Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-07-11
A DESPERATE RIOT
BLOOD SHED AT A PICNIC IN AN
INDIANA VILLAGE.
Drunken Men Start q Riot mt a Pic.
mic Given lE Gsrma3 Catholics
i; and Women EnRstge in
L. a Bloody FAht.
VERY muc:1 LIKE A FTEEF1ELD.
Three Men Are Killed. -Four Are
Fatally Injured and Fifty
Are Serlously Hurt.

English, Ind. July T. Startling re-
ports. of a desp asete riot at Siberia,
Perry county, ART coming in by tele-
phone and couriers from the scene OF
the encounter. DR.. William Lomax,
of the White Sulphur Well, has just
tclephoned that a thousand men and
women look part in the fight. ThY2e
men are dead, four fatally hurtSd
fifty seriously injured. u
The dead are Fred Elmer, Wilt3
Geise and Frank Hart. Y
Those fatally hurt are Peter Cen
nett, Robert Dodge, Abner Stroud and
Samuel Wilson.
Siberia is but hamlet of few
dozen struggling houses and Roman
Catholic church. the congregation OF
which is composed Of Germans. They
are a simple and inoffensive people.
but have been greatly annoyed recent
ly by persons opposed to their religion.
They planned to enjoy great picnic
in the woods surrounding the village.
The entire population turned out to at
tend picnic and all went smoothly
enough until several gangs of disturb
ers appeared on the scene and began
to make trouble. There were num-
Der of booths on the grounds where
iDtoXicants were served. These were
literally patronized by the intruders
who soon began to insult the Germans
and their wives. The priest, who was
present, coursellcd his people to avoid
trouble if possible, and to pay no at
tention to the icers of the half-drunh-
en- marauders. Mistakirg his tolerance
for cowarilice. the intruders became
holder and soon precipitated a fight
which in a few moments assumed the
proportions of a desperate riot. Clubs.
chairs and beer bottles were brought
into play and the peaceful picnic was
Immediately transformed into great
group of struggling, cursing men and
screaming women.
Samuel Wilson. leader Of the out
siders was armed with huge knife
which he welded on every side, stab
bling and cutting many persons. He
was finally opposed by sturdy Ger
man who was more than a match for
him until Wilson plunged the knife
into his neck AS the man fell his
wife sprang through the crowd and
dealt Wilson terrible blow with a
beer bottle, crushing his skull. Dur
ing the melee one of the intruders
kicked woman about to become a
mother. killing her child and fatally
injuring her.
1t soon became apparent to the at
lacking party that they would be an
initiated if the fight was continued.
and, after their leader was stricken
down. they ran hastily through the
woods to where their horses were
tethered and escaped. leaving three
of their number on the ground for
dead.
Cots and litters were hastily impro-
vised and the dead aud wounded were
removed to the church in the village
and all the physicians in the neighbor-
hood called upon. DR.. Lomax, sur
geon of White Sulphur Well. and his
two assistants, were kept busy all of
the night caring for the wounded. DR..
Loma1 states that he saw fifty-four
injured. and believes that several of
them will die. lie says that the fight
began at o'clock in the afternoon
and continued for an hour.
A telephone message says that at
least twenty of the injured will die. A
courier from the scene of the battle,
who was sent for supplies for the sur
geons. states that three persons are
dead. Two Of them We're members of
the picnic party and the other is Will
son, the leader of the rioters.