The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-12-10


SPOKANE, WASH, Dec. S.-A terrible
riot occurred at Wenatchee last night,
and for three hours the town was in
control OF mob of frenzied graders.
Wenatchee is town about 100 miles
west OF here on tho Great Northern
railroad. The trouble was started by
the luck of a drunken gambler named
Tom Guilland. He worked on the
Great Northern road at intervals
through the summer About once in
six weeks he would quit work and
come to Wenatchee to spend all his
money on a wild carousal. So long as
he had money he would frequent
French Annie's place, one OF the tough
est dives in the town, and spent nearly
all OF his time with one Of its inmates,
known here as Susette. For the last
month she has been living with Guis-
seppe Waco, faro dealer, who is sort
of king among the Italians here.
Guiiland quit work week ago and
came to Wenatchee, getting drunk the
first night. In two days his money was
gone, and he has been loating since.
last night he was paid an old debt OF
Sl2. and about s o'clock began to play
craps and drink whisky. He played in
luck and quit tho game with SAC: He
mex: played poker. and about II o'clock
started for Vaco's faro bank with nearly
$1,000 in his pockets Here he con-
tinued to play recklessly. Finally
Guilland threw all his money on the
table in a heap and bet on the queen
and ace. When his pile was counted
1t was found to contain S5,0So. Waco
took tho bet. Guilland won. Waco
paid, but it broke the bank.
Susette heard the news and started to
the gambling room, saying she was 60
ing to the man who had luck. Waco
met her and would not let her pass.
Guilland pushed him aside, walking off
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 with his fist before
he could draw his gun. Tho screams OF
tho woman brought crowd OF men
from all sides, and bands OF graders
rushed to their comrades rescue.
Waco gave peculiar whistle, and in
moment the street was filled with
Italians, some OF them but half dressed
and armed with knives, clubs and
stones. The railroad men gathered in
a group with Guil!and and the woman
in the centre and began to retreat
slowly, firing as they went, and calling
for help as they fell back. Others
Joined them, and finally they made
stand in front of saloon. The Italians
pressed them closely at first and many
fights occurred, but whom the graders
opened fire they gave way, until there
was a space Of twenty feet between the
two parties. Across this space stones,
clubs and brickbats flew in q 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 and the woman was spirited
away in the darkness.
About ten minutes after tho 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 moment it seemed
as il the railroaders would be wiped
out, but the hot FIRE forced the Italians
to fall back in confusion. Before they
could rally the railroad men wore rein
forced by nearly fifty men, who came
down a side street on the run. The
Italians fell back several blocks carry
ing their wounded.
Both parties gradually broke up into
small bands and scattered through the
town. Whenever opposite factions met
there was 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