The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-09-22
THREE iIAN DEAD
One Result of the Attack on the
Coronado ard Eh. nett
MirGs.
The Violent Outbreak Will Proc
ably Put all End to the
Strike,
Which Has Lasted Four Months
and Has Paralyzed Business
at Leadville.

LEADvILLE. Colo. Sept. 22.-The
bloody phase of the great strike has
come. Five men are known to be
dead and others are dying. The Coro.
nado shaft house is in ashes and four
innocent householders are homeless as
the result of an attack by parties as yet
unknown upon the Coronado and EN-.
nett mines in the dark hours Of the
sarly morning.
The first attack was made upon the
Coronado. which is in the city. being
only half dozen blocks from the post.
office and surrounded by residences.
The Coronado shaft house was built on
large embankment enclosed by logs
and the machinery is 10 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 we'll stocked with provisions.
Winchesters and ammunition. Beyond
assaults on workingmen seen coming
from the mine at divers times, no overt
acts of violence had been attempted
against this mine. until at o'clock q.
m a few
Bullets Struck the Barricade
and the men on guard prepared for &C.
tion. 1t was a night attack upon the
property. Judging from the sounds of
the fighting, it came from the east.
There was no confusion, no crowd on
the street. The first intimatiop which
those down town received of the trouble
was number of shots. The shots came
scattered at first, then faster and faster.
All the streets west of the Coronado
were deserted, with the exception of
three or four persons attracted by the
shooting. Suddenly, after 25 minutes
Of firing, q sheet of fame burst out. fol-
lowed by terrible detonation. the at
tacking party using dynamite. The
firing then seemed to slack mp slightly.
Occasionally bullet went through the
air, and then sheet Of fame from
Eighth or Ninth streets. 1t was evident
that an attempt was being made to fire
,the property. East Of the engine house
are several tanks Of fuel oil. and the
attack was concentrated on this point.
There was sheet Of fame. and sput.
.stering as though Of blazing powder
The engine room was in flames. A few
moments 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 was marked for destruc.
tion and
Armed Men Held the Firemen at Bay.
When the hose cart reached the cor.
4 xl,o hasro rnrnalal o,,l
the marshal aud his men were getting
ready for action when three men ap.
reared from around the corner 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 dozen shots
were fired. but the men reached the
dump in safety and escaped.
By this time o large crowd had gath.
cred. hundreds ready to assist, but held
at bay by the rioters and firebugs, who
were concealed near the building. But
presently, as the sheets of fame rolled
over the buildings, 1t was apparent that
unless there was timely action, the
buildings in the vicinity were doomed.
: The firemen rallied for by this time
hundreds OF citizens armed with rifles
appeared and guarded the fire depart.
i ment and volunteers 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.
The Lose Of Life.
But more terrible even than the holo.
caust of flames was the loss Of life.
Jerry O'Keeffe, foreman of Hose No.
2. was turning on the water when a
bullet entered his side. He is mortally
wounded and dying in the hospital.
An unknown man was taken to 6l2
East Eighth street. blown to pieces by
dynamite.
Another unknown man was mortally
wounded by dynamite
John MahOney. miner at the Biz
Four, who was near the Emmett, was
shot in the stomach He died in the
arms Of his companions
One Of the men who brought the re.