The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-10-15
Warrants Sworn Out for Officials Of
the Coal Company,
Charging Them With Being Responsible for
the Tragedy on Wednesday.
Further Complications Threatened
Through Governor Tanners
Action in Preventing the Land
ing OF Negro Miners, Who Ar
rived on an Alton Railway
Train

VIRDEN Gn), Oct. 14.-As the re-
suit of a meeting held by a number
of union miners, during which the ter
rible fight of Wednesday was discussed
a warrant has been sworn out by VIZ
gil Bishop, a union miner, charging
the managers of the Chicago Firder
Coal Company with murder
Bishop is one of the leaders among
the union miners The warrant was
sworn out by him before Police Mag
istrate A. j. Roberts of Virden.
The complainant charges that Fred
Lukens, T. c. LOuckeS and Mr. YORK
on and before October 18th, as aces
series before and after the fact and as
principals, did among themselves and
together with persons so named, as II
Gritgen, o. j. Snyder, James Syckles
Frank Wilder, Thomas McEntee, j. w
Moonan, p. j. Hanan, j. H. Smith and
others whose names are at present nm
known, conspire to murder and kill
and as a result of said conspiracy did
on October i, 1898, kill and murder
Frank Bilyen, w. S. Herman, Daniel
Breneman, Edward Greene, Joseph
Kutteller, Ellis Smith and Edward
Walsh against the peace of the people
of the State of Illinois"
The warrant is signed, Virgil Bish-
op."
Magistrate Roberts put the warrant
in his pocket for safe keeping and now
carries it around with him.
At first it was decided to serve the
warrant, but after elaboration t was
thought best, in order to avoid compn-
cations, to hold it until after the in
quest has been completed.
This decision was strengthened when
Magistrate Roberts, who is foreman or
the Coroners jury, began to-day's ses-
sion of the inquest within the stock
ade
Colonel Young's Illinois Cavalry to-
day relieved Battery B of guard duty
in the city Colonel Young, as ranking
officer, will be in command of all
troops here, but will not assume his
duties until he has looked the ground
over and held consultation with the
mine officials and Captains Craig aud
Febier, who have been in command
since the troops were first ordered
here.
All trains with freight and passen-
searched for negroes.
Two hundred members of the First
Cavalry and Third Infantry are here
to-day and 115 more are expected be
fore night. These. with the 12S u.en in
the Galesburg Battery and Elgin Com
pany of the Sons of Veterans, will give
Colonel Young a force of over 900
men.
.y.1- ~
mand has caused a feeling among the
strikers that the negroes viii be kept
out at all hazards. The town presents
a most military aspect to-day. Soldiers
are met everywhere, even out in the
most lonesome streets, on the outskirts
of town. Some of the militiamen were
in anything but a happy frame Of
mind, as they had been on duty nearly
twelve hours without anything to eat
There are only two small bakeries in
the town, and they have been BADLY
rushed during the last two days on &C
count of large numbers of outsiders
who have arrived here.
A bad scare was given the engineers
on a freight train going north to-day.
Apparently the freight had orders not
to stop at Virden, as it was going at Il
very high rate of speed inside the
yards Suddenly there was loud re-
port from a torpedo on the track, a
signal that is used by the militia t.
bring the trains to a standstill The
engineer either did not hear the report
or decided to pay no attention to it,
for the train gathered speed. Quickly
there came another report from q
couple OF hundred Springfield rifles in
the hands of the soldiers on the depot
platform. The engineer, with q white
face. threw the throttle over and ap-
piled the brakes in such a manner as
to leave no doubt that he was wiling
to obey orders. After the cars had been
searched the train was allowed to con-
tinue on its journey north.
Colonel Young visited the stockads
during the day and had a consultation
with Manager Lukens of the Chicago
Virden Coal Company. Colonel Young
then instructed the Coroner to adjourn
to the stockade and there examine
Manager Lukens and the company wit
nesses4 Colonel Young said it would be
a needless irritation to the crowd In
town to parade witnesses through the
streets between files of soldiers. He is
here for the purpose of preserving or
der and not of stirring up trouble.
When the Coroner's jury arrived at
the stockade 1t was accompanied by
Hon. j. w. Patton of Springfield who
Is Manager Luken's attorney, and also
by representative of the legal depart
ment of the Chicago and Alton Rail
road, who is here looking after the IN
terests of the company.
Dr. Peterson of the detective agency
was the first witness called to-day. lie
recited in detail the incidents leading
up to Wednesdays battle. and told the
story OF the fight at the north gate.
where he was in charge of the COM
pany's guards. He was sure that his
men did not open the battle, AMI. fur
thermore, he asserted that he cautioned
them not to- fire on numerous occasions
during the battle
The most important testimony was
that of j. A. De Barrow of East St.
Louis. who was in charge CT the special
guards on one of the cars of the train
that was fired upon in Wednesday S
battle. In his statement, De Barrow
said that when the train carrying the
imported negroes had reached a point