Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-07-21
AT THE SCENE OF DISTURBANCE
The Miners and Farmers Force the Mil
tia to Withdraw.

tia to Withdraw.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn, July 2l.-The crisis
in the trouble between the ousred miners
in this district and the convicts who were
brought here from the states prison at
Nashville, has at last been reached
When about 400 armed strikers attacked
the guards who had charge of fifty felons
at Briceville last "Wednesday night and
liberated their charges it was confidently
predicted that this would be but the be-
ginning of general movement through
out the entire state Governor Buchanan
was Immediately notified and responded
by ordering two companies from Chatta-
nooga and one from Knoxville to the
scene. Of the fifty convicts taken from
the guards at Briceville, two ESCAPED and
the Others were brought to this city
The Governors speech to the Rioters.
When the militia arrived they took the
convicts along back with them and warned
the mob that they would protect them at
all hazards. Governor Buchanan at once
proceeded to the seat of trouble and in
speech explained his position to the re-
bellious miners He told them that it
was his sworn duty to uphold the law,
and If the convict lease system was wrong
course of the men was through the legis-
lature. The miners announced that their
families were starving and that they were
compelled to drive out the convicts if it
cost the life of every man in t he valley.
Made Sport of the Militaire.
They made all sorts of fun of the hand
full of beardless youths, but declared that
they would not harm the "spider-legged,
Notwithstanding dudes" as they char
acterized the militia, but that as soon as
the militia was withdrawn they would
release every convict IN the region Be
coming impatient however, at the delay
in recalling they troops the decided to try
to overcome the troops by force of mum
bers, and how they succeeded is related
below.
Surrounded the Briceville Camp.
The troops from Briceville arrived here
at o'clock p. IN. yesterday. They were
all in good spirits, and will return this
morning with reinforcements. The boys
were badly treated by the people of Knox
vile. who seemed to be in perfect sympa-
thy with the lawless element in Coal Greek
valley. At 10 o'clock yesterday morning
zoos miners, farmers, and other natives
who have no occupation at all, took pos
session of the hills around the Briceville
camp. Fifteen hundred of these were
armed with rifles; the rest had shotguns
and pistols. They came from all the mines
within a radius of fifty miles. The organi-
cation was complete, and their leaders
placed them along the hillsides with mill
tary precision.
A Call to Arms and n Farley.
At the call to arms the little garrison
turned out gallantly and prepared for de-
Tense. 1t was apparent at glance that
a fight would result in massacre. A
meeting of the officers was called Some
declared that a stout resistance to the first
attack would be sufficient and the mob
would withdraw Others thought that it
would be suicidal, yet every one was in
favor of doing his duty, notwithstanding
the exposed position they were to defend
The miners called parley and were met
on neutral ground by Colonel SEWER
They stated that they had sufficient force
to overwhelm the soldiers, but did not
care to shed blood if the convicts were
quietly turned over to them.