Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-10-20
BLOODY BATTLE.
Striking Miners and Imported Me-
groes Fight at Virden, Ill
Seven Men are Killed and Eighteen
Wounded-An Attack is Made
Train Load of Men Brought from
the South to Work In
the Mines Troops are
Sent to the Scene


pected clash between the union miners
and imported negroes. At 12:40 We'd
nesday afternoon a Chicago & Alton
special train bearing 200 negro miners
from the south arrived at the stock
ade around the Chicago-Nirden Coal
Co.'S mines and Immediately terrific
firing began. The list at 10 o'clock
last night stood seven dead and IS
wounded.
ID. b. Kiley, a Chicago & Alton de-
tective, stood guard al a switch at the
south end of the station platform to
see it was not tampered with. At
12:40 the special train passed the sta
tion and signal shots were fired from
the south end of the train, announce
ing the specials arrival. Immediately
shots were fired from the moving train
and outside and the battle was on. \
few minutes after the train had passed
the switch where Kiley was stationed,
and while he was talking with two cit
izens, he dropped dead with bullet
through his brain. He was the first
| man killed.
The train continued 10 the stockade,
the miners firing into it all along the
turning the fire. The moment the
train reached the stockade the miners
opened a desperate fire with Winches-
ters and revolvers. The negroes on
| the train answered with a steady fire.
The miners ana the train were en-
veloped in a cloud of smoke and the
shooting sounded like continuous
vollev. Engineer Burt Tigar received
n bullet in the arm and dropped from
his seat. His fireman seized the throt-
tie and the train was speedily carrying
a load of wounded negroes to SPRING
field. The train stopped at the stock
ade but two minutes. Its departure
did not cause the firing to cease. The
tower of the stockade was filled with
sharpshooters.
Forty-tiye men are stationed behind
the stockade. and of these EIGHT are
wounded and one was killed during
the battle.
The sunnIv and nrovision store of
the Characterization Coal Co. is known
as tbe CIimax Tradiro Co with Suner-
in+andan+ I e Evstrr in charre At
. o'clocL after the FIRING at the stock
,da bod eubsidad an ottacl, without a
norolIal in tbe history Of the trouble
,r,s r,oda an Evstar in This e+or, on
Main e+ree+ one block from the deno+
which win nroboblv cost him his life
He ,vas ei+tinr in his store whom his
+e1enhone rang and he was instructed
fron, tho stocl,ada To secure nhvsicions
and hurry them to the place. Evster
iumned into his delivery WAGON and.
eecurinn two doctors. rushel them ia
tho mines He returned IN his store
climbed ont of his wagon. and was
ins+ an+erino the door when the CRY
y,-ae raised mat Nanarer Fred Tukins
of the mines. was with HIM.
With rush a throng of miners
pressed toward the store. Eyster ran
behind n counter with a revolver in
each hand The miners pressed hard
after and as Evster spranp nm stairs
he and +be miners beman shootipr He
r.a, +o +be ton of his huildinr and
inmnad bebind = chimney while the
n,inars ran into tba street and onened
fire On him Chips few from tbe
cbin,nav and Evster ran across IN 1he
roof of another store frin~ into the
erect belo,v as he ran.
Jumnino to the roof of the Rae &
Cicb drnG store he halted behind q
,,,.oiection from tbe roof and emptied
bo+b bis revolvars Then snrinnino
from cover Evster dashed ahead amid
roin of buIlats IN the roof of the
c+eed hniIdinp the unner story of
which is known os Miners hall He
a;+bo, foil or iumned throuob +be sl,v.
Iirbt and landed in the arms of a
o,.o,.d Of minars who ca,.riaa him
l,,.,, s+oire into +b. r,iddIa of tho
1t,at palioa,,ar drova hool, the
a.a,,,a o,,d lorriad E,,ster across +be
s4,. - 1,;a -, -, .,a osa Ia
"N' i"',' -, 81
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