Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-23
nrF,-e N TORCH.

because They Were HOOtcd Ask FER
sons Killed. Among Them IL Woman
Many Wounded-Troops Sent t" the
Scene-Thr Torch Applied by the Mob
and Much Railway Property Destroyed.
ST.. Louis, AurA 1O.-The first blood to
be spilled ;s II result OF the railroad
| troubles in East st. Louis was shed there
at three O'Clock yesterday afternoon,
when IL group of Sheriff Ropiequet's dep
| uties, sworn in and armed to take the
| places OF his regular men, who had been
| sent back to Bclleville Thursday night,
fired into the crowd OF strikers and specta-
tors who had gathered near the Cahokia
! creek bridge, and killed six persons, while
two are MORALLY wounded and Others
badly hurt. The killed are:
Pat Driscol, employee of the water works;
! Oscar Washington, u painter; John Bob
| man, IL water-works labofer, not u striker;
C. Z. Thompson; unknown man shot at
! the bridge approach: Mrs. John Pfeltfer;
Major Rychman.
All was quiet until half-part two in the
| afternoon. when a posse OF fifteen armed
deputies in the pay of the Louisville g.
Nashville Railway Company, provoked
by the taunts OF men, women and chill
dren, fired upon an unarmed crowd
at the Broadway crossing OF tho
Louisville & Nashville road. A scene
vi tIiC w CSIIol t1lll ioi-
| lowed. Mrs. John Pici!er, IL middlc-aged
woman, who was just returning home from
Il shopping expedition with her husband,
| stepped on the bridge just as the first shot
was fired and almost Immediately fell
mortally wounded, a rifle ball passing
clean through her body. She died within
an hour. In the crowd were quite 81 num-
Der Of women and small boys II be-
gan to scream, and a. stampede i'll all
directions followed. The deputies emptied
their Winchestcrs and continued to fire
their revolvers. Pat Driscoll, q Wabash
section hand, and John Bonner, IL coal
miner, neither OF them a striker, were the
next to fall, and died on the bridge. Major
Rychmann, n rolling-mill employee, in no
way connected with the strike. was shot in
the head and shoulder, and has since
died, and a young girl named kleinnan
WAS wounded.
The greatest excitement Immediately
prevailed and pandemonium reigned. The
crowd fled in every direction and the dep
uties, realizing how fearful was the result
OF their fire, sought means of escape by
rushing for the bridge, with q view OF fee
ing to this city. AT the approach, and just
atthc bridge tower on the east side, they
were met by Mayor Joyce, City Clerk
| CAVITY and a third man, who seized the
deputies guns and endeavorcd to turn them
back. One OF the deputies, in his terror,
fired upon the trio, killing Il man named e.
u. Thompson, who stood between Joyce
and CAVITY. Some shots were fired BY the
remaining deputies at the approaching
strikers, and all started over the bridge.
The scene on the bridge. was one OF the
widest confusion. Coal teams and other
teams with wagons were galloping vest
ward, and their drivers shouting to all Pc
destrians and transfers to run back.
| Women and men on foot were running
toward the city and waving back all they
met, while Immediately behind came the
deputies pursued by the vanguard of
the crowd from East st. Louis. One
OF the frightened guards threw
his gun into the river, while another Ind
his weapon in a ago that was in full re-
treat. On arriving in this city the deputies
went at once to the Chestnut street police
station, where, after stating the facts, they
surrendered to the sergeant in charge and
were taken to the -Four Courts, where they
were placed i'll custody. Their names are:
p. G. Hewlett, John Hogue, Sam Jones,
John +. Williams, G.. Luster, Stewart Mar
tin, George Marncll and w. L. Laird.
Some of the deputies who failed to escape
with those who He'd to this city were chased
by the crowd into the freight warehouse
and offices OF the Louisville & Nashville.
The warehouse was surrounded by an i'm
mense crowd. WHO hooted and yelled and
urged the men to attack the strong
hold and drive the deputies out.
Men went among the crowds urging
Others to procure arms and shoot all the
deputies they could find. Some OF the
deputies, watching their opportunity,
slipped out and worked their way among
the freight cars unobservcd. A Louisville
4 ~ Nno5,,;lJn f,1;,1 49, I..l, l~-~ 800.
side the platform, and took away the
Others to a place ofsafety. Two were sighted
by the strikers who had procured arms
and were chased under the bridge. One
OF them WAS caught in front OF Toney's
house on the levee, and was beaten to
death by the mob; another was reported
to have been shot as he was escaping
under the approach to the bridge. The
other deputies escaped unharmed.
a few OF the more violent strikers, after
arming themselves, announced their inte,-
tion OF attacking the deputies on guard at
the Ohio 4 Mississippi yards, and adj
vanced in that direction. When neal the
yards they were met by several deputies
and fired upon. One of their number is
said to have been killed, but his name is
unknown.
On being informed of the situation Gov
ernor Oglesby at once ordered eight militia
companies to the scene. Later orders
were issued to two more companies. Sew
eral military companies arrived from De-
catur, Springfield and Nashville carly in
the evening, and it was thought their ar
rival would quell all %riotous proceedings.
ST. LOUIS. April 1O.-A few moments be.
fore midnight fire broke out in the Louis
vile e. Nashville yards, several cars being
fired at about the same time. East st.
Louis has no fire department, and in
response to an appeal from Mayor
Joyce two engines were sent
over from ST. Louis. The strikers
did nothing until the iiremen had got their
hose laid and gone to work. Then they
commenced cutting the hose and intimi-
dating the'dilcmen. These threats had the
desired effect, and the tircmen returned to
st. Louis. leaving the fire in possession.
Soon after the fire il the Louisville e.
Nashville yards had broken outfamess 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 ear of
flames at this point fire broke out ut three
other points. and it lookcd as though all
the railroad property in the town was to