Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1896-09-25
RIOT At LElDrILLE, coL6.
FIVE MEN KILLED As i RESULT.
The Shaft House a Pile Of Ashes
Dynamite Used to Effect the sIob's
Purpose : Troops Ordered Out
Rioters As Yet Unknown.

Inc bloody phase OF the greaI
miners strike at Leadville, Colo, ha.
come. Three men are known to be
dead and two others dying, the Coro.
nado shaft-house and machinery are In
ashes and four innocent householder.
are homeless, as the result of an at.
tack by parties as yet unknown upor
the Coronado and Emmett mines. in
the dark hours of the early morning,
Monday.
The first attack was made upon the
Coronado, which is in the city, being
only half a dozen blocks from the
postoffice and surrounded by resi-
dences. The Coronado shaft-house
was built on large embankment, en-.
closed 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 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 l o'clock Monday
morning, when few bullets struck
the barricade, and the men on guard
prepared for action.
1t was a night attack upon the prop
erty. Judging from the sound of the
fighting it came from the east. There
was no confusion, no crowds on the
streets. The first intimation which
those down town received of the
trouble was a number of shots. The
shots came scattered at first, then
faster and faster.
All the streets about the Coronado
we're deserted, with the exception of
three or four persons attracted by the
shooting.
Suddenly, af'er twenty-five minutes
firing, sheet of flame burst out, fol-
lowed by terrible defamation. The
attacking party was using dynamite.
The firing then seemed to slack up
slightly. Occasionally a bullet went
through the air, and then sheet of
fame from Eigth 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 and suffering was heard, as
though of blazing powder. The engine
f1w.- a.
later and the clang of the fire engines
was heard coming up the street. But
it was not for them to save the Coro-
nado. 1t was marked for destruction,
and armed men held the firemen at
bay.
When the hose cart reached the COR
ner, the hose WIS being sunreeled and
the marshal and his men were getting
ready for action, when three men
appeared from around the corner aud
compelled the firemen, with leveled
rifles, to stop work. Meanwhile the
flames grew fercer. The men in the
shaft house were finally driven from
their fort, but fought to the last. As
they ran over the high trestle work, a
dozen shots we're fired, but the men
reached the dump in safety and
escaped.
By this time large crowd had gath
cred, hundreds ready to assist but held
at bay by the rioters and frebugs,
who were concealed near the building.
But presently, as the sheets of flame
rolled over the buildings. it was APP
parent that unless there was timely ac-
ton the buildings in the vicinity were
doomed. The iremen rallied, for by
this time hundreds of citizens armed
with rifles appeared and guarded the
fire department. and volunteers. ALI
attention was devoted to- saving the
houses in the vicinity, but in spite of
every effort four dwellings on West
Eighth street were destroyed.
But even more terrible than the
holocaust of flames was the loss of
life. Jerry O'Keefe, foreman of Hose
No. 2, was turning on the water when
q bullet entered his side. He is NOR
tally wounded and dying in hospital.
An unknown man was taken 10 612
East Eighth street, dead, blown to
pieces by dynamite. Another un-
known man was MORALLY wounded by
dynamite. John Mahoney, a miner at |
the Big Four, who was near the EN-
nett, was shot in the stomach. He |
died in the arms of his companions.
One of the men who brought in the
report had his clothes nearly torn of,
but was not seriously hurt.
The strike began on June 10th, and
therefore, entered upon its fourth |
month Monday. 1t has paralyzed bus
ness, causing hunger and suffering in
hundreds of families, and has cut down
he mineral output of the camp more
han one-half. Sunday nights bloody
,attle is believed to be the last desper-
tie one Of the radical element of the
trikers to force the stoppage of all
he mines that are not paying the in.
creased scale Of wages demanded by
he union. Many of the strikers have
asserted all along that they would
clean out the system, /" and even gov
'rnment troops, if brought to Lead
lille, rather than see outside labor
'ome to the camp. The mine mana
,ers, who at first refused TO recognize
he union, finally ordered compro-
Mise, but this was rejected, and oil ef-
orts By citizens and others to termin-
tie the strike since then have failed.
At 2:3O Monday morning, Sheriff
Newman. of Leadvilla. and JudQa