Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-07
FORGING THE NEGROESAWAY
ITALIAN MINERS CARRY OUT THREATS
The Frightened Darties Stampede for the Train-Goyernor kltgeld Has Taken
 the Matter Up.

Princeton, Ill, Aug 6.-The Italian
 miners of Spring Valley made an attempt
 to carry out their resolution of yester-
 day to expel all the colored people re-
 maining in the city and the result was
 one of the most disgraceful outrages ever perpetrated in Bureau county. It was done under the protection of the mayor and policemen. Innocent women and children were driven from their homes and insulted, and their trunks and be- longings dragged about and despoiled. The affair outside of Spring Valley has
 created a sensation. Condemnation of the proceedings are coming from every quarter. The location presented dismal scene during the latter part ot the day Wagons were hurrying about gathering up household goods and carrying them OH on the principal highways. During part of the time Martin Delmargo, the Italian mayor, accompanied by several Italians,
 members of the police, were on the
 grounds watching the proceedings May or Delmargo said he was there to see that tho negroes got away peaceably, but II this was his purpose he did not accom- plish what he went for Governor Alt geld has interested himself in this mat ter. In the afternoon Sheriff Clark Of Princeton received a message from the governor asking for information on the subject He wished to know what was being done by the officers of the law. Sheriff Clark replied. giving brief ms tory of the events, being substantially in accordance with the United Press re- ports. ss.s- He also said the authorities of Spring Valley were doing nothing and that ne had never been called upon by the mayor for assistance
 At2p m the committee appointed at yesterdays mass meeting to see that ne- groes were out of town by o'clock com
 menccd operations. Going to the location where only women, children and inyalos were left they at once notified every one to have their traps ready to move out as once. Many who were slow were roughly handled and their goods broken up. The same scene was witnessed In every part i of the city where the negroes lived Or | had taken refuge.
 As the Chicigo. Burlington and Quin- | cy passenger train on the Sireator and | Walnut division entered Spring Valley | the passengers saw lot of negro refu- | gees who had been waiting anXiously for | the train. They boarded the cars like a l lot of wild animals in fear of their pur- suers Among them was a woman 50 years old, accompanied by three little | children, who were terrorized almost into | insanity.
 Supervisor Pickett of Hall township gave all negroes who would leave the city 1 an order on the county treasurer for the | price of ticket to Chicago. The old lady | had received her ticket, but when the train pulled out of the depot she was suffering to such an extent that she tore | up the ticket unconsciously. Her baggage was strewn about the depot platform un- | checked. The passengers on the train | were so touched with pity for her that l they raised fund of over $3 with which | she paid her fare to Chicago, where she | said friends resided. Her husband was | among the number who were chased out | of Spring Valley during the assault of the l Italians last Sunday, and he is yet among | the six who are missing. Even if he is 1 alive she fears it will be some months be- 1 fore the family, which is now separated l into three groups, and the whereabouts | of each is unknown to the other, are | united.
 1 The passenger train had just got out | of Spring Valley when the engineer saw l a colored girl 22 years old coming out l of the woods, running towards the train. l The engineer stopped at once and took | on the girl, who had been chased by sev- | eral Italians. It was some time before | she could compose herself to relate her | story. She said that a crippled rel ative had started from home with her, i but that he had been shot in the shoulder | and as he could not move fast had been l left behind by her. The girl was per | mitted to ride to Chicago on township | order she held.
 | The indications are that the strike of miners at Spring Valley will be contin- l ued for some time. The miners, who are under the cOnLrOl Ol lIe Uciu | a secret meeting today at which it was 1 determined to remain out until the | Spring Valley company would give assur- | ances that they would not in the future l give employment to negroes, which the | company refuses to do.
 l Aside from the outrage in driving the | negroes from town this afternoon and the l stopping of men working in the shafts l this morning everything has been quiet | on the surface of the town today. Spe- l cial meetings of the alien miners have
 been held, but beyond deciding to contin- 1 ue the strike little is known. The ne- | groes are assembled at Seatonville and 1 received telegrams today from members | of their race ill Chicago and Peoria that | gave them great encouragement. The l purport of these telegrams is to stand | firm and assistance would be forthcom- 1 ing The negroes during the last few | days have procured a number of shot | guns and small arms and they propose 1 to march to Spring Valley, occupy their | homes and resume their employment | with the coal company. Many of the ne- | groes have families that cannot be in l duced to return to the location, but as l the men have no other employment they are willing to assist their brethren.