The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-07-13
PICNIC RIOT MORE LIKE A BATTLE
Lurid Accounts of the Fatal Encounter
of Iuiy a.

Lurid Accounts of the Fatal Encounter
of July a.
Chicago. July GA special from English,
Indiana, says:
The scene Of the frightful picnic riot
at Siberia, in which three persons were
killed and 80 injured. 20 perhaps fatally
resembles a battlefield after severe en-
counter, with the exception of the dead
and wounded Delng removed. Broken bot
ties, clubs and splintered chairs litter the
ground for half an acre. The sod, torn up
by NE struggling mass, is tinged with
blood and bloody garments torn OF IN
the desperate encounter are strewn every
where.
Up to this time there has never been
serious outbreak between the German
Roman Catholics and their opponents in
the vicinity, although there have been MI
nor encounters, indicating that feeling
of bigotry was growing. Threats were
made that the toughs of the neighbor-
hood would make trouble at the picnic,
but these had been made before, and as
no trouble resulted. little attention was
paid to them. For this reason none of the
picnickers were armed or otherwise pre-
pared for the onslaught which seems to
have been planned.
The desperate fight, which lasted an
hour was precipitated by gang of local
roughs, whose numbers were augmented
by additions from the swamp locality
along the Ohio river. They came to the
picnic inflamed with whisky, armed with
clubs and knives. and started the fight, in
which a thousand persons engaged. Many
of the injured are women and children.
The dead are Fred Elmer, William Geise
and Frank Hart.
Those fatally hurt are: Peter Bennett,
Robert Dodge, Abner Strong, Samuel Will
son. A woman whose name is unknown
was fatally kicked.
Siberia is located on the northern boun-
dairy of Perry county, in the middle of the
state, in the lower tier of counties. 1t is
bounded on the south by the Ohio river,
and is midway between Louisville and Ev-
ansville, Ind. The little hamlet is Is miles
from any railroad, situated on Anderson
creek, and consists of a store, restaurant
and a Catholic church, now converted into
a hospital. The district is 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, but as
nearly all of them belong to the floating
population it may be a difficult task to ar
rest any number. There is a large Ger
man element in this part of the state,
and religious as well as social lines are
/ strongly drawn, and the riot was largely
the outgrowth of religious differences.
/ The facts were first reported by DR..
/ William Lomax of Bristow, over the tel
| ephone from White Sulphur Wells. The
/ doctor and two assistants were called to
/ dress the wounds of 81 men and women
/ cut and shot during the fray.
MAY BE A FAKE.
Evansville, Ind, July 6.-Telegrams from
Troy, Cannelton, Tell City and Hunting
berg say nothing is known at those places
about the reported riot at Siberia, Perry
! county. 1t looks like a fake.
FREE FOR-ALL FIGHT.
Huntingburg, Ind, July 6.-The report
ed riot at Siberia on the 4th inst. turns
out to have been merely free-for-al
fight the result of jealousy between two
young men, cousins, who were paying at
tention to the same young lady, and was
| not brought about by religious dissen
sions. Several people were badly bruised