New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-04-10
SHOT BY DEPUTY SHERIFFS.
BLOODSHED IN EAST ST. LOUIS.
A VOLLEY FIRED INTO A LAUGHING CROWD
OF PEOPLE.
NOT AsTRlKER HURT, EVEN PERSONS KILLED-THE
MILITIA CALLED oUT-iNCENDIARY
SPEAKERS REBUKED.
rnr TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE. ]

tnY TELEGRAPH TO TIE rKIDUSr.1
EAST ST. LOUIS April "a posse of fifteen deputy
sheriffs armed with Winchester rifles at half-past 2
p to-day fired into crowd Of men, women and
childlen at the Broadway crossing of the Louisville
and Nashville Railroad and killed FIVE men and one
woman and wounded two and child. As usual
the dead innocent spectators, the strikers es-
Gaping almost to a man.
One week ago the Louisville al Nast vile aud the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, not believ-
ing that tte authority of Sheriff Ropiquet was sut
cent to protect their property, inserted the following
advertisement in the county papers along the lines
w .>TED.-Good men 70 go to East st. Louis and
act az deputy marshals for this company. Five dol
lar, day will be paid and board furnished. Only
men OF gIit wanted. Apply at once to the agents OF
the Company.
The result vf this was that all the with fighting
regulations Immediately became impressed with the
idea that tie longed tor opportunity to dis
hnguish themselves The company furnished them
with W nchester rifles and Co.'s rcyolvers, and
brought them aud stationed them in the yards.
No hotel could be tound here willing to harbor them
and thty taken TO ST. Louis tor board and lodg-
ing The presence of these countrymen with their
Winchester rifles over To cir shoulders constant
source of irritation the strikers and when they met
the usual salutation from the strikers was:
"Say, you, would you shoot anybody now, would
yOuf III Won would, Wby we NOulu DhNc 10 HduB you.
These remarks we're mingled with occasional boots
and gibes The remarks wrought some OF the not
tempered deputies up shooting point several
times, but they persuaded by their companions to
hold back their fire. Among the meu in the employ
of the Louisville and Nashville road is short thick
set individual with fierce red musache and broad
brimmed white hat He was known to the strikers by
ebe nickname of Cowboy" Besides his Winchester.
he carried two Colts 45-cabre revovers and large
belt sled with c,rtridges. Hi had been insulted and
subjected to considerable banter for his action OF
Wednesday in holdrg the crowd ut Day IN the LOUIS
vile and Nashville yards and TOR threatening TO XIII
the fIst who entered the freight house. lie had
warned the strikors several times to quit annoying
him. The threats and counter threats tended to in
crease the il-teeling existing between strikers ana
deputes The knowing ones believed that crisis was
hing the deputies we're strictly ordered not
10 allie the conduct OF Wednesday to be repeated.
Broadway is the principal street running east and
west in tue southern portion of tie city and IS con-
tinuat;on of ID, ke-ave. which leads to the bridge
A bridge about fifty yards long and thirty ieet hign
spans Cshokia Creek al Uyke-ave. Broadway begins
at the eastern end of this bridge and from that point
east the street is called DyBe-ave. Cahokia Creek at
this polnt flows north and south. Parallel with the
ea,t SIDE are the tracks of the Louisville and Nash
villa ln,ianapolis and st. Louis, and Cairo Short
Line railroads All of these roads Broadway at
the eastern end of Dyke-aYe bridge. Then the Louis
vile and Nashville aud indianapolis and st. Louis
to the west and across Cahokia Creek on
high trcse about thirty yards south of the DykeaVe
bridg, and tbe Broadway crossing. The crossing the
hridg and the trestle are favorite resorts for the
striker and their sympathIzers and during the DAY
;beIe are usually not less than 200 people In the
neighborhood his morning an incoming coal tram
on the Louisville and Nashv lie unconpled at the
crossing by some unknown person aud the railroad
company hearing of it determined to rlace their depu-
ties 10 guard the crossing. The circumstances OF the
shootinp are here gwen just as they the corre-
spondent of Tar + IBUN beng IN Il crowd when
tbe first ,olley was fired. At hatpast O'Clock the
crowd at The crossing observed the fifteen deputies
nj the Louisville aud Nashville Company coming from
the yards toward the bridge, over Cahoka CreeK'
Dyke-avc bridge the same stream, thirty yards
north was lined with men, many OF them s't'ihg Oh
the brd e railing reading the newspapers with their
backs toward the deputies. Women and ehiidreh
and vehIc, of all descriptions we're constantly pass
;o ,o and fro ChiIdien stood anon the men laugh
ing aud chatting and peerng over tue or'dge Eacn
road has a watcnhoIse III the crossing ana ae tnese
,v.tcbbouscs were gathered strikers and others ois-
cus.ng :naon tie east side OF the tracks past
the c,o.-ng Broadway il lined oy substantial three
ully fifty yards wide and the first house on the east
side l., the Green Tree Hotel three story brick with
a barroom on the first hoor In this open space OF
nftv yards occupied by the tracks was some tnree
hundred men laughing and joking as the deputies
cane marching NJ tow rd the tTestle; business men
IN their shirt seeves policemen aud women could De
among them.
Hugo Ropianet son Of the sheriff, lad charge OF the
oenutles A they reached trcstle over the creek
tb.v were met by curses and told to 90 back One
man replied that they had come up to protect the
trains aud they going TO do it,
"1here is no train here. Go back cried some OF
the crowd.
Do Won want to come up here Kill u.s. as well as
rake away our work ~ said man carrying child age
two, in his arms.
| The crowd began to be abusive The man called
| the cowboy - was with tie deputies ann ne was
picked out as special target for abuse Inc deputies
carried Their guns in their hands and when the centre
of the trestIe was reached they halted and formed
| into line. They had a full command OF DyXe-a'e
| bridge and the Broadway crossing.
The crowd was entirely exposed many sitting, Others
| standinc but nobody Offering any violence. just al
that moment when the posse halted ttey were about
,brtv vards from the crowd and the man who had hrs
noken and whose name is Hewlett. ordered the crowd
| m disnerse Ills order received with jeers and
laughter and several young men and BOYS sitting on
the Caro- Short Line about fifteen yards south
| of the crowd and the same distance from the posse
picked up stones and hurled them at the deputies
Several of the men HIT and the boys retreatec
behind the switch house and continued throwing th'
missiles. At this moment, John Boner. an empoye o
the CITY Water Works standing at the east END oil th
DIXIE ave- bridge stopped to pick up stone The dep
uty called the cowboy saw the move AID raisini
his rifle deliberately took aim for second aud thei
fred Boner dropped on the bridge. shot through tn
heart Then every man in the posse lifting his nm
poured murderous volley into the crowd inning tn'
bridge.
The people fed panicstricken, women and children
being trampei unaer foot and left beside the dea'
and dying.
The posse then turned from the bridge toward u
| Broadway crossing. There was no nnanihity Vi az