St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-10
HURRIED TO DOOM.
East st. Louis Deputies Fire Into
an Excited Crowd,
And PreCipitate Riot Of Large
Dimensions,
In Which Nine Persons Lay Down
Their Lives.
Illinois Militia Rapidly Sent to the
Scene.
The Mayor of st. Louis Closes ALI
Saloons
Very Few Strikers Among the Killed and
Wounded.
Red Riot in East ST. Louis.

ST. LOUIS, April 9.-Ever since the rail-
road employees in East st. Louis ceased
work IN support of the striking Knights on
the Gould Southwestern system rumOrs OF
riots and bloodshed have daily gained cir
snlation, but until to- day no serious conflict
has occurred. The county sheriff has sworn
i'll numerous deputies, and upon several oc-
caSiOnS has brought TO that city bodies OF
armed men to suppress an anticipated at
tack on railroad yards and their protectors.
Upon one occasion only, however, has the
presence of these men been really needed,
and the railroads have, with some
few exceptions done their usual
business. To-day opened with but
little prospect of serious trouble, although
some OF the strikers intimated that the
roads would find it less easy to move trains
than they had anticipated, and early in the
morning the yards presented an animated
scene. Switch engines were running back
ward and forward making up trains; plat
form men were busy loading and unloading
freight, and trains were arriving and de-
parting without any interference. This
condition of affairs continued till noon. and
it was thought the day would pass without
hour, however, the trouble which afterward
grew to such alarming proportions began.
A number of strikers, without apparently
having formed any
PRECONCERTED PLAN,
congregated at the relay depot and began a
discussion of the general situation. AS
time passed their number was augmented
until the original knot of men increased to
fully 200 The discussion became ami
mated and the crowd more demOnstrative,
until some one proposed that they go to the
Louisville q Nashville yards and drive out
the men employed there. The cry of son
to Nashville yard!' was caught up and
the crowd advanced. AS they proceeded
their numbers again increased, some joining
the mob simply as spectators, while others
were in full sympathy with the movement
until from 800 to 400 were advancing to-
wards the yards. Arriving there they
swarmed into the yards and persuaded the
lnen at work to desert their posts
The crowd remained in the yards
for some time, and although considerable
excitement prevailed no violence was re-
sorted to. Just at this time, however, a
Louisville & Nashville freight train was
slowly passing guarded by eight deputy
sheriffs armed with Winchester rifles. In
children had congregated IN Broadway,
where the Louisville & Nashville tracks
cross the street. and also upon the Broad
way bridge. which spans the Cahokia
creek, and in the open space to the east.
Just as the train reached the Broadway
crossing the trouble began. The crowd on
the bridge began to yell and jeer at the of
ficers. and it is asserted stones were thrown
which struck two or three OF them, and il
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 be-
ing killed and one woman mortally
wounded.
THE DEAD ARE:
PATRICK DRISCOL, a Wabash section
hand, not q striker.
OSCAR WASHINGTON, q painter, not @
striker.
JOHN BONNER, a coal miner, not g
striker.
MAI. RYCHMAN, mill employee, not g
striker.
MRS. PREFER. supposed to be the wife
Of striker, was shot in the back and NOR
tally wounded.
The greatest excitement Immediately pre-
vailed and pandemonium reigned. The
crowd fled in every direction, and when the
deputies realized how fearful was the result
of their fire they sought means of escape,
but rushed for the bridge with view
of fleeing to this city. At the ap.
proach, and just at the bridge tower
Oh the East side, they were met
by Mayor Joyce, City Clerk Canty and q
third man, who seized the deputies guns
and endeavored to turn them back. One o1
the deputies in his terror fired upon the trio
killing a man named G. Z. Thompson, who
stood between Joyce and Canty. Some
shots We're fired by the remaining depute:
at the approaching strikers and all started
over the bridge. The scene on the bridge
was one of the widest confusion and eX
citement. Coal teams and other team:
with wagons were gallOping westward anC
their drivers shouting to all pedestrian:
and teamsters to run back. Women anC
men on foot were running toward the city,
and waving back all they met, while i'm
mediately 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 hid his weapon il
wagon that was in full retreat. On ar
irving in this city, the deputies went a
once to the Chestnut street police station
where after stating the facts they surren
dered to the sergeant in charge, and wer,
taken to the four courts, where they were
placed in custody after giving the follow.
ing names: p. G. Hewlett, john Hague
Sam Jones. John +. Williams, G. Luster
Stewart Martin, George Mamell and w. +
Laird. About half an hour after the shoot
ing, an excited angry mob gathered il
the square between the city hal
and the police station. A maj
named Dwyer, gambler in N
way connected with the strike, becam
a center of a crowd, who cheered the in
cendiary statements which he uttered
He urged the men to chang and kill,
and was in the midst Of an appeal to tn
mob to follow him to the Ohio & Mis-
sissippi depot to hunt the deputy sheriffs
when John w. Hayes, member of tn
general executive committee. Knights o
Labor, NJ. O'Neill, and Knight of Labo
Brown arrived from this side. Mr.. Brown
who travels with the general board in tn
capacity of Knights of Labor orator an,
lecturer. mounted the stairs leading to tn
police station and yelled at the mob 70
attention, but the infuriated men answers
him with
''HANG THE CURsw
kill himl' Mr.. Hayes. who was stand
ing at Browns side, turned to prominen
knight and asked him to introduce MI
Brown to the mob as the representative O
the General executive committee. The ma
replied, in frightened manner, ''If l d
they will hang me-" Brown turned on hiI
and said: Yes if you don't they Ough
to hang you." Then turning to the mol