Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-10-20

a day of riot and blOOdShed and the
long expected clash between the union
miners and imported negroes. Al
1910 Wednesday afternoon. a Chicago
& Alton special train bearing 200 ne
gro miners from the south arrived al
the stockade around the Chicago
Virden Coal company's mines and i'm
mediately a terrific fire began from
the union miners. The casualties were
dead and Is wounded. The dead are:
Edward Welsh, Springfield.
Frank Bilyeu, Springfield.
Albert Smith, Mt. Olive.
Joe Kitterly, Mt. Olive.
Ed. Green, Mt. Olive.
Ernest keutner, Mt Olive.
A. II. Breneman Girard.
D. H. Kiley, a g. & A. detective.
Inc wounded are: Ansk Ankel,
Gustav WeYsiep Mt. Olive; Ed. Up
toll, ben. kennlngs, Springfield; Joe
Haines, Girard, shot in leg; Joe
Runk, Girard, shot in arm; George
Runh, Girard, shot in stomach; VIM.
He4udn, shot in hand; Joe Baston, Mt.
Olive, shot in stomach; st. Jose Speim,
Mt. Olive, shot in foot; Bart. Iigar,
engineer G. q A, shot in wrist; j. +.
Eyster, shot and beaten.
For the past two weeks rumors
reached Virden daily that train hay
ing negroes from Alabama would
reach the G. & A. depot, where large
crowd daily assembled. At l2:4O
Wednesday the special train passed
the station and signal shots were fired
from the south end announcing the
specials arrival. Immediately shots
were fired from the moving train and
outside and the battle was on. A few
minutes after the train had passed the
switch where Detective Kiley was sta
toned and while he was talking with
two citizens, he threw up his arms and
dropped dead with a bullet through
his brain. The train continued to the
stockade, the miners firing into it all
along the route and the negro passen-
gers returning the fire. The moment
the train reached the stockade the
miners opened fire with Winchesters,
revolVers and firearms of all descrip-
tions. The negroes on the train an
Burt was injured and fell from his
seat. His fireman grasped the throt-
tie and pulled it open, and with a
jerk the train was under way carrying
the wounded passengers to Spring
field.
The train stopped at the stockade but
two minutes. Its departure did not
firin n tnwar
of the stockade was filled with sharp
shooters armed with winchesters who
kept up a steady fire into the crowd of
union miners. An eye witness says
the dead miners were killed after the
train had departed.
The store of the Chicago Virden
Coal company is known as the Climax
Trading company, with Superinten-
dent ]. E. Eyster in charge. After the
firing at the stockade had subsidized an
attack 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 from the stockade to
secure physicians and hurry them to
the place. Eyster jumped into his de-
livery wagon and securing two doc
tors, rushed them to the mines. He
returned to his store and was just en-
tering the door when the cry was
raised that Manager FRED Lukens OF
the miners was with him. With 4
rush a throng of Infatuated miners
pressed toward the store. AS Eyster
sprang up the stairs, he and the min
ers began shooting simultaneously
He ran to the top of the building and
jumped behind chimney while the
miners ran into the street and opened
fire on him. Eyster ran from his COW
er across to the roof of Sprague's
drugstore, firing into the street below
as he ran. From there he crossed &c
the roofs of several other buildings
keeping up a constant fire on the min
Eyster jumped to the roof of the Steel
building, the upper story OF
which i known as the miners hall
He either fell or jumped through the
sky-ight and landed in the arms Of
a crowd of miners who seized him
and carried him down to the street.
The almost unconscious man was
dragged into the middle Of the street
The local policemen drove back the
crowd and carried Eyster to the pub
lie square across the street and LAID
him on the grass supposedly dead. Ii
few moments Eyster was seen tc
raise his hand and wipe the blood
from his face. Two men sprang for
ward, and, with the ferocity of tigers
began jumping on his body and pound
ing him on the head with stones. Will
yell of anger the crowd charged int
The square to kill Eyster. The polio,
charged in body and fought thei
way to the center of the mob ant
carried the battered and bleeding mar
to Buckles hotel. He had been sho
through the groin and was terribl,
battered about the head.
Associated Press representatives Sc
cured admittance to the stockade lat
last night. One deputy is dead, he be
ing:
A. W. Morgan of Chicago.
The wounded are: H. Gritgesell. {
]. Snyder, James Sickles, Frank Wild
er, Thomas McEntee, H. ]. Hannah, ]
II. Smith, all of Chicago; and J. "
Moonan of st. Louis.
Two doctors were at work with tn
wounded and communication wit
them was prohibited The fipht n,