Evening star., 1898-10-13

panys store and adjacent buildings bear
evidence of the terrific firing that took place
yesterday afternoon when j. f. Eyester 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 rlddled with bullets and buckshot All
the window panes bear bullet holes and the
roof or the coal shed is moved by charge
OF buckshot that was fired at Evester inst
as he sprang through the skylight into
Miners Hall. Gun wads and cartridge
shelis lie scattered around the rear of the
store in the alley.
sixty feet from the rear door of the Gil
max store stands the covered delivery war-
on IN which Eyester made the trim to the
stochade with physicians yesterday after
noon a load of buckshot has riddled the
rubber curtains: dents from bullets are
visible III the SIDES of the wagon The
tongue is broken off short and the stub end
plood-stained. 1t is learned the team Of
horses was shot, and goaded to madness
ny the wounds, broke tho tongue and ran
lhey went two blocks and both fell dead
Inc WINDOWS In the store under the miners
nan We're broken in as the mob dragged
Eyester into the street. Aside from this
there are no ether buildings damaged.
May Use United States Troops,
The Secretary of War has approved the
request of Governor Tanner of Illinois to
be allowed TO use the 9Th Regiment of nli-
nois Volunteer Infantry for the suppress
SION OF rioting among the miners at Virden
and the restoration of peace and good or
der The 9Th Illinois was formerly part Of
the national Guard of the state but in re-
sponse to the Presidents call for yolun-
teers for the war with Spain it was mus
tered into the service of the United States
II was one of the regiments selected to be
mustered out and is now on furlough
awaiting dishandment Until formally
mustered out it is subject to the orders of
the President of the United States and
could not have been utilized in the present
emergency without his consent
Secretary AIGer's Telegram.
Secretary Alger sent the following Gis-
patch to Gov. Tanner:
In the event that the National Guard of
the state proves insufficient TO cope with
the difficulty in protecting life and prop
erty and maintaining order in your state,
the 9th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, now at
Springfield, will in that emergency he slIb-
1ect to your ORDERS
Detective Guards Disarmed.
ST. LOUIS, Mo, October ia special
TO the Post-Dispatch from Virden, ILL.,,
says:
Capt. Charles A. Fervier commanding
Company b, Sons of Veterans, of Elgin
Ill, is in charge of the stockade built by
biiS NlGuen coal COMPANY,
With part of his men he entered the
! stockade today and disarmed the ThieI de-
tectlVeS from st. Louis and the local depu-
ties employed by the operators The men
within the stockade offered no objections to
captain Fervier's command to lay down
their arms. In an ante room to Mr.
Lukens' office lay the body of Thomas
Preston, the dead Thiel detective, whose
nome Is In Chicago. Mr.. Lukens general
manager of the mines. accorded an inter-
view to tfia neWSpaDer
Mr. Lukens' Statement.
Mr.. Lukens said: THE trouble of vester-
day was not Of our making The strikers
simply surrounded the stockade. On the
east side and south side there must have
been at least 1000 miners. They were in
an orchard and were higher than we. and
they opened fire. Considering the fact that
we only had one man killed and six slight
ly wounded, consider il miracle There
Were thousands upon thousands of shots
nred Tne strikers began the firing when
the train bearing the miners arrived In a
short time their shots were directed at the
train. After it pulled out the strikers turn
ed on us. We returned the shots 1 de-
pore the matter as much as any one /
never supposed such thing would result
when we brought the negroes here
In view of the result, Mr.. Lukens," he
was asked, do you expect to import other
negroes when the soldiers leave?"
az iioi lSti ulspOStu W answer tDat
question
"AI these stories about us having port
hoies ana shooting out of the tower are
absolutely false concluded Mr.. Lukens.
Mr.. Lukens today asked Captain Fervier's S
permission to go up town to have a con-
sultation with Adjutant General Reese The
permission was accorded and ten militia
men were detailed to escort him. Mr.
Lukens knew of the bitter feeling that the
miners had for him, and at the last min
ute decided that it would not be wise for
him to attempt the trip. Instead he sent
request for General Reese to visit him
at the stockade.
Deed of Brave Man.
Ed Cahill is the president of the Virden
Miners Unicn, and is thirty-three years
old, and he does not look as though he
could hold an infuriated band of 1,50o de-
termined men back from wrecking what
they considered rightful vengeance. Yet
this is what he did yesterday afternoon.
A number of strike leaders We're advocat-
ing the stormng of the stockade after
their companions had been killed and
wounded. They knew the troops were COM
ing and wanted to destroy the stockade be-
fore the soldiers arrived.
The mob was already collecting when
Cahill appeared among them. He was cool
and collected. He told them that if they
precipitated the battle this time they would
lose all they had gained. They had at
ored miners, though the cost was fearful.
There We're fully 500 strange miners in
town yesterday" said Cahill. "They were
around the Stockada. Our men We're main
ly around the north switch, as we expected
the train to stop there, and the trouble, if
any occurred, would be there. The deputies
on the train began firing. We could only
return it.
Il am sorry about that Eyester affair
They used him too roughly. But then he
was the man who was stationed in the tow
er at the stockade and killed most of our
men. When they saw him they could not
restrain themselves. Sheriff Davenport is
largely responsible. He sided with the
operators and gave them 209 rifles to fight
citizens of the state with. We tried our
best to get him to stop this train anil let
US have peaceful conferences with the NO.
groes but he refused all peace oyertures
and did just as Lukens wanted him to. /
guess all trouble is over, temporarily, of
course If, after the soldiers leave, they
attempt to import other negroes, l cannot
be held responsible
List of the Casualties.
The following is full and corrected list
of casualties: Dead-Edward Walsh, miner
Springfield; Frank Bilyen, miner, Spring
field; Albert Smith, miner Mount Olive.