The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-06-13
BATTLE AT A NINE,
In which Two Men Are Killed and
One Injured.

OHC
PEKIN, Ill. June 6.-There was a
bloody battle at Little's coal mine, five
miles down the Illinois river from Pekin,
today. Word was received at Pekin this
morning that 500 miners from the west OF
the river were about to attack the mine.
Sheriff Frederick swore in a posse and
set out for the scene. The strikers as
sembled at Bentonville and crossed the
Illinois in ferries. There were about four
hundred men and some women.
The posse demonstrated with the mob
in vain. The leaders of the strikers,
with a revolver in each hand, cried out:
Follow me-" and the crowd charged on
the mine. The two Littles and their sons
and a colored man retreated to the tower
above the shaft and opened fire on the
attacking party, some Of Whom were
seen to fall The fire was returned and
hundreds Of shots were fired into and
through the tower. The Littles hOisted
a white flag but the firing did not cease.
The shaft was set on fire and up shot
the flames. 1t was feared the power
house would be fired and the crowd re-
treated. The air shaft was kept closed.
The killed:
JACK JACKSON, colored, a miner at
Littles
ED BLOOM, one of the strikers.
Wounded:
Ed Porter and Peter Little Of the be
sieged, the former shot IN the breast,
probably fatally, the latter in the arm.
Half a dozen others We're slightly hurt.
There are a number Uf miners in the
shaft who. it is feared, are suffOcated.
Among them are Gus MOritz, Fred
Moritz and John Rockey The sheriff
and posse have returned from the scene,
unable to cope with the mob. Pekin is
wild with excitement.
The Little nine is one Of the few ma
chine mines in this district and has kept
working through all the trouble, the Lit
tie Bros. themselves doing most Of the
work and keeping their machines going.
RumOrS have been afioat for several
days that the strikers were intending a
visit and when definite information was
received today that they intended COM
ing Edward Little caleld on the sheriff
for protection. Twenty-Five deputies
came, but as no strikers had put in an
appearance at 3 p. M. they returned TO
Pekin. They had not been away from
the mine half an hour when the mob
started over the river and the fight soon
began. The men who were in the coal
chute say that at least two hundred Of
the strikers were armed. So incessant
was the storm of leaden missiles that in
a few minutes every board in the chute
was Splintered.
In the meantime a lot of men with
buckets Of kerosene had saturated the
woodwork of the buildings and a half
dozen coal cars standing near and ap-
piled match. When the flames began
to rise the besieged men were forced TO
desert their place Of shelter and make a
dart for life.
After the defenders of the mine had
been driven off the mob stood about and
watched the destruction of the building.
The fire spread to the powder house,
located a short distance from the other
building, and it exploded with a fright
full roar. After this the mob returned to
it's boats. crossed the river and scattered
among the ravineS and hills. The loss
on the property amounts to over 100000,
which the Littles say they Will make
the county pay.
There was trouble at the Consolidated
coal mine near Peoria today alsO and a
non-uniOn man was probably fatally
beaten by strikers.
Two hundred strikers are tonight
camped along the Illinois river and the
miners who have been working fear an
attack on their residences. Many Of them
have sought protection in Peoria and de-
clare they will not return until after the
trouble has been adjusted. The early re
ports that a number of men were in the
Little shaft when the buildings were de-
stroyed proved to have been unfounded.