The Advocate and news., 1898-10-19

securing two doctors, rushed to the
mines. He returned to his store, climbed
out Of the wagon and was just entering
the door when the cry was raised that
Manager Fred Lukens Of the miners, was
with him. With rush thTOng Of in
furiated miners passed toward the store.
EysteF ran behind the counter with re-
vOIver in each hand. The miners pressed
hard after him and as Eyster sprang up
stairs he and the miners began shooting
simultaneously.
He ran to the top of his building and
jumped behind chimney, while the
miners ran into the street and opened
fire on him again. Chips few from the
brick chimney and Eyster ran from
cover across to the roof Of another store
firing into the street below as he ran.
From there he crossed to the roof Of the
Bank Of Virden. Where he reloaded his
reVolVers. Blood was flowing from a
wound In his side, but with dogged de-
termination against terrible odds he con-
tinued his flight. Jumping to the roof
Of the Rae & Gish drug store, he halted
behind projection from the roof Of the
building he had just left and emptled the
twelve chambers of his two revolvers
Then, springing from cover, Eyster
dashed ahead amid the rain OF bullets
to the roof Of the Steed building, the
upper story Of which is known as Miners
hall. He either fell or jumped through
the sky light and landed In the arms Of
q crowd OF miners who seized him and
carried him down stairs to the street.
Other hands seized the almost uncon-
sciOus man and he was dragged into the
middle OF the street. Local policemen
drove back the crowd and carried Eyster
TO the city square across the street and
laid him on the grass. Eyster was mo-
tionless and supposedly dead. In few
minutes Eyster was seen to raise his
hand and wiped the blood from his face.
Two men sprang at him and with the
ferocity Of tigers began jumping on his
body and striking him on the head with
stones. With yell the angry crowd
charged into the square to kill Eyster.
The police charged in body and fought
their way to the center Of the mob,
where they took stand over the pros
trate, battered, bleeding man. A car
rier was procured and Eyster was taken
to the Bucklas hotel. He had been
shot through the groin and Is terribly
battered up about the head. The ply
siclans say that he has barely a chance
for recovery.
The dead miners were removed from
the vicinity Of the stockade to hotels and
livery stables and the wounded miners
were taken on litters to the station and
taken to Springfield last night on the
O'Clock train.
THE STOCKADE.
The stockade surrounds about twenty
acres of ground in a square and is made
Of pine boards an inch thick, set edge to
edge, about twelve feet high. On each
Of the four sides about midway is a
small watch tower containing a guard
armed with a Winchester. There are
three entrances, which are closely guard
ed by half dozen armed sentries day
and night. The fight occurred at the
east entrance. There are about thirty
five big, strong men stationed inside the
stockade, each keeping watch through
loop hole. The four towers have been
deserted
Ed. Cahill, the president OF the Virden
Miners union, is only 80 years old, and
he held back an infuriated band Of 1900
men from wreaking vengeance yester-
day. A number Of strike leaders were
advocating the storming of the stockade
after their companions had been killed
and wounded They knew the troops
were coming and wanted to destroy the
st0ckade before the soldiers arrived.
The mob was already collecting when
Cahill appeared among them. He told
them that IL they precipitated the battle
this time they would lose all they had
gained. They had attained their object
OF keeping out the colored miners,
though the cost was fearful.
PRES. CAHILL'S STATEMENT.
There were fully 800 strange miners
In town yesterday" said Cahill. "They
were around the stockade. Our men
ulnrn n,nnfrAlxr nrnurd Ahn .,.rAh ruuiAah -.