u hundred tbroats, but not
man attempted to interfere with the
movements of the engine or to prevent it
! from coupling on 70 the caboose which
was standing on the side track.
AWAITING TIE TRAIN.
Having done this, fne engine was run
on to the main track and then backed up
the road TO Hodge, from which point it
was to pun 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 vari-
ous ways. The raw weather could not
scatter them, and the men, wrapped in
heavy Overcoats, we're continuously
stamping their feet to warm. At 1880
O'Clock the engine left Hodge, and at II :35
O'Clock steamed into the yards. The train
consisted Of q caboOse and ten cars loaded
with coal. AS the train approached Six
teen'h street the crowd yelled out, but
halted on the line of the right-of-
way and remained there, Not
man made a move toward the
train, but at the lower end of the yard
three women, the wives Of strikers, ap-
peared on the track, one of them armed
with red flag, which she waved as
signal Tor the engineer TO stop. No atten-
tion was paid to this and the train passed
on and by the Union depot, and cOntIn-
ued on its journey south.
THE BATTLE BEGUN.
The suggestive silence that marked the
passage of the freight train through the
city was not without it's sequel. When
the train left the depot it was under the
protection of posse of II officers, CON-
manded by jim COurtwTight, special dep
uty United States marshal. Some Of the
officers were deputy marshals and others
members of the regular police force. The
train proceeded slowly TO the crossing
of the Fort Worth and New Orleans rail-
way, about a mile and a half south OF
town. The train stopped as IS customary
before crossing. The switch was found
open, and two men stood near the cross
ing. Officers approached the switch, and
as they did so they discovered five men
with Winchester rifles partly concealed
in the weeds few yards distant. The
entire posse advanced towards the men
IN ambush. They had reached the ditch
alongsIde the track when they
ordered the throwing up Of
hands. The command was obeyed,
but as the hands came up they brought
Winchester rifles. The officers were
armed only with reyolYers. They de-
manugu the SURRENDER OF tne strikers.
Both sides opened fire almost simultane-
ously, there being not more than lapse
OF two seconds between the time the first
and second shots were fred. AS 10 which
side fred first eye witnesses differ. After
the first fire the posse advanced and con-
tinued firing.
THE STRIKERS ENrRENCHED.
The strikers retreated behind some piles
of ties, which formed most excellent
breastworks, and from the security Of
which they poured a murderous lire into
the posse. The casualties among the
posse were found 10 be three.
Police officer Fulford was shot through
both Thighs.
Special officer Dick Townsend was shot
twice through the lett breast near the
nipple. He died at $3.50 o'clock.
Special officer Charles Sneed was shot
through the throat and Jaw. His wounds
are fatal. Doctors Yoecker and Farrar,
OF the Missouri Pacific Hospital. say that
sneed and Fulf0rd cannot possibly sur
yiye.
Only one Of the strikers, Tom Mace,
switchman, was wounded. He Is said 10
be shot through the groin.
About 80 shots were fred In all, when
the posse, seeing IL was useless 10 fight
Winchesters with revolvers, placed the
wounded officers aboard the train and re.
turned to the Union depot. The strikers
remained at the scene OF conflict for some
time after the train returned 70 the city.
when they secured the Winchester OF
their wounded e0mrada. aud atnrtad off