The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-04-16
SHOT By SHERIFFS
A Reign Of Terror In East St
Louis.
Deputy sherins, After Being Guyed. Fire
Into the Mob, killing Several Persons
-Intense Excitement-TheD epu-
ties Chased For Their Lives
-Incendiarism.

ST. LOUIS, April 10-Great excitement
was occasioned by events that occurred over
the railroad strike in East St Louis yester-
day afternoon. Four deputy sheriffs
stationed at the Louisville & Nashville
yards, near Broadway, fired into Q crowd of
800 strikers about $3.50 p. m. Five men
and one woman were shot Three Of the
men were killed and the woman was sup
posed to be mOrtally wounded. It appears
that number Of striEerA without
apparently having formed any pre-
concerted plan. congregated at the
Relay depot and began Q discussion
Of the general situation. As time
passed their numbers was augmented until
the original knot OF men increased to fully
200. The discussion became more animated
and the crowd more demOnstrative until
some one proposed that they 20 to the
Louisville 4 Nashville yards and drive out
the men employed there. The cry ION to
the Nashville yards was caught up and
the crowd advanced. As they proceeded the
numbers again increased, some joining the
men simply 40 spectators, while others were
in full sympathy with the movement, until
from 800 to 500 were advancing toward the
yards.
THE SHOOTING.
Arriving there, they swarmed into the
yard and persuaded the men at work 10 de-
sert their posts. The crowd remained In
the yards for some time, and although con-
siderable excitement prevailed no violence
was resOrted to. Just ut this time, how
ever. a Louisville & Nashville freight train
was slowly passing, guarded BY eight
deputy sheriffs. armed with Winchester
rifles. In the meantime crowds of men,
women and children had congregated on
Broadway. where the Louisville & Nash
vile tracks cross the street, and also
upon the Broadway bridge, which
spans the CahOkia creek. and in
the open space to the east just as
this train reached the Broadway bridge the
trouble began. The crowd on the bridge
began To yell and jeer at the officers, and it
Is asserted stones were thrown. which
struck two or three of them, and it is also
said that pistol was discharged. The
deputies Immediately leveled their rifles
and fired two vOlleys into the crowd on the
bridge with fatal effect, four men being
killed and one MORALLY wounded. The
dead are: Patrick DriscOll, Wabash sec
ton hand, not striker; Oscar Washington,
a painter, not striker; Major Rychman.
said to be the wife of striker, was shot
In the back and MORALLY wounded.
THE MOB EXCITED.
The greatest excitement Immediately pre-.
vailed and pandemOnium reigned. The
crowd fled in every direction aud when the
deputies realized how fearful was the re-
suit of their fire, they sought means of es-
cape by rushing for the bridge, with view
Of fleeing to this city. At the approach,
and just at the bridge tower, on the east
side, they were met by Mayor Joyce, City
Clerk Canty and third man, who seized
the deputies guns and endeavOred to turn
hem back. One of the deputies, in his
terror, fired upon the trio, killing a man
named C. E. Thompson. who stood between
Joyce and Canty. 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 widest |
confusion and excitement. Coal teams |
Oaded and other teams with wagons were |
westward. and shouting to all |
and teamSters to turn back. |
Women and lnen on foot were running to- |
ward the city and waving back all they met, |
while immediately behind came the depu-
les, pursued by the vanguard of the crowd |
rom East ST. Louis. One of the frightened
guards threw his gun into the river, while
mother HID his weapon I'm a wagon that
vas in full retreat On arriving in this
.ity the deputies went at once to the Chest
nut street police station, where, after |
stating the facts Of the shooting, they sur
endered to the sergeant in charge and were
aiken to the Four Courts. where they
we're placed in custody after giving the fol-
owing names: p. q. Hewlett, John Hague,
sam Jones, John s. Williams, G. Luster,
Stewart Martin, George Marnell, W. F.
laird.
THE FRIGHTENED DEPUTIES
Some of the deputies who failed to es-
ape with those who fled to this city, where
hased by the crowd in the freight ware
lOuse and offices of the Louisville & Nash
lille. The warehouse was surrounded by
IN immense crowd who hoOted and yelled
md urged the men to attack the
and drive out the deputies.
ien went among the crowd urging
thers to procure arms and shoot all the
equities they could find. Some Of the
equities, finding their opportunity, slipped
ut and made their escape among the
right cars unObserved. A Louisville &
Nashville train backed down beside the
re:ght house and took away the others to
place of safety. Two were chased under
he bridge. One of them was caught in
rOnt of TOney's house ON the levee and
eaten to death by the mob; another was
epOrted to have been shot as he was es-
aping under the approach to the bridge.
he other deputies escaped unframed.
INCENDlARY FIRES.
ST. LOUIS, April lO.-Later in the even
NJ two companies of militia, one from
Decatur and one from Nashville, ILL.,, came
n ard were assigned to quarters. Still later
ome excitement was caused by the dis
overy of fire i'm a car loaded with hay In
he Louisville & Nashville yards. but no
amage was done beyond the burning of
he car. About eleven O'Clock fire broke
ut in the Cairo Short Line yard at the
over end of the island, and nleagrr re-
Orts from that locality at midnight
Az three or four cars were burned,
ut no other damage was done. Two
re engines and BabcOck eXtin-
usher were sent over from here soon after
he fire in the Louisville T. Nashville yard,
lul it was through their assistance that nc
lOre property was destroyed. Three more
lilitia companies from Springfield and one
rom Cariinville came in about midnight
AN old-time story of Bronson Al
Oft is good enough to bear repetition.
he philosopher was holding forth one
ay on the benefits of a vegetable diet.
le said that the pork eater gradually
rev to look like hog, and the beef
-, <;,,,. ,<,o,-,l1- III |