The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-13

Virden. Ills, Oct 12-The little town
of Virden is comparatively quiet to-
night, after a day Of riot and blood
shed, the long expected clash between
the union miners and imported negroes.
At 12:40 this afternoon a Chicago &
Alton special train, bearing 200 negro
miners from the south, arrived at the
stockade around the Chicago -Virden
Coal company's mines and immediate
ly terrific firing began.
The list at 10 O'Clock tonight stands:
Seven dead and IS wounded.
The dead: Ed Welsh, Springfield;
smith, Mt Olive; Joe Kitterly, Mt.
Olive; Ernest Keutner, Mt. Olive; a. II.
Breneman, GiTard; D. II. Kiley, Chi
cago & Alton detective.
Wounded: Ansk Ankel, Mt Olive;
Gustav Wevsiep. Mt. Olive; Ed Upton
Springfield; Thomas Jennings, Spring
field; Joe Haines, Girard. shot in leg;
Joe Runk, Girard, shot in stomach;
William Herman, Girard. shot in hand:
Joe Baston, Mt. Olive, shot in stomach;
Joe Sprim, Mt. Olive, shot in arm; Bart
Tigar, engineer Chicago & Alton, shot
in arm; ]. F. Eyster, superintendent
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 to communicate with
outsiders.
For the past two weeks rumors have
reached Virden daily that a train with
negroes from Alabama would reach the
city and the Chicago & Alton depot has
been surrounded day and night by vigi-
liant miners, determiuedly awaiting
their arrival
Today the ohicako & Alton limited.
due to pass here at 10 O'Clock. shot
through en- route TO Chicago an hour
late, displaying flags on the rear indi-
eating that 4 special was following. I'm
mediately the word was spread and a
dense crowd of miners lined the station
platform, while another crowd collect
ed at the entrance of the stockade half
q mile north of the station. D. b XII
ley, a Chicago & Alton detective. stood
guard at a switch. at the south end of
the station platform, to see that it was
not tampered with.
BATTLE OPENS.
At 12:40 the special train passed the
station and signal shots were fired from
the south end of the train, announcing
the specieIs arrival. Immediately shots
were fired from the moving train and
A few moments after the train had |
passed the switch where Kiley was sta
toned, and while he was talking with |
two citizens, he threw up his arms and |
dropped dead with a bullet through his /
brain. He was the first man killed /
The train continued to the stockade, !
the miners firing into it ali along the |
route and the negro passengers. return |
ing the fire.
The moment the train reached the
stockade, the miners opened a desper-
ate fire with WincheSters, revoIvers
and firearms of all descriptions. The
negroes on the train answered 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 bull
let in the arm and dropped from his
seat Ills fireman seized the throttle,
pulled IL open and with jerk, the train
was under speed, carrying a load OF
wounded negro passengers to Spring
held. How many were wounded is not
known.
MINERS SHOT DOWN.
The train stopped at the stockade but
two minutes. Its departure did not |
cause the firing TO cease. The tower ;
If the stockade was filed with sharp
shooters. armed with WincheSters and ,
hey kept up q steady fire into the
,rowd of union miners. Eye witnesses
say the dead miners were killed after
he train had departed It is not known
lew many men are stationed behind
he walls Of the stockade, but an esti- !
nate IS placed at between % and 40.
1t IS claimed that six within the
were wounded, but those in
ide refuse to hold any communication
With the outside. and nothing authentic
an be learned. Word was, however
ent to the physicians in town that l
heir services were needed at the stock 7
,de.
STORE MANAGER BEATEN. g
The supply and provision store OF the 5
'hlcago- -Nirden Coal company is known q
S the Climax Trading company, with |
j. F. Eyster in charge. |
Il : O'Clock, after the firing at the Q
tochade had subSlded, an attack with p
ut a parallel in the history OF the
rouble. was made on Eyster in this l
tore on Main street, one block from r
be depot, which viii probably cost him
is life. He was sitting in his store Il
hen his telephone rang, and he was II
lstructed from the stockade 20 secure I;
hysicians and hurry them 10 the place
yster jumped into his delivery wagon | Fl
nd. securing two doctors, rushed them ! n
} the mines. He returned to his store | +
4AlDcQ UT VI MS hGE allC was Just I
1tering the door when the cry was 81
Used that Manager Fred Lukens OF a
ie mines was with him. With a rush. re
throng of infuriated miners pressed n
ward the store. Eyster ran behind a et
'uuter with q revolver in each land di
ne miners pressed hard after him, k
Id as Eyster sprang upstairs, he and kl
e miners began shooting slmultane-
lsly. lie ran TO the top of his building
Id jumped behind a chimney, while
e miners ran into the street and G,
'ened FIRE on him again. Chips Tew
pm the brick chimney, and Eyster ran
ON cover across TO the roof OF an
her store, firing into the street below vi
he ran. From there he crossed to in
G roof of the bank of Vircen, wnere
reloaded his revolver. Blood was T,
wing from wound in his side, but =
III dogged determination, against