The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-14
Train with CoIored Miners from
Springfield Not Permitted to stop
at the stockade Last Night.
WEDNESDAYS DEADLY RIOT
FOURTEEN DEATHS HAVE RESULT
ED, AND OTHERS MAY FOLLOW.
Some of the Wounded I'm a Critical
en- Examined by the Coroner.

VIRDEN, ILL.,, Oct. 13.-This little mining
town, the scene of so much carnage yester-
day, was comparatively quiet to-day, the
military having taken possession of the
place. Tonight however, the excitement
of yesterday prior to the arrival of the
negro train was equaled when it became
known that special train consisting of one
box car, three apparently empty coaches
and caboose that passed through here at
6:25 this evening bore two carloads of
negroes taken through here to Springfield
yesterday. The train went south and by a
clever ruse succeeded in passing through
Virden quietly and without interference A
big crowd of miners was at the station,
but the militia held them in check. When
the train stopped at the stockade Captain
FEWER, who was in command of the mill
tary, shouted: Don't allow any one to
disembark from that train"
The gate was opened and file Of soldiers
rushed out on the double quick with fixed
bayonets and lined up alongside of the train.
General Manager Lukens made a formal
request that their employees be allowed to
leave the train and enter the stockade
Captain FEWER declined to grant this. Then
Mr.. Lukens put it in the form of a demand,
but the officer replied that he was under
orders from Governor Tanner to prevent the
disembarking Of any negro miners at the
works and he would have to carry out his
instructions. General Manager Lukens pro-
tested in vain and the train pulled out.
headed south.
BY this time the advance guard OF strikers
gathered at the depot had advanced up the
track to within one hundred yards of the
stockade. The presence of armed blue coats
In the lookout boxes evidently halted them,
as they remained there until the train
passed. when they greeted 1t with waving
hats and cheers for Governor Tanner, who
they believed had been instrumental in
starting the blacks on their homeward
journey.
After the departure OF the train Mr..
Lukens made this statement: From my
own personal knowledge 1 can say that no
shots were fired from the train carrying the
negro miners yesterday until at least five
hundred had been fired into 1t and several
OF the guards were wounded. The strikers
commenced firing on the train just after 1t
had passed the depot and kept it up as long
as the train was within gunshot. When
the train stopped at the gate our guards
were there to assist in unloading the cars.
But few shots were fired by them, most Of
the defense firing being done by the train
guards. w men the Specldl tram carrying the
blacks arrived this afternoon at the mine the
troops, under orders from Governor Tanner
refused to let them get off the train and
they were compelled to go on through.
protested to the captain in command of
the guard at the mine against this action
and told him there was no law, except the
law OF force. that would justify this action.
lie replied that he had strict orders from
the Governor not to permit the blacks to
land and that he was compelled to follow
Instructions
While the streets are practically deserted
tonight, there is still feeling of unrest
among the miners. demonstrated by the
periodical visits of small groups to the sta
tlon all during the night 1t is felt that an
attempt will be made to quietly smuggle
the negroes back to town before morning
and place them within the stockade 1t is
stated on the best authority that President
T.. c. Loucks. of the Chicago o-virden Coal
Company, tonight wired Governor Tanner
saying in Substance that these negro miners
would most certainly be placed within the
stockade. It cannot be learned that the
special train has reached st. Louis, and
there is an air of mystery regarding just
where it is, but the generally accepted
theory is that the train was stopped at
Plainville. about twenty-five miles south Of
here, and 1t is confidently expected that be-
fore sunrise an attempt will be made to run
the train back to the stockade