Birmingham age-herald., 1894-07-17

guards returned the fire and the mob scat tered through the woods. As they ran off train, but with DO other success than to puncture the engine in one or two places.
 STRIKER CAPTURED.
 One of the strikers, 8 Frenchman, who gave his name as Racquet, was shot three times by the guards, one of the balls going through his lungs and the other two strik- ing in different parts of his body. He was taken to the company's office at Ensley City, where hls wounds were dressed. He will probably die. He was afterwards brought to the city, taken to the county jail and placed in the hospital, where other medical attention was given him.
 When Racquet was shot the mob had scattered through the woods and were rap idly leaving the scene. Racquet, after he had been shot and fell to the ground, raised himself on his knees and continued to shoot at the guards. When he had emptied his gun he threw up bis hands and tried to say something, but did Lot speak. The gun he used was a 39-caliber Winchester.
 It i5 believed that one other striker was shot in this encounter and dragged into the woods by his friends and associates.
 While the firing was going on one of the men was seen to fall and two others gra bbed him and dragged him away. It is supposed he was shot.
 George Campbell, the negro who was wounded says that he was first shot in the leg, anu aS ne Jay prOSIraIe on tue Efounu some of the strikers, whom he recognized as white men, came up and kicked him, and then fired twice more, one ball strik- ing him on the chin and another in the body. They then left him for dead.
 B. w. Fierce was shot three times, one ball entering his breast, one his side and one the back. He lived only about fifteen minutes.
 The unknown dead negro was shot sev- eral times.
 .-,.Al l. At,1I I1v I,a two mobs crossed the hill and went in the direction of the creek, dispersing as they did so.
 SCOUTING PARTY.
 Scouts were sent out to follow and, if possible, run down the men who had con- posed the mob. A half dozen deputies, as many soldiers and two newspaper men, In charge of Deputy Sheriff B. A. Thompson, constituted the scouting party. They made tour of some three or four miles and re- turned to slope 4, at which point the mili- tary were stationed. They reported having appeared to be making for the creek-with the intention, it is supposed, of crossing and then going to Pratt City, where it is believed most of them live.
 The men in the mob, or at least the greater portion of them, had blackened their faces and hands, presumably with the intention of deceiving the guards, who, under that guise, would take them for ne- gro miners.
 The guards at slope No. 8, where the seem to have massed there very suddenly. Men were noticed to come up from differ ent directions, and all at once the firing began. The mob drove the guard and miners away from slope No and took charge.
 MEETING AT MILL.
 It is reported that 8 meeting of striking vVnip txJoc hnI6 ot hn nt6 mil on Village creek, about two or three miles from Pratt City yesterday. The purpose of the meeting, so the report goes, was to de- wise some way of getting rid of the negro miners who had taken their places in the mines in that vicinity.
 Several fiery speeches were made, after which, it is stated, each man present took an oath to make the fight yesterday after noon, and to fight till he killed all opposi- tion or was killed himself. tis also stated that the meeting adjourned to again assem- ble at slope No. 3, where the bloody work was to begin and where it did begin. How much truth there is in this report can only be known by those who were present.
 THE CAUSE OF THE BATTLE.
 On the 14th of April most of the coal miners in this district went out on a strike. They could not make terms with the opera tors and refused 10 work any more until certain demands were complied with. These demands the companies would not grant, and with few exceptions the men have remained out ever since.
 Their places were filled mostly with ne" proes and more or less trouble has been oc- curing all along since that time. How ever, nothing so serious as that of yester- day had hitherto occurred, and itwas with the widest excitement the pews of the attempted massacre of negro miners and guards was received.
 About 6 o'clock Sheriff Morrow, with about fifteen or twenty deputies and the Huey Guards, about twenty strong, in command of Captain Hart, arrived at Ems ley, but too late to catch the mob, who had crossed the hill aud dispersed beyond.
 Shortly after 2 o'clock the Jefferson Volunteers, Lieutenant Warren command ing, and the Birmingham Rifles, Captain Jones commanding, each with about twenty men, reported at slope No. for duty. The battalion was in command of Colonel Clark. The Volunteers were sta toned at slope No. 5 for the night, the Rifles at No. and the Huey Guards at No. 8. One Gatling gun was left in charge of the Rifles.
 Besides the killed and wounded reported above, it is stated that one dead and two wounded negroes were found near slope No. at a late hour last night and that there are yet others missing:
 Dogs were put on the trails of the rioters and'every effort possible will be made to run them down. Governor Jones has offered reward of $400 for the arrest and conviction of each and every man who was in the mob. This offer does not include those captured yesterday evening.
 The bodies of the two dead men were brought to the city by Warner & Smiley, who will prepare them for burial.
 MT. Fierce was at one time on the police force of Birmingham and had large num- Der of friends in the city. He leaves a family consisting of a widow and one or two children.
 TWO CAPTURED. telephone message from Pratt City at midnight stated that two men had been