Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-09-29
BATTLE WITH STRIKERS
Imported Negro Miners on the
Aggressive.
CHALLENGE QUICKLY ACCEPTED.

Negroes on One Side of the Street and
White strikers on the Other Fire
Several Hundred Shots--One Negro
Reported Killed, Several wounded.
Pana. Ills, Sept. 49, striking union
coal miners and imported negroes en-
gagged in pitched battle in the main
street of this city last night. Several
hundred shots were exchanged. No
one was wounded in the ranks of the
union men. The negroes were driven
from the city to their stockades, car
rying with them, it is believed, num-
Der of wounded comrades. One of the
negroes is reported to have died soon
after reaching the stockade. DesuI-
tory firing continued all midnight in
the vicinity of the stockades.
The negroes from the stockades at
the Springside and Penwell mines were
making demonstrations ON Second and
Locust streets. the principal streets in
the city, by parading heavily armed.
The union miners were in session at
their hail. where a Chicago labor
leader was speaking. One of the ne
groes appeared at the foot of the
miners hall and engaged in a quarrel
with a union white miner. Officer
Samuel Smith Immediately arrested
the black, and was escorting him to
Jail, when he was closed in on by a
posse of negroes who, pointing their
revolvers at Smith, threatened to kill
him if he did not release the prisoner
Smith continued on his way to Jail with
the prisoner. Union miners and others,
meanwhile, went to Smiths assistance
and the negroes were driven back
Smith took his prisoner to Operator
Geore V. PenwelPs store, and upon
Penwell's standing for the negro's
fine he was released
Before Smith had released his pris-
oner, however. the negro posse had
been reinforced and assumed a threat
ening attitude toward the white men.
David McGarvic, leader of the union
miners, dubbed one of the blacks over
the head with revolver. it is said For
half a block McGarvic forced the ne
groes to retreat, and then a few shots
were fired. The negroes retreated in
double quick time to their stockades.
They secured rifles, returned to Lo-
Gust street and challenged the miners
for fight. The opposing forces lined
up on the street. the negroes with
Winchesters and the miners with shot
guns, rifles and revolvers. Neighbour
ing business houses were Immediately
closed, lights extinguished and citizens
generally sought their homes. At the
word of command firing commenced
The first volley, it is asserted
was fired by the negroes. The
union men responded with a VOL
ley, and heavy firing continued for five
minutes. Much of the shooting was
wild and entirely harmless to the white
men. who finally drove their enemies
in full retreat to the stockades.
A second encounter between whites
and blacks occurred 20 minutes after
the first battle near the Penwell stock
ade, but the firing was scattered, and
1t is not believed to have been seri-
Gus engagement. The miners had full
charge of the business streets all night.
Desultory rifle reports could be heard
from the Penwell and Springside stock
AIDES. but no person would venture into
the streets near the mines, and very
few loitered about the business or
residence sections. The union miners
say the battle of last night is only a
foretaste of what may be expected to
follow. They blame Operator Penwell
for the trouble, and say they will swear
out warrants charging him with in
citing last nights riot.