The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-11
ATTACKED WITHOUT CAUSE
Gov. Altgeld Investigates and Says the
Lemont Strikers We're Blameless.
The Shooting Unprovoked and Uncalled Fer
Twelve Companies of Militia on the
Ground-The Dead and Wounded.

CHICAGO. June 10.-Governor Altgeld ar.
rived at Lemont this afternoon and i'm
medlefely commenced an investigation of
the trouble which led to yesterdays
tragedy. The Governor had requested
that both sides be represented off,
cislly at the conference to be held in
Mayor McCarthy's Office. which had been
called by him for the special purpose of
making thorough investigation Of the
trouble. None of the contractors. how
ever. were present. and the time OF the in
vestigation was almost entirely taken up
with hearing the testimony of some twelve
or fifteen strikers and their sympsthizers.
Two or three disinterested persons en-.
deavored to give tho Governor some
mixing of the trouble as viewed by the
contractors After listening to the testi-
moDy, and taking a few moments for con-
sideration. Governor Altgeld gave out Q
Statements which started out by recitinR
the facts Of the call upon him for troops
and his efforts to obtain all information
possible. His statement then goes on, as
follows:
have talked with mon who claim to speak for
the contractors. and have sent word to every
contractor, asking for his version OF the affair.
/ went down TO the scene of the shooting and
talked with several disinterested men, among
them being some railroad men who were at work
on the track OF the Santa Fe Railroad Com
pany and who. as they saw what took
place, could give very full account OF the
affair One of the associates of these men was
shot. The information thus gained tends to
show that there had been no riot or serious dis
turbance for week until yesterday, and that
the only violence yesterday was done
by a number of men, both white and colored,
OF %h9 1sd esen s ny
were armed with rinOs. These men, 1t is
said, opened fire on some strikers who were
walking along the towpath Of the old canal and
were not making any disturbance. They were
not going in the direction where work was be-
ing done on the canal and at the moment the
began to run, being followed as they did so for
about o mile by the drainage labOrers armed
with rifles.
After the conference in Che Mayors Office
Governor Altgeld. ACCOMPANIED By local
officer visited the works of +. ID. Smith IL
Co. There he looked over the town
thoroughly and piled the drainage men
with questions on every point having any
bearing on the fight After his re turn TO
Lemont the. Governor stated 1T as his
opinion, so far az his inv estigation had
gone. that the shooting of the strikers by
the drainage men was unprovoked and IN
called for.
Tonight. so far as can be learned. three
men have yielded MP their lives as the re-
man who fell in the heat of the conflict.
never to rise. is yet unidentified.
Those who were killed outright or
have since died from the effects of wounds
received are an unknown man who worked
on the drainage canal. but was forced to
JOIN the strikers; Gzegoz Kiszka, who
and Jacob Asst. killed outright.
There are still others said to be dead who
E-ll
but thus far their bodies have not been
found. Both the drainage men who fired
upon the strikers and the strikers them
selves say that two and possibly three fell
into the canal. John Kluga. the eighteen
year-old boy, who was shot while discharg-
ing his duties as section hand on the Santa
Fe railroad. has been given mp by the at
tending physician. The bullet penetrated
his abdomen and intesLines John Peterson,
shot in the groin. will also die, and John
leg amputated. as the result OF q ball in
the thigh. The list OF the dead will prob
ably be increased moro than half q dozen
from those found.
The spilline Of blood has had percepti-
BILE effect upon the strikers. There were
few of them to be seen on the streets to-
day. and those who ventursd out had APP
parently lost much OF their srdor for
trouble. There were no street c3rner
squads. and there was an utter absence of
revengeful talk.
At o'clock this afternoon twelve COM
pan,es of the Second Regiment of the
State Guard. comprising 41S men. under
command of Colonel Judd, arrived at
Lemont. The troops marched to q
point opposite Agnew ~ Co.'s camp and
the command was distributed. the Second
Battalion going 10 Section b. the Fret and
Third TO Sections +. III and X. The First
Regiment came up from Joliet and are at
Sections to 10.