The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-14

Virden, Ill.,, October 12.-The little
town Of Virden is comparatively quiet
tonight after a day of riot and blood
shed, resulting from the long expected
clash between the union miners and
imported negroes. At 1910 o'clock this
afternoon Chicago and Alton special
train bearing 200 negro miners from
the south arrived at the stockade
around the Chicago-Virden Coal Com
pany's mines and Immediately the
fighting began. The list at 100 o'clock
tonight stands Seven dead, thirteen
wounded. 1t 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 that a train having ne
groes from Alabama would reach the
city and the Chicago and Alton depot
has been surrounded day and night by
miners. The Chicago and Alton limit
ed, due to pass here at 10 o clock en-
route to Chicago, was an hour late,
displaying flags on the rear indicating
that special was following. lmmedi-
ately the word was, spread and a dense
crowd of miners lined the station plat
form, while another crowd collected at
the entrance of the StOckade half
mile north of the station
At 12:40 o'clock the special train
passed the station and signal shots
were fired from the south end OF the
train announcing it's arrival
Immediately shots were fired from
the moving train and outside and the
lf.r1tC tA
the train had passed the switch where
d. l.. kiley, a Chicago and Alton de-
tective, was stationed, 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 all along the route and
the negro passengers returning the
fire. The moment the train reached
the stockade, the miners opened
desperate fire with WinchesterS, re-
volvers and firearms of all descriptions.
The negroes on the train answered
with a steady fire. The miners on the
train were enveloped in a cloud Of
smoke and the shooting sounded like
a continuous volley. Engineer Tigar
received a bullet in the arm and
dropped from his seat His fireman
seized the throttle, pulled it open and
with jerk the train was under speed
carrying load of wounded negro pas
sengersi to Springfield. How many
were wounded is not known The
train stopped at the stOckade but two
minutes. It's departure did not cause
the fighting to cease. The stockade
was filled with sharpShOoterS armed
with Winchesters and they kept up a
steady fire into the crowd of union
miners. Eye witnesses say the dead
miners were killed after the train had
departed. 1t is not known how many
men are stationed behind the walls of
the stockade, but an estimate places
them between twenty-five and forty.
1t is claimed that six within the
stockade were wounded, but those in
side refuse to hold any communication
with the outside and nothing authentic
can be learned. Word was, however,
sent from the stOckade to physicians
in town that their services were need
ed.
A DESPERATE FIGHT.
The supply and provision store of the
Chicago-Virden Company is known as
the Climax Trading Company, with
Superintendent j. F. Eyster in charge.
AT 2 o'clock, after the firing at the
stockade had subsided, an attack with
out a parallel in the history of the
trouble was made on Eyster in this
store in Main street one block from
the depot, which Will probably cost
him his life. He was sitting in his
store when his telephone rang and he
was instructed from the stockade to
secure physicians and hurry them to
the place. EIyster jumped into his de-
]ivery wagons and securing two doctors
rushed with them to the mines. he
returned to Ills store, climbed out OF
his wagon arNl was just entering the
door when thes cry was raised tnal
Mana E,vc had returned.
Fred. Lukens,. of the mines, was
with him. With al rush a throng OF IN
furiated miners xTessed toward the
store. Eyster ran behind a counter
with a revolver in each hand Inc
miners pressed hard after and as Eys-
ter sprang up stairs De and the miners
began shooting simultaneously. de ran
to the top of his building and jumped
behind a chimney while the m 1ners ran
into the streets and opened fire on nlin
again. Chips flew from the DFlck
chimney and Eyster ran from cover
across the roof of another store nrihg
into the street as he ran. AS he cl oss-
ed to the roof of the Bank of Vira en;
where he reloaded his revolver, bio, III
was flowing from a wound in his side
but with dogged determination against
terrible odds, he continued his fight.
Jumping to the roof of the Rae &
Gisch drug store, he halted behind a
ing he Just left and emptied both of
six chambered revolvers. Then, spring
ing from cover, he dashed ahead amid
the rain of bullets, to the roof of the
Steed building, the upper story of
which is known as miners hall. He
either fell or jumped through the sky