The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-25
DRIVEN OUT OF TOWN
Corey Mobbed and Forced Out
of Wilkeson.
EucTED BY ANGRY MINERS.
Wrought He wanted to Put in Negro
Labor-CompeIled TO walk seven
Miles In the Darkness.

Superintendent T. B. Corey, OF the Oregon
improvement co1npsny's coal mines, returned
from Tacoma yesterday. after very excit-
ing experience on Thursday night at Wilke-
eon. Together with companion he was sur.
rounded BY 800 or 800 angry miners, and was
forced TO march from the town at the point OF
rfxtols The news OF Ir. Corey's thrilling ex-
nerseuce reached the city before his arrival. He
was found by q reporter last evening, and he
gave the following account OF the affair.
sssT had business at the coal mining town OF
Wflkesou, In Pierce county, south OF Seattle,and
] went there last evening arrived in the town
at6:aD o'clock There two mines there: one
Il owned by the Tacoma Coal and Lumber Com
many and the other by the Wiikeson Coal aud
Coke Company. I called on Superintendent
Kelley OF one OF the mines, but not learning all
that desired to know from him, walked to
the lower end of the town and held q consuita-
zion with another gentleman, closing my BUSH
mess with him.
aAsI walked along ! recognized among the
miners employed by superintendent Watkins,
Of the other mine men whom ! had discharged
from the franklin mines. They soon spotted
me end commenced mRttering. Some openly
threatened that they would xiii the -
b. tho time reached tho lower end of town it
was quite warm, and the crowds that followed
and stood about began firing of their revolvers.
FL walked along and paid not the slightest at
36Ulitu u Na4k tt4It HSAS abtuSs FASH
started to return up town again there was more
firing OF Of arms, and Il was even worse than
before.
II vent TO the Williams hotel, where had
previously registered, and ate my supper. I
then went upstairs aud after awhile got word
that the landlady wanted TO see me. went
downstairs an found her oil in q tremble. she
paid:
asYou'n have to get ont of tho hotel, for 400
mon are ready to blow II up. It's all the property
I've got. and they want you.
ave, that Ii myself and friend who accom-
panied me. told her that we did not want to oc-
cas.on her any trouble, and promised to get an
other lodging pace, which We did. We told
Superintendent Kelley about it. and he said we
cnnid occupy room for the night adjoining his
Office Over the offfco were rooms occupied by
family.
.sThe crowd outside grew larger and the NUT
tcriugs became louder and threats were more
numerous, while there was an occasional dis
charge Of firearms Fearing an attack we made
breast work Of the two mattresses that was to
serve us rs Q bed. but we were not allowed TO
sleep. Though our room was dark the angry
miners knew We were IN there. We concluded
there must have been several hundred men out
side, judging from the sound of the voices. We
were prepared, for had two large revoIvers and
my friend wss also in the possession OF two pis-
tols--aii loaded. We could have given them a
warm reception.
aAster awhiIe those outside grew more bold
and we could hear them calling for erowbar
and an axe TO knock in the door of our room.
eome fellow asked: Anybody In there
1--WE woxid not answer, but kept quiet The
question was asked again and again. Finally
some one came 70 the door and said I'm Mr..
Kelley's son. Is 3r. Corey in there?
IL answered him and told him was on hand,
an that II we were attacked by the men we
we're prepared TO receive them. Then he said:
/" You'd better take my advice and get out.
The family upstairs have had to move, and I'M
less you come out the house viii be blown I'M
1--WE were Mr. Kelley's guests, and when he
told u to leave we concluded it was time to do
do %, and asked:
"sWill you guarantee us protection If we
come outY
NO, l viii not, he said, and then man in
the crowd spoke up: IF you'll come out, I'll
guarantee you protection.
I've didn't know who he was, but we con.
clnded that It would be much pleasanter out
among the crowd than In the house and So
without more talk, We held our reyolvers in
readiness, opened the door suddenly and walked
out into the crowd, ready TO defend ourselves IL
assaulted.
"The miners shouted, aud about thirty of
them fred OF their revoivers We were
marched down through the town, and when
We ncared the lower saloon one man ran ahead
nnd notified the crowd there that we were COM
ing. As we passed everybody shouted and
many shots were fred
Beyond the city limits the crowd left us We
had to walk seven mites in the darkness to south
Prairie, and there we took freight train for
Tacoma
IL could go back now and identity nearly
every man who was in the crowd: but do not
Intend TO do so. don't care now that It's over
III did not know why we were treated so M the
time, but I've learned the cause since. The
miners circulated report that intended intro
dncing colored labor IN the wiIkeson mines.
That, however, was not my mission to VIII