Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-10-19
BATHS nErWEEN nIINE0s,


A bloody battle was fought between
coal miners at Virden, Illinois, on the
18th inst-last Wendesday-The min
ing company had determined to i'm
port lot of negro miners from AL
ALBANIA. The union miners at Virden
We're constantly on the look out for
those who it was expected should take
their place. After the battle on the
18th, the number of dead men was
seven, the number of wounded men
| was eighteen. A despatch of the
dreadful affair, on the day of the fight
says:
For the past two weeks rumors have
reached Virden daily that train hav-
! ing negroes from Alabama would reach
the city and the Chicago and Alton de-
pot has been surrounded day and night
by vigilant miners determinedly await
ing their arrival
To-day the Chicago and Alton limit
; ed, due to pass here at 10 O'Clock, got
/ through Ell route to Chicago an hour
late displaying flags on their rear in
! dicating that a special was following.
Immediately the word was spread and
dense crowd of miners lined the sta
ton platform, while another crowd
ade, a half-mile north of the station.
| ID. B. Kiley, a Chicago and Alton de
| tective, stood guard at switch at the
, south end of the station platform to
; see it was not tampeTed with.
! AT 40 the special train passed the
station and signal shots were fired from
the south end of the train announcing
/ the specials arrival.
/ Immediately shots were fired from
/ the moving train and outside and the
/ battle was on. \ few moments after
1 the train had passed the switch where
| Kiley was stationed and while he was
talking with two citizens he threw up
his arms and dropped dead with bull
let through his brain. He was the
| first man killed.
The train continued TO the stockade,
the miners firing into it all along the
route and the negro passengers return
ing the fire. The moment the train
reached the stockade the miners open,
ed 4 desperate fire with Winchcsters
reyolvers and firearms of every de
scription. The negroes on the train
answered with steady fire.
The miners and the train were enve
loped in a cloud of smoke and the
shooting sounded like continuOu:
volley. Engineer Burt Tigar received
q bullet in the ann and dropped from
his seat. His fireman seized th.
throttle and pulled it open with jerk
The train was under speed carrying /;
) load of wounded negro passengers t.
Springfield. How many were wound
ed is not known.
The train stopped ut the stockad'
but two minutes. It's departure die
not cause the firing to cease Th
: tower of the stockade was filled will
sharpshooters armed with Winchester
and they kept up a steady fire into th
crowd of union miners. Eyswitnesse
say miners We're killed after the train
+ had departed. 1t is not known hov
many men are stationed behind tn
walls OF the stockade, but an estimate
is placed at between twenty-five ant
forty
The supply and provision store o
the Chicago-Virgin company is know
as the Gilman. Trading company witt
Superintendent j. F. Eyster in charge
After tie firing at the stockade hat
subsided an attack was made on Eys
ter. He was taking doctors 10 the mine
and was entering his store when III
cry was raised that Manager Free
Iukens, of the mines, was with him
a tirong of infuriated miners presse,
toward the store. Eyster sprang UP
stairs and ne and the miners began
shooting simultaneously He ran t,
the top Of bis building and jumped be
hind Q chimney, while the miners raj
into the street and opened Il fire ol
him again. Chips few from tn
brick chimney and Eyster ran acros
TO another roof, firm" as heran Bloc,
was flowing from Il wound in mis- side
Jun;Fing from roof 10 roof. he finally
) halted and emptied both his siX-cham
bered revOlvers. Then springing from
/ cover he dashed ahead amid the rain o
bullets to the roof of the Teed building
: He either fell or jumped through th
; sky!ight and landed in the arms of :
( crowd of miners in & hall on the uppe
floor. They carried him TO the street
} where he was dragged irto the middl
of the read. Local policemen drov
back The crowd and carried Eyster tt
the city square across the street art
} laid him on the grass. lie was mo
tioniess and supposedly dead. TIL
police left him there and attempted t
disperse the crowd. In few minute
i Eyster was seen to raise his hand an,
wipe the blood from his face Tw
men sprang at him and with the ferC
city of tigers began jumping Oh hi
body and striking him on the hea
with stones. With a yell the angr
crowd rushed into the square to XII
Eyster. The police charged iii bod
{ and fought their way to the centre {
, the mob, where they took a stand owe
: the PROSTATE man. y carrier was pro
) cured and Eyster was taken to tn
;, Buckles hotel lie had been she
e tbro1pb he groin and is fprriely bal
Il tered about the head. He barely has
e chance for recovery The dead miner
D were removed from the vicinity of tn