The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-05-19
Cool Heads the Only Thing That
Saved BloodShed in Spokane.
IMPRISONED IN. BOX CARS
Eighteen Hours without Food or Water
the Fate of the CommonweaIers in
Hands of Deputies.

Gu lSNSA neat III spokane yesterday.
Two thousand bowling, excited in
dustrials and sympathizers surrounded
the Northern Pacific depot and only
cooler heads prevented them from
storming The fence and rescuing over
100 industrials locked in cars guarded
by United States marshals. Everybody
was strongly moved and for a few min
utes the situation was critical.
the marshals have finally taken a
determined step. Acting under in
structions from Marshal Drake and
Judge Hanford, deputies began arrest
ing industrials along the line of the
Northern Pacific and imprisoning them
in boxcars.
AT GAS the order was sent out to all
deputies in the city to report at the
Northern Pacific depot at once on
double quick and bring all your arms"
II short time forty deputies armed
with revolvers and Winchesters under
the leadership of Marshals Drake and
Vinson were drawn up in line at the
depot platform. The gates and doors
were locked and armed guards at either
entrance to the Enclosure prevented
any person from entering the yard.
Shortly after 10 o'clock a special train
consisting of two boxcars and two pas
senger coaches and a caboose arrived
in the city The special was guarded
by armed deputies and inside the box
: cars were the commonwealers who had
been arrested at various points along
the line. Some of the men had jack
knives ana had managed to cut holes in
the sides Of the cars. BY this time the
industrials in this city had become
aware that something was up and a
small knot. was clustered about the
gates.
One of the prisoners, spying their
badges, called out and informed the
outsiders what had happened In a
second couriers were running to i'm
part the news to Commanders Jeffries
and Cantwell. The news soon spread
I
were at the depot.
The imprisoned men called out that
they were to be taken back to Seattle
to jail and Commander Jeffries at once
posted off to secure 4 writ of habeas
corpus to prevent the marshals from
taking their prisoners out of the city.
| 2 he L.
and industrials, sympathizers and citi-
zens were hurrying toward the scene.
All were excited, and when the men in
the boxcars called out that they had
had nothing to eat or drink for eighteen
hours the storm burst. Curses and yells
were heard on every side, and had some
one made break to climb or storm the
fence 500 excited men would have fol-
lowed
The giant form of Jumbo Cantwell
doomed up in front and some one yelled
LEAD us, Jumbo, and we will rescue
them or die" At this, the deputies on
top of the cars gripped their guns
tighter and the faces of several paled.
The marshals on the platform, who
had been gathered in small knots, broke
up and with their Winchesters
ready, ranged themselves along the
cars, prepared to resist the attack
which they thought would follow. AT
this critical moment yells came from
every throat, but the stentorian voice
of jumbo was heard above all others.
When there was a lull he raised his
hand and stilled :he crowd.
BE men," he said. ''Do not attempt
anything rash. We have had an in
junction issued and those men will not
leave here"
Cheers followed, but there were still
hot headed ones who desired to storm
the cars. Crowds were still rushing
toward the depot and by this time 600
men surrounded the place. They yelled
and hooted at the deputies and Chester
Edwards was singled out and cursed for
his course.
Jumbo called out to the deputies: SIN
Gods name be men; take off your stars
and resign; don't treat your fellow men
like brutes, but be men,"
There were cries of ''resign, resign,
and be men," but the deputies only
blinked their eyes, took fresher grip
on their rifles, and said nothing.
Commander Cantwell turned to the
1. trsf.-