Huntsville gazette., 1891-05-16
A DESPERATE AFFAIR.

DlOouy DctHcch cAfthCAs GNU 49,
Union Brickmakers at Denver. Col.-One
Man Killed and Several Wounded. Sew
eral Fatally-Stories of the Affair rs
Told by Some of the Participants.
DENVER, Col, May IA desperate
fight took place in the City park at 10
a. IN. yesterday between +. n. Davis,
and E. D. Davis (white) andJc White,
Tom Davis, E. Farris, j. w. Smith and
James Blackburn tcoloredt on one side,
and some fifty or more strikers on the
other. Two men were fatally shot and
about twelve others wounded more or
less seriously. "a.
The fight, which was at close range,
was brought about by the bricknakers'
strike which has been in progress at the
Davis yards for several weeks past
Yesterday morning F. N. Davis and son,
the proprietors of the brick yards, and
five negroes armed with double-bar-
relied shotguns, heavily loaded with
buckshot, started for the yards with
the avowed intention of beginning work
or dying in the attempt
AS they were nearing the yards a
party of strikers, headed by Frank
Sarber. appeared and asked that they
be allowed to talk to the men who
were going to work. Davis replied
that the men did not want to talk and
ordered the strikers to allow his men
to pass
This the strikers would not do, and
Davis and his son and five men opened
fire on the strikers. Thomas Kelly,
was shot in the small of the back and
died two hours later. The more serious
ly injured are: John Ridenour shot in
the back, fatally wounded; Frank Surber
shot in the right arm, necessitating
amputation; may die; Bert Brown, shot
in the right arm: S. II. Paal, shot in the
left shoulder; Jack Garnet, shot in the
side: w. ]. Shamute, shot in the fore
head and in the shoulder; Sam Farrar,
shot in the legs; Pete Nolan, shot in
the arm; 3. OBricn and William Dick
son both shot in the head and side.
A number of others are known to
have been hit, but fed from the scene
before their names or the extent Of their
injuries were learned.
Immediately after. the firing began
the strikers ran, except those who were
too badly hurt to get away, and Davis
with his men proceeded to-the yards,
where they surrendered to an officer
and were locked up.
| Immediately after the shooting a
| United Press reporter arrived on the
scene of the trouble and found large
crowd of men there, being attracted by
| the shooting. A number of the strik-
ers who had at first fed from the scene
had returned, but some were away hav-
ing their wounds attended to.
Thomas Kelly was lying on the
ground breathing painfully and evil
IDENTIFY dying. Beside him was his sis
ter, girl about IA years cf age, almost
crazed with grief and moaning most
piteously. Before ne was too far gone
to speak, Kelly stated that F. n. Davis
was the man who shot him. He then
| fell back faihting and could say no
more in reference to the affair Kelly
was not striker, and only went to the
| place out of mere curiosity.
John Ridenour, who was also NOR
| tally wounded, was taken to the Sis
| ters' hospital, where he now lies in a
dying condition.
w. J. Shamute, who was injured
said: ''We were sitting under the trees
| when Davis and his men came up with
| their guns on their arms. Mr.. Surber
| said: Mr. Davis, we would like to
| talk to these men, Davis replied:
| Get out of this, we want no talking;;'
and Immediately shouted Fire and
| emptied his gun at the strikers When
poor Ridenour fell, young Davis shot
| him again after he was down"
All of the men who were present at
| the time corroborated the story of
| Shamute.
F. n. Davis was seen at police head
| quarters and said: 81 shot to kill and
| j don't deny it. This morning | got
some men and started out to my yards.
We stopped at the gate of City park
| and loaded our guns and started across
the park to where my yards are located
Before we had gone far we saw q
lot of men running across the park, and
when we got near the yards the strik-
ers blocked the road Frank Surber
was in the lead and said he would like
| to talk to the men. | told him they
did not want to talk and ordered them
to get out of the way. Surber then
said: Boys, every man grab a gun.
| They then rushed on us throwing
stones and shouting. ] told my men to
| fire and shoot to kill.
The men about the park say that in
addition to the men who we're shot two
little boys who were crossing the park
at the time were hit by stray shot but
neither was fatally hurt.