Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06
ROUGHs ATTACK PICNKCKERs.
Bloody Scenes ut u Fourth OF July
Celebration.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, July Ga special from
English; Ind, says: The scene of the
picnic riot at Siberia, Thursday, in which
three persons were killed and fifty injured,
a number fatally, resembles battlefield
after severe encounter, with the exception
That the dead and wounded have been re-
moved. Broken bottles, clubs and splinter
ed chairs litter the ground for half an
acre. The sod which was torn up by the
struggling mass. is tinged with blood, and
bloody garments torn off in the desperate
encounter are strewn everywhere.
The little village of Siberia is located on
tne northern boundary of Perry county,
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 Louis
vile. KY, and Evansville Ind The ham
let is fifteen miles from any railroad, stu
ated on Anderson creek The district is
wooded and lonely.
The little hamlet consists of store,
restaurant and Catholic church. The lat
ter Is now converted into a hospital
1here is large German element in this
part OF the state, and religious as well as
social lines are strongly drawn
Threats We're made that the toughs of
the neighborhood would make trouble at
the picnic, but the Germans relied upon
their numbers to awe any attempt to dis
turb them. These threats had been made
before. and no trouble had resulted, so lit
tie 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
Beer flowed freely at the picnic and
everything went smoothly till many were
hilarious. when the visitors undertook to
clean out the DRtch.'
These visitors We're armed with pistols
knives, brass knuckles. wagon spokes and
other weapons. The Germans had few, if
any weapons. but by the Use of beer bot
ties, clubs and stones more than held
AT coJ
to be fatally injured.
The riot was largely the outgrowth of
religious differences. A thousand people
participated in the conflict 1t is reported
tia over one hundred We're more or less
seriously injured
The facts were first reported by DR..
William Lomax of Brstow over the tele-
phone from White Sulphur Wells The
doctor end two assistants were called to
dress the wounds of fifty-four men and
women, who were cut and shot during the
fray.
AS soon 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 loaSng
population, with property interests to
bind them to the locality, it may be diff
icIlt task to arrest any number of them.
The dead are Fred. Elmer. William
Geisse. Frank Hart. Those fatally hurt in
clude Peter Bennett, Robert Dodge, Abner
Stroud, Sam. Wilson, woman, name IN
known.
Samuel Wilson had his skull crushed
with beer bottle in the hands of a woman
whose husband had been stabbed by Will
son. Another woman received a kick in
the abdomen, which may cause her death.
The desperate fight lasted for an hour.
Many Of the injured are women and chill
dren, for it seems that the intruders spared
neither sex nor age.
Up to this time there has never been a
serious outbreak between the German
Roman Catholics and their opponents in
this vicinity, although there have been
mirror encounters indicating that the feel
ing of bigotry was growing.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. July 6.-The re-
ported horrible riot at Siberia is not fully
credited here. There is suspicion that
when the full facts are known the rioting
will be found to have been not nearly SO
horrible as the taking.