The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-07-14
TWO MEN SHOT.
Regulars Out for
Blood.
TOLD SEVERAL WAYS.
Stories of the Riot at
Sacramento.
CLAIM OF SELF-DEFENSE.
Soldiers Say the Strikers Fired
First.
DENIED BY THE RAILROAD MEN.
The Fact Remains That Uncle Sans
Troops Do Not Shoot for
Amusement.

SACRAMENTO. July 13-Charles Stew
art, shot through the abdomen. Dead
Frank buckley. shot through right arm
and shoulder VIII recover.
Some say that vengeance has had its day
at the capital, and there are others who
think that firm adherence to duty's die
tates was responsible for the thing. How
ever this may be, two men, one OF them
dead. are lying tonight at the Receiving
Hospital with bloody holes about where
Springfield rife cartridges tore their flesh.
According to their accounts there was
absolutely no reason for the deadly dis
play of military authority. According to
| the Federal soldiers there was absolutely
no reason why the military authority
should not have been deadly displayed.
The truth of the matter will probably
never be determined. The town is wild no
less, and if ever there was reason to anti
cipate some extraordinary bloOd-letting it
has been made conspicuous to-day. There
is scarcely person in town who is not hot
with Indignation at the action of the Fed
eral troops. Threats are made and there is
dangerous talk on the streets tonight
Mean while Colonel Graham's soldiers
are as stern and business-like in their de-
pot camp as they have ever been. They
apparently feel that they have accom-
plshed what was simply duty and have
little regard for the warm expressions so
rife in ths city.
l. was about II O'clock this morning
when there appeared on the windows of
the telegraph Offices the announcement
| that President Debs had declared the strike
off and ordered all strikers to dispense and
permit the railroad companies to run
trains.
A few minutes after these were posted
party of excited trainmen entered the tele-
graph off e and madly tore the startling
announcement from the glass.
About a quarter of an hour after this
mild but not very reassuring demonstra-
ton the whole town was thrown into a
condition of fear and wild excitement by
rapid succession of rifle shots in the dis
trct down in the vicinity of the depot.
where the strikers are accustomed to con-
gregate. Among the Federal troops at the
depot camp there was an involuntary rush
to stacked arms and at the First California
! Infantry encanpment at tie end of Ninth
street. near the railroad track, there was
CONSERVATION and teVerish expectation OF
riot aud battle and, above all, a chance to
show some real military mettle.
The soldiers of the local militia out at
that very dangerous Capitol camp heard
the shots, too, and hoped that they would
not have to shoot their friends. There
was no great gathering Of new crowds in
Front street. The gathering had already
been, and new crowds could not very well
have piled into the thoroughfare. At fire.
quent intervals shots rang out with sharp
rifle crack, and people everywhere won
dered what was up that seemed OF such
startling moment News came from the
locality or the shooting slowly. and wildly
erroneous. If every one could have been
believed, there were riots and pitched
battles and CONGREGATIONS going on about
that time. Rumors and Donsensical but
eagerly accepted reports flew about as
thickly and hurriedly as frenzied minds
could body them forth.
The truth came at last. Two men had
been promptly loaded by those business
like regulars for what they said was at
tempted interference with the operations
of switch engine in the freigh lizards.
The thing happened after variety of
fashions, if any one who saw it or heard
of it speaks the truth. But whatever may
have been the reasons for the shooting
and the manner in which it was done, the
circumstances which lead nearly up to it
are generally known, and accurately.
Preparations began early in the morn
ing for dispatching several trains during
the day to number of points East and
also in the direction of San Francisco
In order that this work might be properly
commenced it was necessary that innumer-
able switches in the yards should be re-
arranged. An engine with two fiatcars
before it and two behind left the depot
building and steamed around the yards in
the direction Of Front street and then
along the river levee, where freightsheds
are numerously located. On these fatcars
were men of Battery l., United States Ar
tilery, under the command OF Captain
Roberts, with Springfelds loaded and or
ders to shoot at any person interfering
with the operations of the engineer or
switchmen.
When the engineer arrived at the corner
of Front and l streets q great crowd of
strikers was found to have congregated
there. They Kissed and hooted the regular
army men on the first two cars, evidently
without any knowledge Of the fact that
there were two more fiat cars behind the
engine, concealed from view by the long
stretch OF blockaded freight tears which
line every track In that vicinity. Before
these end cars. with their crowd of des-
perate regulars on board, came into view,
stone is said TO have been thrown by a
striker in the crowd on Dillman's corner.
A few other strikers appeared under the