The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-29
Imported Negroes Attack Striking
Miners at Pana.
PITCHED BATTLE FOUGHT
BOTH SIDES ARMED WITH
RIFLES AND REVoLVERS.
Lined Up In the Street and Elk
changed Several Hundred Shots
Believed That Some of the Negroes
Were Wounded-Governor Tanner
Asked to Send Militia.

Pana, Ills, Sept. 2S-Striking union
coal miners and imported negroes en-
gagged in a pitched battle in the main
street of this city tonight. 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 st0ckadeS, carry
ing with Them it is believed, num-
Der of wounded comrades. one OF the
negroes is reported to have died soon
after reaching the suocKade. DeSultoIy
firing continues at midnight IN the vi
cinity of the stockade.
The trouble was Drecipitated at $50
o'clock this evening. AS usual, the
negroes from the stOckades at the
SDringside and PenWell mines were
making demonstrations on Second ana
Locust streets, the principal business
streets of the city, by parading, heavily
armed The union miners were in SEES
sion at their hall, where a Chicago Ia
Dor leader was speaking. one OF the
negroes appeared at the foot OF the
miners hall stairway and engaged In
a quarrel with a union white MINER
Officer Samuel Smith Immediately ar
rested the black man and was escortlnS
him to JAIL when he was closed in on
by a posse OF negroes. who, pointing
their revolvers at Smith, threatened to
oner Smith continued on his way TO
the iail with his prisoner. Union min
ers and others meanwhile went TO
Smiths assistance and the negroes
were driven back. Smith took MS
prisoner to Operator George V. Pen
wells residence and upon PenWelIs
staDdin@ for the negro's fine, he was
released.
80 Smith had released his Dris-
been reinforced and assumed a threat
ening attitude toward the white men.
Davis McCaVic, leader of the union
miners, dubbed one of the blacks over
the head with a revolver, it is said. For
half a block McGavic forced the ne
groes TO retreat and then feW/ShotS
were fired. The negroes retreated
double-ouick to their stockades, Sc
cured rifles, returned to Locust street
and challenged the miners to fight The
opposing forces lined I'D on the street,
the negroes with Winchesters and the
miners with shOtgunS, rifles and re-
volvers. Neighboring business houses
were Immediately closed, lights ex-
tinguished and citizens generally
sought their homes.
At the word of command firing COM
menced The first volley, it is said,
came from the negroes. The union
men responded with a volley and the
heavy firing continued for five minutes
Much of the shooting was wild and
entirely harmless to the white men,
who finally drove the enemy in full re-
treat to the stockades.
A second encounter between whites
and blacks occurred at the mines after
the first battle near Penwell stockade,
but the firing was scattered and it is
not believed to have been a serious
engagement The miners had full
charge OF the business streets at mid
night. Desultory rifle reports could be
heard from the Penwell and Springside
stockades, but no person would ven
ture into the streets near the mines
and very few are lettering about the
business or residence sections.
The union miners say the battle of
tonight is only a foretaste of what may
be expected to follow.
Governor Tanner will be asked to
send militia to protect property in this
city and remove the negroes.