Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-12-10
a Sermons Riot.

A terrible riot occurred ut Wcnat-
chez. Wash, on Thursday night, and
for three hours the town was in control
of a mob of frenzied graders.
Wenatchec is town about one hun
dred miles west of Spokane, on the
Great Northern Railroad. The trouble
was started by the luck of a drunken
gambler named Tom Guilland. He
worked on the Great Northern Rail
road grade at intervals through the
summer. About once in six weeks he
would quit work and 90 TO Wenatchee
to spend all his money on a wild ca
rousal. So long as he had money he
would frequent French Annie's place,
one of the toughest dives in the town,
and spend nearly al his time with one
OF the inmates, known there rs : SUI
settle" For the last month she has
been living with Giuseppe Waco, faro
dealer, who is 4 sort of king among
Italians there, and is said TO have been
driven from New Orleans for his part
in the Malta murders. Guiland quit
work week ago and went to Wcnat-
chez, getting drunk the first night. In
two days his money was gone, and he
has been loafng since.
Thursday night ne was paid an old
debt $50, and about eight o'clock be-
gan to play craps and drink whisky.
He played in luck, and quit the game
with $40. He next played poker, and
about eleven o'clock started for Naco,s
faro bank with nearly $4,000 in his
pockets. Here he continued to play
recklessly. Finally, Guilland threw ali
his money on the table in heap, and
bet on the queen and ace. When his
pile was counted it was found to con-
tain 1850. Waco took the bet. Gull
land won. Waco paid, but it broke the
bank.
Susette heard the news and started
to the gambling-room, saying she was
going to the man who had luck. Waco
met her and would not let her pass.
Guiland pushed him aside, walking of
with the woman.
Before they had gone block dozen
Italians, led by Waco, surrounded them,
and while some attacked Guilland the
rest tried to carry away the woman.
Guilland fought like tiger, knocking
down two or three nth his fist before
he could draw his gun. The screams OF
the women brought a crowd of men
from all sides and bands Of graders
rushed to their comrades rescue.
Waco gave q peculiar whistle, and in
Il moment the street was filed with
Italians, some of them but half-dresscd,
and armed with knives, clubs and
stones. The railroad men gathered in
a group, with Guilland and the woman
in the center, and began to retreat slow
ly, firing as they went, and calling for
help as they fell back. Others joined
them and finally they made stand in
front of a saloon. The Italians pressed
them closely at first and many fights oc-
Cured, but when the graders opened fire
they gave way, until there was space
of twenty feet between the two parties.
Across the space oftwenty feet between
the two parties, stones, clubs and brick
bats flew in a regular cloud, those who
were knocked down being carried to
the rear OF the mob. Three graders,
who had been stabbed with long
knives, were carried into the saloon.
ond the woman was spirited away in the
darkness.
About ten minutes after the graders
had made their stand, band of twenty
Italians charged on them from the rear,
and those on the other side closed in
at the same time. For q moment 1t
seemed as if the railroaders would be
wiped out, but the hot fire forced the
Italians to fall back in confusion. Be-
fore they could rally, the railroad men
were reinforced by nearly fifty men,
who came down a side street on the
run. The Italians fell back several
blocks, carrying their wounded.
Both parties gradually broke up into
small bands and scattered through the
town. Whenever opposite factions met
there was n skirmish, generally ending
in the defeat of the Italians, but there
were no more general engagements.
The feud continued until dawn, when
both parties scattered and got out of
sight.