Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-10-20
A BLOODY BATTLE.
Expected Clash Between Miners and
Imported Negroes Takes Place.
SEVERAL DEAD and MANY WOUNDED.

Gov Tanner Holds the Operators Guilty Tor
the virdsn Riot. ~ He Had Previous.
Warned Them Of the Danger
Troops Ordered to virdsn.
virden, ILL.,, Oct 10. The little town
Of virden was comparatively quiet
last night, after . day Of riot and
bloodshed, the long expected clash be.
tween the union miners and imported
negroes havinc taken place. In the
afternoon a Chicago & Alton special
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 last night
stood seven dead and IS wounded.
The stockade surrounds about 20 acres
Of ground In square and Is made OF
pine boards an inch thick set edge to
edge, about II feet high. On each OF
the four sides about midway Is small
wi.h q w,nchsster' There are three
.n...nos. wh;ch ars closely guarded
~, h"iS a do,sn armed sentries day
"a ~ u;aht The eoht occurred at the
sas. on,rsnoo
49, .ha nos, ,wo weeL. rumors have
...sh.d v;rdor ds,lv that a train hav.
IT, n...o.. ,rom Alabama would
.as s 10 o,tr md Tho Chicago 4
a. a.no, no. hssr surrounded dav
..s .,.h. hr v,cii.rt m,ners deter.
m;nsdln AWAITING their arrival. Yes.
.a"d., ~. rh;osco & Alton limited
49, ~ nass haro A. ton o'clock shot
tu ~ ar rou,s for Chicago an hour
,a.s disnlavino aaos IN the rear. in.
a;oa.inr tho, a snecial was followino.
Immadi.,slv tho word was snread and
/. danso crowd ~ miners lined the sta.
Zion nlatform while another crowd
oo,,.o,aa a, tha or,rorca ~ tho stock.
~" i,"i, : vita Nth ~ tba station
n n K,,or . rbicoco q Alton detect.
-. 1900 urord a, tho s,v,tch at The
sou,h snd ~ tho station nlatform Ia
soa Tho, i, w.s mot hammered with
A. ,o..o ,ho sroc,ol train nassed the
.,a,ion and s;arsl shots we're Aired
49,, ~. .o,.h and ~ ,ho train an.
..,,n.,na w. snoc,ops arrival I'm.
m"dis,a,r sho,s were ared from the
,o,,u ,,o,m srd outside and the bat.
Az 49, W. taw momorts after the
trs;r hsd nasssd tho switch where
I'll, ,,,os stat;onod and ,yhile be IVA,
..,,.;. i'll .,uo o;,;,ons ho throu
w. liz .r,ns .rd drornod daad with 9
h,p,,,", .hromrh h,s hrain He was the
srst man. killed
MI. ,n.,n oont,rrod IN tho stockade
'.." III -. A.,
VIC mihers urine INV ~ oil oious WIZ
route and the negro passengers re-
turning the fire. The moment the
.,.,,, raoohod Tho stocLado the m,ner,
I...... d. ,,,,,h wiz
opeheu uospor"'o nao WIN W."
chesters, reviewers ana nrearms OF Ill
descriptions The negroes on TIT
train were enveloned in n cloud o,
~ A. alaa.;u so,,naod III,
SnoAe ""' '"o ''oo""s 'o.o" an,
continuous volley' Engineer Dur
Tirar received bullet In the arm ant
dronned from his sent His fireman
tIl H. .L....io ,,l,od u ,rar m,
eciAo" '"o 'n,oV.''' p"''o" ~ 1pe"' 50,
win jerk tne truih WIS unuer sPeeu
carrying load OF wounded negro pas
sengcrs tn Springfield. How man,
.aod 4. at Lroun
"o'o "o"""o" 20 NV ""o""
HOLDS OPERATORS GUILTY.
Springfield, ILL.,, Oct IL. In an IN
terview with Gov. Tanner yesterda,
.,,, ,o.d,,u tho V;rdar r;ot II,
o'oa'"s 'es"'"'As
salu:
Mr. i. @ Louck' president, ana MI TutRln
superintendent or the Vlrden Coal company,
ls:S0 yesterday made good their threats 10 lhh
a train load OF imported laborers from tn
south and attempted to put them to work j
their mines ut the point OF the bayonet and Tn
muzzle OF the winchester, such laborers beln
drawn largely, II not entirely. from inc crlml
nal class ex-convicts' who learned their trad
while doing time in the penitentlaries OF Ala
bama, after having been fully ADVISED ana nav
ing full knowledge that the landing OF sue
imported laborers would precipltate riot
had wired them that II they brought these I'm
ported laborers they did so at their own per
and under the circumstances. would be nor
ally responsible and criminally liable for any
thing that might happen
From the Information can gather ut thl
J time, the very minute the train stopped
front Of the shaft where the doors OF the stocl
ade were thrown open for the imported labol
ers to enter, the firing began As to who fire
! the first shot am NJ this time unable to lear
|. but all reports agrec that u general battle WI
/ precpitated within just few moments, IN
the firing hecamp general from the guards @