The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-04-09
BAD WORK.
The I.awless Excitement Over tho Strike
at Fort Worth, Tex, CulmInates in q
Deed of BIOod--A Train Waylaid and the
OmciaI Escort Fired UpOn--A Sanguinary
Fight--The Awful Results.

Fight--The Awful Results.
Fort WORTH, Tex, April 4.-The
long-expected conflict between the con-
stituted authorities and the lawless ele-
ment that has carried things with such a
high hand here came yesterday.
At IO:l5 a. m. dozen or more officers
went to the round-house, and in a
few minutes engine "a, 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 hundred throats, but not q man
attempted to interfere with the move
ments of the engineer or prevent it from
coupling on to caboose, which was
standing on a side-track. Having done
this, the engine was run on the main
track and then backed up the road to
Hodges, from where it was to pull a
freight into the city. For nearly two
hours the crowd awaited the return of
the engine with the train from Hodges
As the minutes rolled by they amused
themselves in various ways. The raw
weather could not scatter them, and the
men, wrapped in heavy overcoats, were
continually stamping their feet to keep
warm. At IL 80 O'Clock the engine left
Hodges and at Il :35 O'Clock steamed
into the yards. The train consisted of
the caboose and ten cars loaded with
coal. As the train approached Sixteenth
street crowd rolled out, but halted on
the line Of the right-of-way and remained
there.
Not a man made a move toward the
train, but at the lower end of the yard
three women, wives of strikers, appeared
on the track, one of them armed with q
red flag, which she waved as a signal for
the engineer to stop. No attention was
paid to this, and the train proceeded
slowly to the crossing of the
Fort Worth & New Orleans rail-
way, about a mile and half
south of town where it stopped, as is GUS
found open and two men stood near the
crossing. The officers approached the
switch, and as they did so they discOv-
cred five men with Winchester rifles part
ly concealed in the weeds a few yards
distant. The entire posse advanced toward
the men in ambush. They had reached
the switch, alongside the track, when the
chief of the posse of deputies called out
for the fellows to throw up their hands
Instead of complying, the men in am
bush suddenly sprang to their feet, and,
bringing Winchesters to bear, fired vol
ley at the officers. The fire was returned,
and both sides fired again and again; but
their aim must have been bad, Judging
from the results. As the firing proceeded
the mob retreated in very bad order
to a rank of tie timber, enscOnced
behind which they were comparatively
out of danger. They made a momentary
stand there, but were disIodged and broke
on a wild run for the sycamore bottoms
and were soon lost SIGHT of
The deputy sheriffs did not follow
them, but gave their attention to the vic
Tins. It was found that Richard Towns
end, a special deputy sheriff, was shot in
the back as he stood on the engine, the
ball passing through his left lung and
coming out on the left side.
Charles Snecd, another deputy sheriff,
was shot near the ear, the ball coming
out on the opposite side of his head near
his mouth Both of these men will die.
Police Officer John FulfOrd was shot in
both thighs, one of the balls ranging up
ward into his body. His wounds are
dangerous.
Jim COurtwright is claimed to have re-
ceived two bullets through his hat, but
escaped unharmed.
The wounded men were put in the ca
boose of the train and brought back to
the city Fulford, after having his wounds
dressed was taken to his home and the
two other men to the Missouri Pacific
hospital.
About two O'Clock in the afternoon cne
of the strikers, who was in the attacking
party, was brought to the city shot
through the thigh. His name is Tom
Mace. He was a switchman here at the
time the strike began. He was weak, and
constantly called for water. He was
taken to his home, near Polk stock yards,
in the southern part of the city.
1t is stated by parties who were on the
train when the trouble occurred that
three of the strikers fell beneath the fire
of the officers, two of whom did not rise
after falling.
A lady who lives near the spot where
the fight occurred recognized one of the
men who ran off into the river bottom,
and says that he carried a Winchester
rife in each hand. He has been engaged
in the caTpentering business in this city,
and is regarded as an out and out COM
munist. His arrest is only a matter of
time
As to the number of men engaged in
the attack on the train reports are con-
fcting. Some place the number at ten,
others at twenty-five.
The event, of course, caused the wild
est kind of excitement in this city, and the
citizens seemed suddenly aroused to a
realizing sense of the situation. Shortly
after the details of the affair were known
in town about 8 hundred of the best
known citizens congregated at the depot
armed with Winchesters, and announced
that the trains should run at all hazards
if the company desires to run them
The city is raging with excitement, and
the people appear not to know what to
do. Mayor Smith was asked his opinion
on the situation and simply answered
lawful
Mace, the wounded man, was put
in jail in the evening and win be
strongly guarded. No other arrests
have as yet been made. The
Knights of Labor claim that the first shot
was fred by the officers, but the weight
of the testimony is against the PROPOSE
ton. Tim Wilson, who was OH the
engine, and within three feet of Dick
Townsend, who was shot in the back
says positively the first fire came from the
strikers. d. L. Stewart. who was an
eyewitness to the shooting, gives it as
his opinion that the strikers fired first.
Abandoned to Her Fate.
NEW YORK, April 5.-The Capital City