Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-04-04
! 7''s's { les TO BLOOD. !
The officers and the Strikers Have
a Desperate Fight Within Sight
Of Fort Worth,
Deputy Dick Townsend Killed, and Of
flcers FaIford and Sneed Wounded
One Striker Shot.
Three Companies OF Rangers on Their
Way Here--Citizsns Arminy-stirrlng
Scenes and Incidents.


Way nere--citizsns ArminS-stlrrlnG
scenes and Incidents.
Yesterday was the fateful day in the history
OF the great railroad strike which thoughtful
people have long expected. For days passion
has been az war with reason In the minds of
hundreds of men thrown cut OF employment
and yeterday desperation achieved its triumph
and wrought Its perfect work. The arst des.
perate contest between the officers OF
the law and the strikers took place
yesterday Afternoon, about l2.45 O'Clock. at Tho
junction of the Fort Worth n New Orleans rail.
road with the Missouri Pacific. about two miles
south Of the Unlon depot,
THE BKGiSNiN0 or IA.
The announcement that tho Missouri
Pacific would make another attompt to
get ont n freight trim drew q large
crowd to the Missouri Pacific yards yes.
terday morning. AS tho hours advanced IL
continued to Increase, until at least BOZ men
were congregnted on or about the grounds.
Tho entire force OF deputy shurils and nearly
all the policemen OF tho city were stationed
along the track, which was kept clenr OF the
spectators and strikers, who presented almost
q solid mass Cor siyera yards on either
side. lnjunctons had been served
on Tho leaders OF the Knights
Friday evening and yesterday morning TO 70.
stain them from going on the company prop.
erty, and the only feature of the day up 20 le
O'Clock consisted In the enforcement OF these
A number OF the parties oHiolnod persisted Ia
standing on the crossing declaring
company but belonged 70 the county. Thus
the morning wore away with but little de.
tnrbance ono OF the kntghts approached
sheriff Maddox aud told him that they had de-
liberated over he matter, ana determined to
make no further Effort tn prevent trains from
moving at this point, and asked that injuue
ri Ma Ia. lH4N
been ,pplied FOR fhould not he
Issued This seems now 10 have been a rusc
70 lure the officers into u feeling IL security.
The FIRST inoica lon Of trouble came Wien the
Missouri Pacific engine and cabOose. guarded
by number OF officers, backed out through the
yards on rs way 70 Hodge, whero
to Alyarado, The leaders Of tho
strikers were frequently observed IN whispered
convcrsati n, ana they gradually hut quiet!y
LETT until but few Of the most prominent
leaders remained short time before the
train came IN from Hodge spikes were
driven in the switch rails 10 prevent
them from being moved, and as II approached
the town It's guard was reinforced by squad
Of Officers. AZ l.:So o'elock 1t pulled through
the yard ut an unusual gate. No demonstra.
ton OF any sort was made, but
QUEER INCIDENT
happened which may or may not have been
prophecy. few minutes before the whistle
of the engine was heard, two wOmen crossed
oyer the track on foot from the wet slide and
stationed themsclNes just south OF the street
When the locomotive was about fifty yards
distant from her one OF the women sprAng upoo
the track ana rufnrled a littlcr red dag which she
waved above her head. No attention WIS paid
to her by the train men, and the bell OF the ad
yanclng engine warned her TO leave the track,
hut she rekolutely maintained her nueltlop un
III the pilot almost touched her drcee, when
her female companion pulled .bor away.
The woman who held the lag was Mrs Hagan
and II IL understood that she Is the wife of ono
of the knights. After the fatal collision at tho
junction, Il Knight was heard 20 remark Tint
fhp EionAl had piVnu tin1nlv ft,r NJ
what was in store for the officers.
The tram made no stop here, but pulled
through NE yard and by the DEPOT merely
sns ' of rsIIe f escaped nS S0pS ocora
and conservative spectators who believed that
tho treacherous calm which always precedes
the storm.
AZ near as can be summed up from mnny
statements which necessarily differed In mui.
tltude OF details The GAZETTE gives The his
tory Of oo,.d the desperate hs9t between
the train approached the junction Of the
Fort Worth * New Orleans the engineer no
stopped the trfin Fonr men were stand
ing TO the right n short distance from the
switch, and fiye men We're re-
dstant to the lot teasJ, viii wncheyste qs
across their laps Oilicers Fuiford, CouftrIght,
Townsend, Thomasou and Sneed, Who
were on The engine jumped Of and and
switch for turning H. The prisoners were
searched and found unarmed. Onlcef Townsend
was placed In charge OF them. The men ia the
gully were then requested 10 lay down their
guns COPYRIGHT at the same time oxclaiming,
"foR GODS SAKE DON'T SHOOT"
The answer was q voiley from the Winches-
tcrs. 1t seems that Townsend was the victim
of this fire, being shot Just above
the heart. The officers replled with
thp firing DpCumn weneTal. (1filePr Eul-
ford was the second ylclifn OF the strikers
Wiuchesters, and Onicer Charley sneed soon
followed him 10 the ground. Each OF these
Kept firing after they were wounded. Town
&c ID emptied one pistol and crawled into the
cab Fuford did not draw his pistol until q
cartridge passed through both MS legs, which
happened very soon after the fret gun was
fred. lie emplied his pistols, and also managed
TO get into the cab. Sneed, who was shot through
the Jaw and mouth, remained on the ground
Onicers O urtlisht, Thomson and Bony
Tucker, who ran mp IRON one Of the cohl
cars, oontinned the light In front, while tue dep
utes'statio aed along the train, one 10 each car,
brought their pistols to bear upon the men IN
the grass. The advantage, however, wRs
all on the side OF the strikers, who
were beyond the range OF six shooters.
They had double advantage In n division Of
thelr forces, "A number of men-iu Just how many
no one could tell-being hid behind lumber
pile between the two tracks and almost directly
In front of the engine Thusthe officers were
| subjected TO a cross IRE The four men who had
been captured at the outset Escaped AZ the
lasted twelve or fifteen minutes the strikers
desisted, and the officers boarded the train,
which Was backed up TO tue round -houst.
THE WOUNDED srIiIkER.
Within thirty minutes after the night GA
zErTE reporter was on the scene
where It occurred The officers thought
that az least two OF the strikers were killed,
butt only disaster that could be traced TO
I their side was the woundiug OF Tom Mace,
! formerly bostler Ia the Texas Pacific round
house. Nacc's frends placed MIN IN an express
1 wagon and drove him TO his homo. u short die
lance east OF the Union depot. Or
Cooper WAS called IN and dressed ~.
wound, which was found 10 be a bullet hole
| through the Right thigh breaking the bone
| About o'ripck In tile afternoon The 0nlceri
took Mace 10 charge ana placed him IA The
county jan
Only few of their comb itants were rccOg
niEed by the officers. The leader seemed 10 be II
/ Harding, q carpenter OF this city. who was Oh
served short tlme before the 1ght passing the
] Texas Pacific freight depot IN company wtti
two other indiyi iaals, an OF them carry inl
guns. Oncer Fnlford Is positive that he wa
shot hy Harding. Tie man who dis
The most shooting sas trask Pierce
kept fmeli confectionery aud peanut Htand y
various portions Ut the Gown. jie has hut on
arm but ne loaded aud cmpiied his wincnesle
with nonchaiance and difpatch which inyokes
tile Gdmiratlon e mol tho approval OF the ON
GERS. The only individual recognized besides
these and the wounded man, hace, was Johi
quickly In pursuit. OF lha nien engaged IN M
ight bus returned without 4ndinE any o. tnen,
rhe news q ne sIl3ke spFeeq qnic y! exs
Crowds hocsed - he ds2oi anil 100 people
\ bed eafhr1ea inFre ana al7at me lafqs
s s',sssH s ss1as tWs hasdy>a ToSa ~
fsnsI VIE s'ss h s.s.s fs ~'.s
1 naasi fi6ts. sSf AZ sFS sssssass
" ~ Lniyn sieNpk 81 .f' t4tt y - 2. ee.