Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-20


FIVE PERSONS DEAD.
Oakland, CAL, July 19.-The works
rpf the Western Fuse and Explosive
Company were blown up by murder
Gus Chinaman at $50 this morning.
Five deputy sheriffs and constables VINO
were trying to arrest the murderer were
killed.
The dead are: Deputy Sheriffs Char
nes White, (son of Sheriff WniIe)'
George Woodsum. D. c. Cameron
Constables Gus Koch and ]. }. Lerii'
Mrs. Hill and Coon Mug Chung
The Chinaman had fortified hlmseL1
In the magazine and blew it up when
the attempt to arrest him was made.
The Celestial, who was employed IN
the works and who caused the aWlul
explosion, had killed fellow country
man yesterday afternoon In quarlei
over a Chinese lottery ticket, he theh
dehed the officers of the law who went
TO arrest him. The murderer heu ih''
the magazine, which contained nVe tons
of giant powder, barrcaded hlmsell anu
threatened to blow up the magazine IL
INV one came to arrest him. Deputy
SHERIFF Charles White, son OF Shefin
white. in charge of a posse, consisting
George Woodsum, Deputy She11ff u. Z.
Cameron. Deputy Constable }. ). Lerfl
md DEPUTY Constable Cramer, were Oh
the scene of the shooting shortly alter
the murder and kept guard over lhe
Chinaman
WITHIN HIS STRONGHOLD.
A1I the officers were armed WIN rliies'
AFTER repeated demands to SURRENDER
had been made, to all of which the SAME
re,,v came IF you come in mere
mil, hlow IN the magazine" the ofhcers
,retired for the night, within the private
office of the company, about t"eN.'
wards away. This morning at D . NiooH 1
Deputv Sheriff White, after a eon0u-
.atiop with the others, deterhiiH'u
hraat down the barricade, not peile'
ang that the Chinaman would Keep "-'
dastardly promise. ,oodod
Accordingly, the entire posse ~
FOR the door. True to his "oIu' IN
rhinaman fired the giant po"uel
An an instant a terrific explosion ~
Cured, killingxfve officers and pios .hat
-Dur "a aasdl l4oma a,ot So s1 Whites ties
body was fearfullS mangled. 1t was
found nearly 5yards away Koch
was also badly lsaigured, but lived
long enough to dAaken to the hospital
in a patrol wagon, ewhere he died. Mrs
Hill was visiting > Mrs. Pride, who
lived across the way. She was killed
in the falling debris of the building.
All the buildings took fire. Engines
were soon fighting the flames, but to
no avail The works were completely
wrecked. Four houses also are blown
down and about forty partially wreck
ed. Deputy Sheriff Fred Sheriff and
Deputy Ed. White escaped, but are
painfully wounded.
Deputy Sheriff Sheritt's story is to
tbe effect that at 5 o'clock this morn
ing the Chinaman called to Deputy
Sheriff White that
HE WOULD SURRENDER.
white, Woodsum and Koch immedl-
ately proceeded to the door, while the
others followed. Just as the door was
reached the sound of falling plank
was heard, and then the explosion oc-
Cured.
The name of the Chinaman was
Coon Mug Chung. The man he muir
dered was Sam 81 Sing.
! Coroner Wadeni and corps of dep
hes are searching through the sur
nding fields for the remains. In
Re instances they had to be picked
m shoyels. Fourteen cars were
a wn to splinters and several were
burned. Windows were broken in Oak
land, Alameda and as far as Berksley.
One of the most thrilling stories of
the fatality is that told by Fred Sheriff,
of West Oakland, whose escape was
simply miraculous. He said:
with the other deputy sheriffs we
kept as close to the powder house as
we thought advisable. Occasionally
one of us would go toward the door,
and assure the Chinaman that we
would not hurt him if he came out.
The fellow would invariably reply that
he would blow up the place if We at
tempted to take him. Late last
night he threatened so often that the
people around there thought he would
do it, and many Of them moved out
of their homes. Had they not done so
they would have been dead, for their
homes are scattered over many acres
I'VE hung around here all night, and
lust at daybreak Charley White urged
q Chinaman to tell the fellow to come
out. He would not do so, but shortly
after o'clock he told us that he would
walk out, and give us no more trouble
aAs soon as the fellow made his an