Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-08-21
FULTON IS INVADED BY
THE ROCK ISLANDERS
\ Lively Fight for the Possession Of
the Records of the Head
Office.
GOOD MANY HEADS WERE BROKEN
A Train Load Of Rock Island Men
Go To Fulton when the Ritual
of the Order Is Not
Followed.

standing fight between this town and
Rock Island, ILL.,, for the location Of the
offices Of the Modern WOodmen OF
America eliminated yesterday in a
land 10 hand fight between scores OF
Jartisans of the respective towns, in
which a number of persons were seri-
)usly injured.
The contest between the two towns
lates back several years. At the re-
cent convention of the order held at
Dubuque, Ia, il was decided 70 move
The offices and books of Head Clerk
Hawes 10 Rock Island. Then there
vas a lull, but the factions were by no
means Teconciled.
Yesterday a party was made up
Early by the Rock Islander and plans
%ere made for "A raid on the Fulton
headquarters with the object Of for
IDLY taking possession of the books.
records, etc. Of Head Clerk HaweE. and
removing the headquarters of the or
Ter TO Rock Island. \ train was char
cred, consisting of three coaches, II
| baggage car and two box ears, and the
INVADERS were soon on their way 10
Fulton. The inhabitants of the latter
Gown were fOrcwarned. however. and
made ready To give their uninHited
ruests "a cordial reception. y fire
alarm was sounded, and lines of hose
we're laid TO the points where II was
thought the Rock Islanders would be
most likely 10 disembark. The arrival
If the special train was the signal for
aostilities to begin. There was intense
feeling on both sides and a great va
riety of weapons, this combination re-
-,,Tt.,,,. g, a.. faIla,YinF tpEnHlFlpEs
Will Bennett. the city marshal, head
cut. thought to be fatally hurt.
W. Flanagan. head badly cut.
James Carrier, head cut.
Ed Bare. head and arms injured.
Chris Miller. Lyons. Ia. head cut.
T.. j. Casey, head badly injured.
A score o. others. mostly members OF
the Rock Island party. were more or
less bruised or cut. The free fight last
ed for an hour or more, rocks, clubs
and missiles Of every description being
welded by the opposing forces. Tn
Fu.tonites fin lily got the better Of tha
fight and Deputy Sheriff Farley. with
the assistance Of 4 number Of citlZ. rs
Of this town. effected the arrest Of
Head Attorney JOhnspl. Of the Modern
WOpdmen, one Of the Rock Island par
ty, and a number Of his companions.
The railroad track On each side II the
cars that brought the Rock islanders
was torn up by the FultJnites, the lat
ter evidently aiming - cut Of a posi-
bic retreat Of their enemies. The
scene Of the fighting bears every ev.-
dence Of the liveliest warfare, and a.
there was a number IF firearms in
both parties. il is a wonder the affair
did not result more seriously than u
did.
A large force Of peace officers have
been sworn in and as the invaders, oil
most Of them, are st,ll in Fulton. there
is great difficulty in preventing a re-.
newal Of the trouble. The injured:
Cornelius O'Brien, Rock Island, in
jured in arms.
Albert Spencer. Rock Island, face cut
Walter Fowler, Fulton, head cut.
Charles Weinburger, Rock Island.
head cut.
T. Burns. Rock Island, head cut.
X. Winter, Rock Island, cut over righI
eye.
G. w. Sample. Rock Island, head and
face cut.
James Mulcahy. Rock Island, head
cut. condition serious.
Andrew Leinheim. Fulton, heal in
jured, condition serious.
l.. V. Eckert. Rock Island, head cut
The action OF the Rock Island people
was prompted by a decision of judge
Cast. rendered at Cambridge, d.ssolv.
ing the injunction which had prevented
the removal Of the headquarters from
Fulton.
The Rock Island delegation arrived
AT CSC with 575 men and Immediately
proceeded to the offices of the Wood.
mems order. Though met with desper-
ate resistance from the start the Rock
Islanders succeeded in getting the bulk
OF the records out to the train. The
Fultonites in the meantime had called
out the fire department, sounded a
general alarm and with the augmented
crowd succeeded in tearing up the
track In front OF the locomotive. IL was
then attempted 70 Jack the train,
w~hereupon the Fulton people tore ur
the track in the rear. BY this time
the F~ultonltes were reinforced by
crowds from Clinton and Lyons.
guard was formed about the train. In
| the meantime two additional master il
chancery injunctions were secured ana
the sheriff swore in 200 deputies 10 as.
ssst in enforcing them. The Fulton
people shows fight from the moment
the Rock Island crowd arrived.
At the door Of the head office tn
village marshal, William Bennett
stood with drawn revolver. A bricb
from one Of the invaders felled hin te
the ground. At the depot, which Is hah
a block distant, the fight was renewed
and here il took the nature of a riot
during which 100 OF the Rock ISLAND
people were placed upder arrest. 1t wa
at this time that a large number o
10Th sides were injured.