The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1898-10-15
BATTLE TITLE AT VIRDEN.
CLASH BETWEEN MINERS AND I'M
PORTED LABoRERs.

Wounded Twice That tNumber-Miners'
Loss the Grsatest-Few Fatalities 90.
eurred ON Board the Train or Inside
the stockads-Hirsl Guards Of the Coal
Company Responsible for Many Deaths.
VIRDEN, Ills, Oct. Is. The little
town of Virden 10 now comparatively
quiet after day Of riot ana bloodshed,
the long expected clash between the
union miners and imported negroes.
At l2:4o o'clock Chicago and Alton
special train bearing 2Oo negro miners
from the South arrived at the stockade
around the Chicago. Virden Coal com.
pany's mines and Immediately ter.
ritic firing began. The list, as far as
known, stands seven dead and eight.
cen wounded. The dead are:
ED WELSH, Springfield.
FRANK BILYEU, Springfield.
ALBERT SMITH, Mount Olive.
JOE KITTERLIN. Mount Olive.
ERNEST kNUTNER, Mount Olive
A. H. BRENNAN, Mount Olive. &.
D. H. K1LEY, Chicago and Alton detec-
tive
The wounded, mostly miners, are as
follows:
Ansk Ankel, Mount Olive; Gustav
Weisevep, Mount Olive; Ed Upton.
Springfield; Thomas Jennings, Spring.
field; Joe Haines, Girard; Joe Runk.
Girard; George Runk, Girard; William
Herman, Girard; Joe Baston, Mount
Olive; Joe Sprim,. Mount Olive; Bart
Tigar, engineer. Chicago and Alton; j.
K. Eyster, superintendent Climax Trad.
ing company.
Miners Were Awaiting Them.
For the past two weeks rumors have
reached Virden daily that train hav.
ing negroes from Alabama would reach
the city and the Chicago and Alton
depot has been surrounded day and
night by vigilant miners determinedly
awaiting their arrival. When the
Chicago and Alton limited passed
about 10 a. M. displaying flags on the
rear indicating that special was fol-
lowing, the word was spread and
dense crowd of miners lined the sta.
ton platform, while another crowd
collected at the entrance Ct the stock.
ade, half mile north of the station.
D. B. Kiley. Chicago and Alton de.
tective, stood guard at the switch at
the north end of the station platform
to see it was not tampered with. At
l2:4O p. m. the train appeared ut the
north end and shots were fred from
the south end announcing the special
arrival. Immediately shots were fred
from the train and the battle was on.
Soon the train had arrived at the north
end OF the switch where Kiley was
standing. He was talking with two
compa .ons when suddenly he threw
up his hands and fell with
bullet Through III. Brain.
He was the first man killed. The min.
ers were firing into tho train and the
negro passengers were returning the
fire. As soou as the train reached the
stockade there ensued o desperate fight
with firearms of all description. The
negroes kept up steady fire and
the carnage of battle reigned. The
miners and the train were enveloped
in cloud of smoke and the shooting
sounded like q continuous volley. En-.
gineer Burt Tgar received a bullet in
his arm and dropped from his seat.
His fireman seized the throttle, pulled
1t open, and with a jerk tho train was
under full speed, carrying the load of
wounded negroes to Springfield. The
tran stopped at the stockade only two
minutes. Its departure did not cause
the firing to cease. The tower of the
stockade was filled with harpshooters,
armed with Winchesters, 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 deprated. 1t is not known how
many men are stationed behind the
walls of the stockade, but an estimate
is placed between 20 and 30.