Evening journal., 1898-10-13

NAHAAhh'N tht AFouhie-lfoopH UT
dered out-Governor Tanners
statemcnt-snys Mine own
ers Are Guilty of Murder.
VIRDEN, Ills. Oct 13.-The little
town Of Vlrden was comparatively quiet
last night after n day OF riot and blood.
shed. the long expected clash between
the union miners and imported negroes
At l2:40 o'clock yesterday afternoon q
Chicago and Alton special train bear
ing 200 negro miners from the south ar
rived at the stockade around the Chi.
cago- Virden Coal company's mines. and
Immediately the terrific firing began.
The list at 10 o'clock last night stood
dead and Is wounded.
The dead: Ed Walsh. Springfield
Frank Bilyeu, Springfield; Albert Smith
Mount Olive; Joe Kitterly. Mount Olive;
Ernest Keutner, Mount olive; A. II
Breneman, Girard; d. II. Kiley, Chica-
go and Alton detective.
The wounded: Ans Ankle Mount OIL
I've; Gustav Wevsiep, Mount olive ed
Upton, Springfield; Thomas Jennings
Springfield; Joe Haines, Girard, shot in
leg; Joe Runk, Girard, shot in arm;
George Runk, Glrard shot in stomach;
William Herman. Glrard shot In hand;
Joe Baston. Mount olive. shot in stom-
ach; Joe Sprim, Mount Olive, shot In
arm: Bart Tigar engineer Chicago and
Alton, shot In arm; j. f. Eyster, super
intendent Climax Trading company,
shot and beaten.
It is said that six men were wounded
inside the stockade. but this has not
been verified, and those inside the
stockade refuse 20 communicate with
outsiders
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
depot has been surrounded day and
night by vigilant miners determinedly
awaiting their arrival. Yesterday the
Chicago and Alton limited. due to pass
here at 10 o'clock, shot through to Chi
cago an hour late. displaying flags on
the rear indicating that a special was
following.
Immediately the word was spread.
and dense crowd of miners lined the
station platform, while another crowd
collected at the entrance of the stock
ade half mile north OF the station. d.
ii. Kiley, a Chicago and Alton detect
i've, stood guard at a switch at the
south end Of the station platform 10 see
it was not tampered with.
AT l2:4O the special train passed the
station, and signal shots were fred
from the south end of the train an
nouncing the specials arrival. Imme-
diately shots We're fired from the NOV
ing train and outside, and the battle
was on. A few moments after 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 a 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 passen-
gers returning the fire. The moment
the train reached the stockade the min-
ers opened a desperate fire with Win
chesters, revolvers and firearms of an
kinds The negroes on the train an
swered with a steady fire. The miners
and the train We're enveloped in a cloud
OF smoke, and the shooting sounded
like "A continuous volley Engineer
Burt Tigar received a bullet in the arm
and dropped from his seat. His fire.
man seized the throttle, pulled IL oper
with a jerk, and the train was under
speed, carrying a load of wounded ne.
gro passengers 10 Springfield. How
many We're wounded is not known. The
train stopped at the stockade but two
minutes. Its departure did not cause
the firing to cease. The tower OF tho
stockade was filled with sharpshooter.
armed with Winchesters. and they kept
up steady fire into the crowd OF un.
ion miners. Eyewitnesses say the dead
miners We're killed after the train hnt
departed 1t is not known how many
men are stationed behind the walls o
the stoclSade, but an estimate is placed
at between 20 and 40. IL is claimed tina
six within the stockade We're wounded
but those inside refuse 70 hold an,
communication with the outside. an,
nothing authentic can be learned
Word, however, was sent from tn
stockade 70 physicians in town tina
their services We're needed.
Manager Lukens, closely pursued b,
the maddened strikers. escaped 20 Au
burn on horseback.
Manager Lukens had tried to max
his escape from the shaft soon afte
the shooting. The attempt was sig
nal for another fusillade from bod
of men said 10 be miners. The man
ager and small force Of detective
ran into the alley behind the postof
fice. The attacking party. continue
10 fire away. but the manager hnan
escaped.
During the riot firing was general al
over the town. which has $500 inhnh
itants. Houses We're barricaded. on
many families living near the scene d
the conflict deserted their homes.
The telegraph operator az virde
stated that during the conflict he wa
afraid TO leave the Office and was /
mortal fear of his life. When wor
reached Mount Olive and staunton Z
the men killed. the thousands of unio
men in these places and surroundin
camps swore to be revenged and OF,
pared TO leave at once for Virden.
TANNERS STATEMENT.