The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-08-19
MODERN WOODMEN RIOT.
A LIVELY FIGHT BETWEEN TWO
TOWNS FOR THE HEADQUAR-
TIERS OF THE ORDER.
NEARLY A THOUSAND MEh.tAGAGED
A CONT DissOlving an Injunction
Led to the Fight-RailrOad Track
Tom Up, and Things Were
Serious at Times.

Fulton, ILL.,, Aug. 13.-The long standing
fight between this town and the city of
Rock Island, ILL.,, for the location of the
headquarters of the Modern Woodmen of
America eliminated today in a hand to
hand fight between scores of partisaIs
of the respective towns in which a num-
Der of persons were seriously injured.
The contest between the two towns dates
back several years. At the recent con-
vention of the order held at Dubuque.
Ia. it was decided to move the Offices
| and books of Head Clerk Halves to Rock
Island. Then there was n lulL but the
| factions were by no means reconciled..
| Those who are desirouS of having the
| headquarters retained in this city applied
to the courts for an injunction restraining
their removal. A temporary injunction
was granted and the controversy went
over until the fall term of court. This
was not the first time the courts had
been called upon to intercede between
the warning towns. The slow process
of law was.not satisfactory to the Rock
| Islanders. so they determined to take
matters in their own hands. Today a
party was made up in the city by the Mis-
sissippi and plans were made for raid
on the Fulton headquarters with the OBJ
ject of fOrcibly taking possession of the
books, records, etc. of the order and re-
moving the office of Head Clerk Halves
to Rock Island. A train was chartered
| and the invaders were soon on their way
to Fulton. The inhabitants of the latter
town were fOrewarned. however, and
made ready to give their unlimited guests
a cordial reception. A hre alarm was
sounded and lines of hose were laid to
the points where it was thought the Rock
Islanders would. be most likely to dlsem-
bark. The arrival of the special train
was the signal for hostilities to begin.
There was an intense feeling on both
sides and great variety of weapons, the
combination resulting.
Will Bennett. city marshal of Fulton,
head cut, believed to be fatally hurt.
w. NJ. Flanagan, head badly cut.
James Carrier. head cut.
Ed Rare. head and arms injured
Chris Miller. Lyons. Ia. head cut
p. J. Casey Moline, ILL.,, head badly in
jured.
A score of others were more or less
bruised. The free fight lasted for an hour
or more and rocks. clubs and missiles OF
every description were welded indus
triously by the opposing forces Inc Full
tonites finally got the better of the fight,
and Deputy Sheriff Johnson effected the
arrest of Head Attorney Johnson of the
Modern WOOdmen, one Of the Rock Island
marty and a number of his companions.
The railroad track on each side of the
cars that brought the Rock Islanders was
form nm by the Fultonites. the latter evil
IDENTIFY aiming to cut off the retreat OF their
enemies.
The scene of the fighting bears evidence
of the liveliest warfare. and as there were
a number of firearms in both crowds it is
n wonder the affair did not result more
seriously than it did. A large force of
police officers has been sworn in, as the
invaders or a number of them are still in
Fulton, and there is great difficulty in
preventing the renewal of trouble.
The action of the Rock Island people
was prompted by decision of Judge
Cast. rendered at Cambridge today dis
solving the injunction which prevented
the removal of the headquarters from
| Fulton.
The Rock Island delegation arrived
at $50 o'clock, with 575 men. and i'm
mediately proceeded to the offices of the
Woodmen order Though they met with
desperate 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 departments. sounded
Il general alarm, and with the aug
| mented crowd succeeded in tearing UP
the track in front Of the. locomotive.
1t was then attempted to back the
train. whereupon the Futonites tore UP
the track in the rear. BY this time the
Fulton people We're reinforced by crowds
from Clinton and Lyons. and having
/ this advantage. and with the Use. of the
arms of the Lyons company of the Hi
nois state militia. guard was formed
about the train. In the meantime two
additional master in chancery injunc-
| tiOns were secured and the sheriff sworr
| in zoo deputies to assist in enforcing the
| iniunctiOns.
The Fultonites showed fight from the
moment the Rock Islanders arrived.
| Having received intimatiOns that tie
special was en- route. there was. II large
| contingent at the depot when the train
arrived. At once hostiltics began by
| the tearing up of the walks about the de-
pot and assaulting the invaders with the
loose blanks. At the entrance TO the
| WOOdmen's office stood the sheriff. with
revolver in hand. but brick from the
intruders fellcd him to the floor.
The Rock Islanders made rush into
| the Office and captured the records. At
| the depot, which is half a block distant
| the fight was renewed. and here it took
| the nature Of Il riot during which 40
| of the Rock Islanders We're placed I'M
| der arrest At the same time a num-
Der were badly injured.
| The Season Has Opened.