Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-07-11
CAUSED BY RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES


Led to ths Figiif--Tha Cerinans Dos.
peratoiy Assaulted White Emioy,nr /,
Picuir-one Man Fatally Assaulted b,
"a Woman, aud a Woman Beaten Sc
Badly That She hiny Die.
CHICAGO, It'll, July GA special from
English, Ind, says:
The scene of the frightful picnic riot al
Siberia. in which three persons were killed
and 90 injured, number fatally, resem
bles battle field after severe encounter
with the exception that the dead and
wounded have been removed. Broken
bottles. clubs and splintered chairs lIltei
the ground for half an acre. The sod
which was torn up by the struggling mass
is tinted with blood, aud bloody garments
torn on in the desperate encounter are
strewn everywhere.
fEELING or BIGoTBY GROWING.
Up to this time there has never been a
serious outbreak between the German
Roman Catholics and their opponents ia
this vicinity. although there have been
minor encounters indicating that the feel
Ing of blgotry was growing
Threats were made that the toughs of
the neigborhoud would make trouble at
the picnic, but the Germans relied upon
thelr numbers to awe any attempt TO dis
turb them. These threats had been made
before, but no trouble had resulted. sd
little attention was paid to them. For this
reason none OF the picnickers were armed
or otherwise prepared for the onslaught
which seems to have been well planned,
STARTED ny Local kouGHs.
The desperate fight, which lasted for MI
nour, was precipltated by gang OF loca
roughs, whose numbers were augmented
by additions from the swamp locality
along the. Ohio river. They came to the
picnic intiamed with whisky and armed
with clubs and knives and started q tight
" which thousand persons engaged.
| Many of the injured are women and chill.
dren, for il seems that the intruders spared
| neither sex nor age
Tng VICTIMS.
The dead are Fred Elmer, William
Gelsse, Frank Hart.
Those fatally hurt include: Samuel
Bennett. Robert lodge, Amer Stroud.
samuel Wilson, and woman, name uu.
known, fatally kicked,
IN A LONELY DISTRICT
The little village OF Siberia is located ON
| the northern boundary Of Perry county,
the middle of the State, in the lower tier oil
| the counties, bounded on the south by the
| Ohio river, and Is midway between Louis.
vile, KY, and Evansville, Ind. The ham
let is 10 miles from any railroad. situated
on Anderson creek. The district is very
wooded and lonely.
As soon as the work of caring for the
injured is completed, steps will be taken
to secure the arrest OF the rioters. AS
nearly all of them belong to the tioatins;
| population, with no property interests to
hinu them to the locality, 1t may be diff
| CUT task TO arrest any number of them.
RESULT OF RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES.
| There is large German element in this
part Of the State and religious as we'll as
social lines are strongly drawn The riot
| was largely the outgrowth Of religious diff.
terences. 4 thousand people participated
IN the conflict 1t is reported that over Ion
| were more or less seriously injured,
| The facts were first reported by William
Lomax, physician of Bristol, over the
telephone from White Sulphur Wells. The
doctor and two assistants were called Il
dress the wounds of 81 men and women
VINO were cut and shot during the fray.
TRIED TO CLEAN OUT THE puTcn.r
Beer flowed freely 1T the picnic and
everything went smoothly till many were
| hilarious, when the visitors undertook Ia
clean out the Dutch.n These visitor.
were armed with pistols, knives, brass
| knucsles, wagon spokes and other weapons
The Germans had few il any weapons, bui
| by the use of beer bottles, clubs and stones
tA'to 'hnh holu theit OWL AZ least ~ are
supposed to be fatally injured.
FATALLY ASSAULTED BY A WOMAN.
Samuel Wilson had his skull crushed
with Il beer bottle, in the hands of a
woman whose husband had been stabbed
by Wilson. Another woman received d
kick in the abdomen which may cause her
her death. The little hamlet consists Of d
store, restaurant end Catholic church.
The latter is now converted into hospital.