The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-29
BATTLE In A MINING CAMP
The New San Juan Gold Field, in South
r Utah, Baptized in Human Blood.
Eleven Men Reported Killed and Many Wound
ed in a Fight Over Claims on Which
Rich Nuggets Had Been Found.

DENVER, Col. Dec. 28.-The San Juan min
ing camp has followed the precedents of all
great mining e~xcitements by bathing itself
with human blood. A courier arrived In
Bluffs City this morning and reported q
terrible battle yesterday in which over one
hundred shots were exchanged. He re-
ported eleven men killed and a large num-
Der wounded. George Ferguson. an old
prospector, and James Cody. known as
Blind JIM" one of the best-known char
acters in Arizona and New Mexico, are
among the slain. The courier was In q
state of breatbless excitement, and had left
the grounds after the last shot was fired to
obtain medical aid.
A private dispatch this aftern DON from
Dolores to John Eddy. a Denver mining
man. confirms the terrible report. The
trouble grew out Of q dispute over certain
claims which had been staked out. There
are nearly five thou sand men In the place.
and there has been little attention paid to
people stalking of claims. The prospecrors
have simply confined themselves TO pros-
pecting and securing the sands to lind the
most promising locations There has been
few claims staked out, however. In places
where many col0rs To the pan have been
found. But the lines of the claims, it is
said, were reported and o quarrel ensued.
The cause of the trouble was the discovery
of large nuggets IN the bottom Of q small
stream. Up to the moment OF the rich
strike everything wal all right, but the
sight of the largo nuggets had the same
effect on the prospectors as a red rag on q
Mexican bull. Each man claiped that he
had first located the ground, and to settle
the dispute guns were brought to bear.
There were over forty men engaged in the
terrible conflict. Few. If any, escaped I'M
hurt.
The information of the trouble has caused
the greatest excitement In Denver among
the prosDectors, who were skeptical OF the
fabulous wealth of the new gold fields. The
battle will undoubtedly bring thousands
of people to the new camp. as old pros
pectors regard deadly conflicts over mining
claims as the best evidence OF rich strikes.
Negro Taken from Court and Lynched,
BOWLING GREEN. KY. Dec. 2S.-At 1885
o'clock to-day. before the Circuit Court
adjourned for dinner, o mob of fifty men.
armed with Winchester rifles and shotguns,
took the negro, Bob Harper, suspected Of
the assault on Miss Anderson. frcm the
cour t-house. The negro was b~sreheaded.
and was pulled through the streets to the
su burbs, where he was iynched. 81 p
Harper's trial was not concluded when
the mob took him from the officers.
IL was done so quickly that there
was hardly time for resistance.
There was no attempt ut co~ncealmcnt. and
no man in tho mob was disguised. Sew
eral ~well-known citizens led 1t. Tho mob
went to the Warren county fair grounds
with the prisoner. which Is nearly q mile
from the CITY. He was gwen an oppor-
tunity to make a statement. and said: III
have tried to do everything in the world to
prove my innocence. ] am not guilty, and
die with this on my lips. 1 have never
don anybody any harm. l am innocent"
He was told that he might pray, but de-
clined, and o rope was then put over his
head and he vas swung to q limb and died
in a few mute He was not shot, and
after he was hanged the mob quietly dis
persed. leaving the body hanging.
A committee of citizens went to the An
derson residence this morning. and was
told by Miss Anderson's father and family
that they believed Harper guilty. This de-
termined the angry men to take the Law
into their own hands.