Huntsville gazette., 1894-07-21

Attack Nom union Negro
Substitutes, Shooting Then. Down from
Ambush-The Negroes, Unarmed, Flee in
All Directions, But the Fire of the MUIR
| derers is Returned with Interest by
Armed Guards.
| BIRMINGHAM, Ala. July 17.-About
| o'clock yesterday afternoon a large
| body of men armed with Winehesters
were discovered near Slope No. 3, Pratt
mines, of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and
| Railway Co., seven miles from Birminr-
| ham. 1t was the hour when the men
| at work in the mines come out The
men at work were negroes, who had
taken the places of strikers, and the at
tacking party were striking miners and
their sympathizers.
AS the negroes came out the strikers,
who were squatting behind bushes
| and benches, opened fire. The people
| who heard it supposed it was the gat-
| ling guns in the hands of the troops.
| Several hundred shots were fred be.
fore the strikers retired. Guards
around the mines returned the fire, but
| they We're few in number.
The casualties were:
j. w. Tierce, white guard. killed.
Negro miner, name unknown, killed.
One of the strikers, Frenchmau
named La Flors, was badly wounded,
| and will die. Several on both sides
| were wounded. One of the wounded
strikers was dragged off BY his friends.
| 1t was deliberate attack by the
strikers on the negroes put to work in
their places and they shot to kill.
| The local military companies were hur-
ried to the scene, and are in that neigh
| borhood now. All companies which
| had been here from other cities for
week on account of the railroad strike
| had been ordered home Sunday night
and yesterday afternoon.
The Montgomery companies were
| stopped en- route and turned back, and
all others will be here this morning for
| duty in the mining camps.
The mining strike has been on since
the middle Of April, and the. feeling il
| growing bitter, being accentuated hy
| the railroad strike. Gov. Jones saw
| the miners committee yesterday after
| noon and urged them to accept the
| compromise lately offered, but they
| declined. The operators are offering
| to open all mines with such labor as
they can get, and Gov. Jones is of the
opinion that the troops will be required
here indefinitely.
| The attack yesterday afternoon fol-
| lowed in less than two hours after the
departure of the troops. The bitter
| ness of the strikers is illustrated by
| the captured Frenchman. He was
| lneeling behind coal pen fence, firing
| his Winchester, when bullet from q
| guard knocked him over. He raised
up and fred again. He can not speak
a word of English The negroes scat
tered in all directions when fred upon.
| Only few had gotten out Of the mines
when the firing was commenced, which
accounts for the small loss of life.
| A Second Battle with Many Casualties.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, July ia sec
ond battle was fought at slope No. of
| the Pratt mines simultaneously with
that at No. 3, and the total dead
reaches six, with at least score
| wounded. Another mob of strikers had
| ambushed themselves near the mouth
| of No. 4, whence the negroes came in
box cars.
| The train was guarded by deputy
| sheriffs who were placed in the cars
and on the engine. The train had pro-.
ceeded but short distance from the
mine when the party in ambush opened
| the fire The first shot went through
the window of the engine-cab, hicked
| some hair from the head of Mine SUI
| perintendent j. j. Moore, and nearly
killed the engineer. The deputies re-
turned the volley with vigor and in a
short time the mob began its retreat
| toward Center Point.
| Posses Of scouts were hastily formed
in the vicinity Of the mines, and the
work of searching for the dead and
wounded was entered upon. The
miners made their escape, except those
| unable to walk for their wounds. Ten
bodies were picked up. Of which six
were lifeless. Many wounded were
helped away by their comrades.
The names of the negro dead are not
| known.
George Campbell, one Of the negro
| laborers, has a leg broken and bull
let hole through his chin. He says
the strikers came on him after he was
| shot down, beat and kicked him, ard
then fired the bullet through his face.
| The remains of the dead were all
brought to Birmingham. Great excite
ment prevails here, the streets being
crowded with terror-stricken people.
Every precaution has been taken to
guard the mines against further deprc-
dations. The Third regiment Of the
| State guard has been ordered into
camp here and altogether there will be
500 soldiers in this vicinity this morn
ing.