The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-13

OF virden is comparatively quiet to-
night after a day OF riot and blood
shed. the long expected clash between
the union miners and imported negroes.
At 12:40 this afternoon a Chicago &
Alton special train. bearing 200 negro
miners from the South arrived at the
stockade around the Chicago -virden
Coal company's mines and Immediately
terrific firing began. The list at 10
o'clock tonight stands seven dead and
is wounded. The dead:
| ED. WALSH. Springfield.
| FRANK BILYEAU. Springfield.
ALBERT SMITH. Mount Olive.
JOE KITTERLY. Mount Olive.
ERNEST KEUTNER. Mount Olive.
A. H. BRENEMAN. Girard.
d. H. KILEY. Chicago.
An Alton detective.
Wounded: Ansk Ankel, Mount Olive:
Gustav Wevsiep. Mount Olive: Ed.
Upton. Springfield: Thomas Jennings.
Springfield; Joe Haines. Girard, shot in
leg; Joe Runk, Girard. shot in stom-
ach: William Herman. Girard. shot in
hand; Joe Baston. Mount Olive. shot in
stomach; Joe Sprim. Mount Olive, shot
in arm; Bart Tigar. engineer Chicago
& Alton, shot in arm; ]. F. Eyster.
superintendent Climax Trading COM
pany. shot and beaten. 1t is said that
six men were wounded inside the stock
ade. but this has not been verified as
those inside the stockade refuse to COM
municate with outsiders.
For the past two weeks rumors have
reached Virden daily that a train hav-
ing negroes from Alabama would reach
the city. and the Chicago & Alton depot
has been surrounded day and night by
vigilant miners determinedly awaiting
their arrival.
To-day the Chicago q Alton limited.
due to pass here at 10 o'clock. shot
through en- route to Chicago an hour
late. displaying flags on the rear indi-
eating that a special was following.
Immediately the word was spread and
a dense crowd of miners lined the sta
ton platform, while another crowd coll
lected at the entrance of the stockade
half a mile north of the station. ID. b.
Kiley, a Chicago & Alton detective,
stood guard at switch at the south
end of the station platform to see that
1t was not tampered with.
At 12:4O the special train passed the
train and the signal shots were fired
from the south end of the train. an
nouncing the specials arrival. Imme-
diately shots were fired from the NOV
ing train and outside. and the battle
was on. A few moments after the train
had passed the switch where Kiley was
stationed and while he was talking
with two citizens. he threw up his
arms and dropped dead with a bull
let through his brain. He was the first
man killed. The train continued to
all along the route and the negro pas
sengers returning the fire. The moment
the train reached the stockade the min
ers opened a desperate fire with Win
chesters. revolvers and firearms of all |
The negroes on the train |
answered with a steady fire.. The min
ers and the train were enveloped in a |
cloud of smoke and the shooting sound |
ed like a continuous volley. Engineer |
Burt Tigart received a bullet in the |
arm and dropped from his seat. His
fireman seized the throttle, pulled 1t
open and with a jerk, the train was
under speed. carrying a load of wound
ed negro passengers to Springfield.
How many were wounded is not
known. The train stopped at the stock
ade but two minutes. Its departure
did not cause the firing to cease.
The tower of the stockade was filled
with sharpshooters. armed with Win
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
s not known how many men are sta
Toned behind the walls of the stockade,
,ut an estimate is placed at between 25
md 40. 1t is claimed that six within
he stockade were wounded. but those
inside refuse to hold any communica-
ion with the outside and nothing au-
hentic can be learned. Word was.
sent to the physicians in town
hat their services were needed at the
tockade.
The supply and provision store Of the
Coal company is known
Is the Climax Trading company, with
]. +. Eyster in charge.
At 2 O'Clock. after the firing at the
had subsided. an attack with
'ut . parallel in the history Of the trou-
Die was made on Eyster In this store on
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
rom the stockade TO secure physicians
md hurry them to the place. Eyster
umped into his delivery wagon and.
two doctors. rushed them TO