The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1896-09-26
ALL QUIET IN CAMP
RIOTlNG MINERSIN LEADVILLEFLEE
TO THE MOUNTAINS.
Conservative Strikers DenOunce the
Action of the Rioters n De-
clare They VIII Return to Work
"Details OF the Midnight Battle
mt the Nfnex-Fiye Lives at I.enst
Are Sacrificed in the Fighting.


Are Sacrificed i'm the Fighting.
Leadville, Colo. Sept. 23.-Quiet pre-
walls here now and no further violence
is anticipated. Il is generally be-
lieved that the men who fired the
Coronado shaft house and who at
tackled the Emmett mine, but were re-
pulsed, have fed TO the mountains
! and will be seen no more. They are
said to be miners from the Occur
d'Alene country who were engaged i'll
the riots there several years ago.
The Coronado shaft house is in
| ashes and four innocent h~ouseholders
are homeless as the result of the at
J tack upon the Coronado and Emmett
vines. The first attack was made
the Coronado. which is in the
ing only half a dozen blocks
postotfice and surrounded by
L.. IS. The Coronado shaft house
y. quilt on a large embankment en-
rlosed by logs and the machinery is
fifty feet above the street level. A
heavy plank barricade was erected
! around the machinery and Shaft house
when the mine resumed operations last
month and the house was well stocked
with provisions, Winchesters and am
munition. Beyond assaults on work
ingmen seen coming from he mine at
divers times. no overt act of violence
had been attempted against this mine,
until 1 o'clock a few bullets struck
the barricade and the men on guard
prepared for action.
1t was Il night attack upon the prop
erty. Judging from the sounds of the
fight, it came from the east. There
was no confusion, no crowd on the
street. The first intimation which
those down town received of the
tEGuble was a number of shots. The
shots came scattered at first, then fast
err and faster. All the streets west Of
the Coronado were deserted. with the
exception of three or four persons at
tracted by the shooting.
Dynamite Used.
Suddenly, after twenty-five minutes
of firing, Il sheet of flame burst out,
followed by a terrible %detonation. the
attacking party using dynamite. The
firing then seemed to slack up slightly.
Occasionall.<c 1a,llet went through the
air, and then 4 sheet of flame from
Eighth or Ninth streets. 1t was evil
dent that an attempt was being made
TO nre the property.
East of the engine house are several
tanks Of fuel oil. and the attack was
concentrated on this point. There was
a sheet of flame and a suffering as
though of blazing pawder. The en-
CINE rooms was in flames. A few mo
ments later and the clang of the fire
engines was heard coming up the
street. But it was not for them to
save the Coronado. 1t vas marked for
destruction. Five armed men held the
tiremen at bay. When the hose cart
reached the corner. the hose was be-
ing unreeled and the marshal and his
men We're getting ready for action,
when three men appeared around the
corne and compelled the tiremen,
with threats. to stop work. The men
in the shaft house were finally driven
from the fort. but fought to the last.
AS they ran over the high trestle work
a dozen shots were fired. but the men
reached the dump in safety and es-
capped.
BY this time a large crowd had gath
cred, hundreds ready to assist, but
held at bay by the rioters and fire
bugs. who We're concealed near the
building. But presently as the sheets
of flame rolled over the buildings it
was apparent that unless there was
timely action the buildings in the vi
entity We're doomed. The firemen raj
lied. for by this time hundreds of cit
liens, armed with rifles. appeared and
guarded the fire department and vol
unteers. All attention was devoted to
saving the houses in the vicinity. but
in spite Of every effort, four dwellings
on East Eighth street were destroyed.
Attack Upon the Emmett.
At $3.50 a. III. an attack was made
on the Emmett. There were over a
hundred shots fired, but the attack was
repulsed.
The Coronado people heard of the
coming Of trouble but the supposition
was that the attack was to be made
Mt the Emmett. Soon after the de-
struction commenced many of the cit
liens responded quickly, armed with
rifles and shotguns, but they could do
little in fighting the fire and dynamite.
Foreman O'Keefe was shot from be-
hind just after he turned a stream on
the fire at the Coronado. The first at
tack at the Coronado was made with
dynamite near the oil tanks. The men
'"ithin the enclosure returned the at
and u fusilade of bullets followed,
- dynamite did it's work well.
is charged that the lawlessness
las due to n mob of strikers, princi-
pally from the Occur d'Alene country.
who have long been breeding trouble
in I.eadville. and who, seeing that the
strike was nearing an end. were de-
termined to make a final stroke. This
assertion is largely made by the peace
full miners of the camp. There was
every evidence that the strike IA
broken. Many miners had announced
their intention of going to work. At
ter being repuised at the Emmett mine