Evening star., 1898-11-18
RACE WAR AT PANA
Illinois Town Undergoing a Veritabls
Reign of Terror.
FIRING CONTINUES ALL NIGHT
White Officers Afraid to Enter the
Negro District.
OOPS ON TIL E seen E

PANA, ILL.,, November 1s.-Desultory fir
ing in every section of the city continued
throughout the night. The terrorized resi-
dents hudd1ed in groups. which were guard
ed by heads of families heavily armed.
Quite a number of families left the city
and spent the night in the country with
friends.
c. H. Heath. an ex-railroad man. whose
home is in Flatham, the negro district, was
fired upon by the blacks and himself and
family were driven to shelter in the coun-
try. The blacks claimed shots were fired
at their homes from Heath's yard, state
ment which he denies.
Members of Troop were kept the
alert all night, but accomplished little. A
colored union miner reported to the police
that a white man had been killed in the
Flatham district. Officers Smith and Lee.
accompanied by the negro started for the
scene. They were met by Captain Butler,
the militia commander, who told the officers
it was unsafe for them to enter the Fat
ham district. Captain Butler refused to
send guard to accompany the officers.
To Clean Out the Whites.
In the Springsde last night, Ed. Jenas a
white non-union miner, is reported to have
been shot in the back and dangerously
wounded. report reached the city today
that seventy-five negroes with Winchesters
had lined up in Springside to clean out the
whites of that section. Capt Butler at
once dispatched troops to the scene.
A dispatch to the New York Herald from
Pana, ILL.,. last night says:
Intense excitement exists in Pana tonight
as the result of two battles fought this
afternoon between union white miners ard
Alabama negroes in Springside, a suburb
of this city, where the Springside coal mint
L. located.
known negro firing Upon Wesley Pope,
striker, who was in front of Alderman
George Craven's resid nee conversing with
Mrs. Craven. Craven is president of the
Miners Union. Pope was unarmed but
ran to his home and got q Winchester.
Returning he opened fire on the negro.
Pope was reinforced by his brother union
miners. and the negro after falling twice
beneath rain of bullets was driven into
an adjacent corn field. wnere he sought
shelter. Troop B of Bloomington turned
out Immediately with a Gatlng gun. The
firing ceased for a while, and the militia
waited at the barracks.
Five Hundred Shots Fired.
The second battle occurred in the same
section of the city, thirty minutes after
the first encounter. The negro driven into
the corn field made his way to the Spring
side stockade, whence later came a body
of blacks armed with Winchesters. They
made their way through alleys to jefferson
street. where they used shade trees a
protection and Immediately opened fire
upon the body Of strikers.
Their aim was high ard the strikers,
dropping to the ground, began steady fire
upon the blacks, who soon retreated to the
stockade. Fully $40 shots were exchanged,
but with what effect could not be ascer-
tanned.
mother of Chief of Police Kiely; Officer
Samuel Smith. Contractor ketchum and
other citizens were pierced with balls. Bull
let's whistled about the fashionable resi-
dences. whose occupants remained inside.
Women and children in every block hud-
died together in places of safety. expecting
to be killed and the entire eastern section
of the city was terrorized for fully an hour.
Several women are in critical condition
as result of fright, of them being
the wife of Alderman buddy.
Troops Were Too Late.
Shortly after the second battle a squad
of Troop made double quick time to the
Springside mine, but they arrived too late
to capture the parties participating in the
battle. While route to the scene of the
shooting the squad. in charge of Captain f.
p. Butler. were passing the grocery OF
James Mccarthy, when Michael Mccarthy
remarked 10 the squad: 1T is high time
for you to arrive, after two battles have
been fought"
Captain Butler took exception to the re-
marx. and, hating his squad, assaulted
Mccarthy in his doorway, bruising his face
and head. Mccarthy did not resist the as
sault for fear of being shot by the soldiers,
but he will apply for a warrant against
Butler. Witnesses say Buffers attack on
Mccarthy was unwarranted.
The belief that the soldiers are acting as
a guard for the negroes, which has been
growing daily in the minds of the citizens
was openly asserted by many tonight as a
result of the action of the troop in this
afternoons troubles.
lie soldiers are patrolling the business.
negro and mine districts tonight under
| strict orders. Captain Butler says he an
| ticipates outbreaks at any time.
A petition was circulated today addressed
| to Governor Tanner, citing that blacks and
| whites were both heavily armed and that
| bloodshed and loss of life would Immediate
| ly follow the removal of the soldiers from
| Pana.
The paper closed with a strong plea for
| the governor to retain the troop of cav
| a1rymen in Pana indefinitely and to send
| more to reinforce them.