Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-08
FATHER AND SON KILLED
The Bloody Work of an lnfu-
rated Mob.
DAUGHTER BEATEN DOWN
And Her Fathers Body Was Kicked in He
Presence.
THE SON WAS BEATEN INTO A JELLY
Fourteen OF the Murderers Have Been Ar
rested-The Trouble Grew Out of
the Captain Taking Load
Under Price.
THE SON WAS BEATEN INTO A JELLY

North Tonawanda, Oct. IA double
murder was committed on P. w. Scrib-
ner's lumber dock at an early hour this
morning and up to the present time four
men have been placed under arrest and
search is being made fon others. Shortly
after midnight Captain Phillips of the
canal boat Jennie Graft and his son of
the boat May began loading up with lum-
ber Other boatsmen who had refused
to take loads at the price Scribner offered
marched down in body to the dock and
interfered. Phillips, who was armed,
drew a revolver and fired over the heads
of the crowd, probably seeking to intim-
idate them. Some one, exactly whom has
not yet been learned, pulled a gun and
fired three shots at Phillips, who fell to
the deck of his boat dead man. The
younger Phillips, who had taken hand
in the melee, was struck down with a
club and horribly beaten. He managed
to crawl in the cabin, where he died at
S:15 this morning.
The authorities were notified and the
police this morning arrested fourteen
boatsmen, who are known to have par
ticipated in the fatal melee.
Captain Phillips was about so years of
age and his son obout 19. Their home
was in Burton's Bay.
While the fight was in progress the
lines of the two crafts were cut and they
fioated down the river, but were inter-
cepted at Little island and brought back.
The trouble seems to have been the
direct outcome of the newly formed canal
which was credited some time ago as a
New York Central movement.
The evidence here shows that Scribner
had gotten Captain Phillips to bring his
boats here for a load, the boats to be
loaded as soon as they arrived. This is
contrary to the rules. as the association
wishes to dictate to the forwarders when
and how the boats should be loaded.
When the Tonawanda oatmen found
that Captain Phillips would load when he
saw fit a little army of desperate men
called al the dock and waited for the boat
to come in. She arrived and tied up, only
to be boarded by the crowd Officers
were on the spot to keep the crowd back,
but all their efforts were fruitless, for the
men were. like a pack of maddened
wolves. = s.is ttA
"If the coppers lay hand on any of
you, lay them out boys" shouted one
man in the crowd and then he shouted to
Captain Phillips, IF there's anybody on
the boat that you want to get off now's
your time."s
Never mind anybody here" answered
Phillips. 4.eafts ts4. tsts
Then the trouble began. The men
poured on the boat like demons kicked
the crew into the forward cabin and
started for Captain Phillips. In a Sec
ond he fell to the deck with bullet
through his brain and another through
his heart. His 17-year-old daughter
sprang to his assistance, only to be
struck on the head and felled to the deck
while the mob kicked and abused the
body of her dying father.
While this was going on the dead cap
tain's son was attacked, and though he
fought well, he was knocked down and
beaten almost to jelly. his skull being
fractured. ~S--j-
United States Deputy Marshal Smering
made an attempt to fight the crowd back,
but three of them covered him with re-
volvers and held him at bay until they
had completed the bloody work
When the crimes had been committed
the mob cut the boats loose and allowed
them to drift down the river, but they
were brought back bypa tug
1t was a horrible sight that greeted the
people on the dock when the boats were
again tied up. On the deck, in a pool
of blood, was the father, and along the
deck were bloody blotches, where the
son had crawled along to the cabin. Ev-
cry window In the cabin was broken and
the daughter was in Mysteries over the
remains of her murdered father. So far
sixteen men have been arrested, and the
authorities are examining witnesses and
taking affidavits looking to the arrest of
others. s,z =r. .if