Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-08-26
SHOT THE MINERSDOWN
TWELVE HAVE BEEN KILLED At
COAL CREEK.

quail CN88Ns 20
Gen. Aadersoi C~aught-Ihe otRlkerss Car.
turs Mim b. . Bose Irick-Thrsatsn -
Hang Rim-Bravs Densnes q the Com.
mander.
Troops Harry to the sosas.
Knoxville. Tenn. special:
Calling guns were turned upon the
miners at Coal Creek. How many were
killed and wounded no one yet knows.
The only fact which none ~ dispute 10
that the fiercest battle In the history OF
the Coal Creek troubles began early In.
the morning and continued during the
day.
dereon, in command Of the Coal Creek
troops, has been captured by the miners,
taken to an unknown place and lynched.
For several hours firing was not gem,
eral. About 2 o'clock the miners made
an organized assault on the fort and,
were successfully r%epulsed. The sec0ndI
assault was easily repulsed. The third
attempt resulted in a regular pitched;
battle and Calling guns got In their
work.
Position OF the Fort.
The fort occupies a crest Of q hill COM
mading the range of Coal Creek valley
for five miles cast and west. To the.
north Is a spur Of the valley in which:
the atockade Of the Knoxville Iron Com
pany is located. It will be impossi-l
BILE for the miners to reach the stockade,
as long as the fort holds out. To the!
southwark from the fort stretches
Walden ridge, which is very steep on
the northern side and easy Of ascent
from the south. The top for several.
miles is a series of great ledgesof sand
stone, making a natural and al;
most invincible fortress. The dis
lance from Fort Anderson across!
the valley to the top Of Walden
ridge is about 1,400 yards. On the top
of the ridge the miners had planted two
field pieces furnished them by sympa-;
thizers in Kentucky. The north side Of
the ridge and creek skirting the foot Of
Fort Anderson hill is a dense growth
of hemlock and laurel; The assailants
Of the fort had all the advantages Of
hiding, aud If one Of their number should
be either killed or wounded he could be
hastily removed to q place Of safety
without any one being the wiser.
No one is allowed to approach within
. half mile of the fort unless he is known
to be in sympathy with the miners,
therefore it is impossible to get the
names or even the number OF killed on
wounded.
Three Miners Captured.
Between the first and second assault
on the fort three miners were captured.
They sent up a flag of truce to Captain
Anderson to ask for release. He was
expecting such u message. and met the
men on equal grounds. He vas seized
by several of them and rushed down the
hill, and finally taken to n Of the no,
tells in Che village, where he was guard.
ed by Robert Lindsay, a deputy United
States Marshal, and q number Of
friends. They held him as a hostage,
and would not agree to give him up un.
til tho troops and convicts are with.
drawn from the valley. 1t is from
here he is said TO have been taken andA
lynched. |
A Knoxville man, who arrived on the
night train, states that three miners
went to Camp Anderson under a flag Of
truce. Thinking they had come, as they
had on several occasions before. to hold
Q conference with him, Captain Ander-
son walked outside his lines and down
TO where the miners stood. He was inn
mediately seized, and, using him as q
shield, they took him down the hill.
The men in the fort were afraid to fire
when they at last realized what was be-
ing done for fear Of killing their COM
mander. He was taken through ex-
cited mobs Of miners. who were yelling
hang him" etc. They succeeded in
safely conducting him to a room in
the hotel. Once there one minor placed
9 gun at his head, demanding him
to surrender his garrison. Looking
straightforward at the man he asked
permission to say a few words. It was
granted. To the leader he said: tell
my daughter I died like a soldier" and,
turning to the man who had placed the
gun to his head, he said, Nov. -
you, shoot" Finally Sheriff Ruther-
ford and deputies took charge Of him.
From that time on his fate is onlv a
matter of rumor.
Tit miners say that Capt. Anderson
was drunk and came outside Of the
fortiffcation in a drunken manner and
the boys picked him up without trouble.
He a 80 far made no statement. His
force OF 130 men is still holding the
Tort. The men have been on short ra.
tions for three days. Every avenue Of
supply has been cut off.
Relief on the Way.
A special train arrived from Chatta.
nooga at = o'clock, carrying Bricadier
General Carnes and the First Regiment
of the National Guards, 600 strong. and
over 100 volunteers. citizens of Chatta-
nooga. The train was switched around
the city and started for Coal Creek. II
Is reported that while he was making a
forced march from Clinton 1000 miners
attacked him. 1t was 8 O'Clock at night
and he could not see a yard before him.
Suddenly a flash startled the troops. on
all sides shots were being fired at them
without mercy. They had been m
pushed. Taken by surprise the bows
did not know what to do, and panic
reigned for some minutes; then Carnes
succeeded in getting his men together
and fired upon the miners, who were in
full retreat. Several Of them were hurt.
Four OF Carnes' men were killed and
several hurt.
Owing to the many conflicting rumors
1t Is impossible to get the exact facts.
The wires are all down between Clinton
and Coal Creek, and no direct cemmuni.
cation is possible except by courier.