Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-30
WHITES VS.. BLACKS.
Miners Troubles i'm the State
of Washington.
A Serious Riot at the Franklin
COlliery.
At Least One Thousand Shots Re-
ported Exchanged.
Two white Men Killed and Two Women
and Negro wounded-The Militia
on Guard-Intense Ex-
citement.
Associated Press Dispatches.

SEATTLE, June 29.-Companies B and
d. First regiment, national guard, left
for the Franklin coal mines on special
train at | O'Clock this morning.
Matters at Franklin assumed still
more threatening form during the day,
and Colonel @. j. Haines wired to this
city for another company OF militia to
report at once and to bring more ammu-
milton, camp equipage and rations for a
weeks service. No trouble occurred
today.
Porter Robinson, one of the mine
bosses, was brought to this city today by
military guard, charged with killing
Tom Morris and Ed J. Williams, leaders
of yesterdays riot. The first authentic
information concerning the riot was re-
.ceived today in the following special to
the Post-Intelligencer from Franklin:
At least 1000 shots were fired in the
riot yesterday, which lasted about thirty
minutes, and resulted in the death of
Tom Morris, white striker, who was
killed instantly, and Ed J. Williams,
who was shot through the abdo-
men and died six hours later,
and the wounding of four strikers, two
women and one colored guard. The
trouble commenced with the return of
the train at 40 p. M, from Newcastle,
which contained a number of Sullivan
men who had escorted load OF negroes
to the latter mining camp. The guards
say when the train was pulling into
Franklin it was fred upon by some OF
the white miners in ambush, and that
while no one was hurt the bullets
whistled through the windows Of the
train at lively rate. The guards re-
turned the fire from the windows. and
the engineer, seeing the dan
ger, put his train under
full head of steam and ran into
the depot which is on one side of the
dead lines. When the train had stopped
the white miners commenced firing
upon the negro camp. They were be-
were on the fiat below and on the hill
above them The -ncsroes w~a1t pcrfrut-
~ wild, and all the efforts OF Deputy
Sheriff Stretch and the guards could not
restrain them. They kept within the
camp lines, and poured volley after vol
ley upon the miners ON the flats, who
replied with equally as much vgor. The
miners on the hill kept up a good fire,
but were answered shot for shot by the
negroes.
During the fusillade Porter Robertson,
manager of one OF the pit boxes in the
mine, who had refused to go out with
the white miners, was standing at the
company's office when he heard the ter
rified cries of some women at his house
on top of the hill. Looking UP he saw
two men with rifles near the house, and
as the white miners had threatened to
kill him because he continued to work
for the company, he came to the con-
clusion that they meditated some act of
violence upon the women of his house.
He ran up the hill and while he was
running the men fired upon him three
or four times before he reached the house.
He secured his rife, and coming out of
the house opened fire upon the men.
One shot hit Morris in the temple and
he dropped dead. Another shot hit Ed
j. Williams and entered his abdomen.
Williams ran about twenty rods before
he fell Seeing the effect OF his work,
Robertson went to the company's Office, |
told Deputy Sheriff Stretch what he had
done, and delivered himself up. He was
kept under guard until the arrival OF the
/ special train from Seattle.
Ed Williams, who was shot in the alb
domen, lived about six hours and before
he died made statement of the shoot
ing, which conformed in its principal |
details to that of Robertson.
The negroes were about to make a
charge upon the miners upon the lower
land when they were intercepted by DR..
j. j. Smith and some other men. These |
men pleaded and argued, and at last |
prevailed upon the colored men to with
draw to their quarters.
When the firing had ceased, excite
ment was intense. The negroes gath |
cred about in groups. and thoroughly
aroused, swore that a thousand men
could not take the camp. Through the
efforts of the guards the negroes were
induced to lay down their
arms, and while they consented to
this, they paraded up and down the
camp in manner which showed that
they were ready to continue the fight at
a moments notice. The white miners
the greatest part of their anger seemed
to be directed at Porter Robertson, who
had shot down two of their men. They
deny firing upon the train and say that
the trouble was not started by them.
They also say that the negroes did the
greater part OF the shooting.
Mrs. Thornhorn, who was shot in the
arm and breast, is an elderly lady
and suffered greatly from her
wounds. The doctor, however. is
of the opinion that she will recover.
Miss Annie Wilson. who was shot in
the leg, has painful but not dangerous
wound.
The wound of Ben Garrison, me-
gro who was shot, is not necessarily ia
tai.
Ed Williams was a young man about
20 or 21 years of age.
Two companies, and d of the First
regiment, arrived here at A 80 O'Clock
this morning, and about forty other men
arrived this afternoon to reinforce the
companies, bringing with them ammu-
milton and camp equipage. During the
day excitement has been very high, and
the militia is camped between the OPP
posing forces andlwill keepsthem from
coming together. /