The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-10-14
THE RIOT AT VIRDEN, ILL.
JURY EMPANELLED AND THE IN-
 QUEST COMMENCED.
Miners Testify That the First Shots Were Fired From the Train and That They Did Not Return the Fire Until the Train Reached the Stockade-Shots Fired as a Signal by a Miner.

Virden, H., Oct. 13.-Coroner Hardin smpanelled jury of six to-day and began the inquest. The jurymen in- clude Justice of Peace A. J. Roberts and J. D. Folly, member of the execu- tive committee of the union miners. Six union miners were examined. They were unanimous in testifying that the first shots were fired from the train yesterday while the train was about one hundred feet south of the station. They claim their men did not return the fire into the train until the train reached the stockade. They testified that their men shot into the air until the train came to a stop. This afternoon all the arms and ammunition of the Chicago-Virden Coal company were confiscated by Captain Fervior, com- manding the state militia There were 125 Springfield rifles and 2,250 rounds of ammunition.
 The rear of the Climax Trading com pany's store and adjacent buildings bear evidence of the terrific firing that took place yesterday when J. F. Eyster was the target, springing across the roofs. The plate glass windows in the front of the store are broken. In the rear the building is riddled with bull lets and buckshot. All the window panes bear bullet holes and the roof of the coal shed was moved by a charge of buckshot that was fired at Eyster just as he sprang through the slSylignt into Miners hall.
 GupUada and rtri1 lia scattered around the rear of the store. Six feet from the rear door of the Cli- max store stands the covered delivery wagon in which Eyster made the trip to the stockade with physicians yester- day. A load of buckshot riddled the rubber curtains, dents from bullets are visible in the sides of the wagon. The tongue Is broken off short and the stub end is blood-stained. It is learn ed that the team of horses, shot and goaded to madness by the wounds, broke the tongue and ran. They went two blocks and both fell dead. The windows in the store under the Miners hall were broken in and the mob drag ged Eyster into the street. Aside from this there are no other buildings dam aged
 A meeting of the executive committee of the strikers was held late this after noon. Chairman Belgar asserted that not a man among the Thtel agency and Pinkerton detectives who stood within the blockade had been sworn in as a deputy sheriff. He declared that all of them could be held as accessories on a charge of murder. He stated that fifty Pinkerton and Thiel men acting as guards were on the train bearing the negroes. He said that not one of these men was a resident of the state and consequently Sheriff Davenport had re- fused to swear them in. The matter was discussed and it was decided to employ counsel and lay the matter be- fore the grand jury. General Manager Lukens said tonight: From my own personal knowledge I can say that not a shot was fired from the train until after about five hundred shots had been fired by the strikers" At 10:20 o'clock tonight a special train arrived bear ing Troops A and c, dismounted cav- airy from Chicago and three compa- nies of Sons of Veterans. Colonel Young stated that he had no definite orders other than to reinforce the sol diers already here.