The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-13
TANNER.
Manager Lukins of the Virden
Coal Mines
Charges Yesterdays Slaughter
to the Governor.
NOT so MANY KILLED.
Casualties Were Lighter Than
at First Reported.
J. F. oysters Terrible Struggle
With the Mob
NOT so MANY KILLED,

at the stockade around the Chicago
Virden Coal company's mines ana I'M
mediately terrific firing began The
list of casualties stands seven dead and
eighteen wounded.
ED WELSH, Springfield.
FRANK BILYEAU, Springfield
ALBERT SMITH, Mount Olive.
JOE KITTERLY, Mount Olive.
ERNEST KEUTNER, Mount Olive.
A. H. BRENEMAN, Girard.
D. H. KILEY, Chicago & Alton detec-
tive.
wounded:
Ansk AnkeI. Mount Olive.
Gustav Wevseip, Mount Olive.
Ed Upton, Springfield.
Thomas Jennings, Springfield.
Joe Haines, Girard, shot in leg.
Joe RUnk, Girard, shot in stomach.
William Herman, Girard, shot in
hand.
Joe Baston, Mount Olive. shot in
stomach.
Joe sprim, Mount Olive, shot in arm
Bert Tigar, engineer c. & A, shot in
J. F. Eyster. superintendent Climax
Trading company, shot and beaten.
For the past two weeks rumorS have
reached Virden daily that a train hav-
ing negroes from Alabama would reach
the city, and the Chicago & Alton has
been surrounded day and night by Wig
liant miners determinedly awaiting
their arrival.
Yesterday the Chicago & Alton limit
ed due to pass here at 10 o'clock shot
through enroute to Chicago an hour la
ter, displaying flags on the rear indi-
eating that a special was following. I'm
mediately the word was Spread and a
dense crowd of miners lined the station
platform, while another crowd collected
at the entrance of the stockade half
mile north of the station. d. H. Kiley
a Chicago & Alton detective stood guard
at a switch at the south end of the sta
ton platform to see that it was not
tempered with
At 1910 the special train passed the
station and signal shots were fired
from the south end of the train, an
nOuncing the specials arrival. Imme-
diately shots were fired from the NOV
ing train and outside. A few moments
after the train had passed the switch
where kiley was stationed, and while
he was talking with two citizens, he
threw up his arms and dropped dead
with a bullet through his brain. He
was the first man killed. The train con
tinued to the stockade, the miners fir
ing into it all along the route. and the
negro passengers returning the fire. The
moment the train reached the StOckade
the miners opened a desperate fire with
Wlnchesters, revolvers and fire arms of
all descriptions. The negroes in the
train answered with a steady fire The
miners and the train were enveloped in
cloud of smoke and the shooting
sounded like a continuous voley.
Engineer Bert Tigar received a bullet
IN the arm and dropped from his seat
His fireman seized the throttle pulled
It open and with jerk the train was
a I
negro passengers to Springfield. How
many were wounded is not known. The
train stopped at the stockade but two
minutes. It's departure did not cause
the firing to cease. The tower of the
stOckade was filed with sharpshooters.
armed with Winchesters and they kept
up steady fire into the crowd of u ion
miners Eye witnesses say the dead
miners were killed after the train had
departed. 1t is not known how many
men are stationed behind the walls of
Fna CT aral-re r1~ 49,
at between 25 and 40. Word was sent
from the stOckade to physicians in town
that their services were needed.
Inc supply and provisions store of
the ChtcagO-Virden Coal company is
known as the Climax Trading company,
with superintendent J. F. Eyster in
charge At o'clock, after the firing
at the stockade had subsidized, an attack
without parallel in the history of the
trouble was made on Eyster in this
store on Main Street, one block from
the depot, which will proba bly, cost him
ms HIe He was sitting in his store
when his telephone rang and he was in
structed from the stockade to secure
physicians and hurry them to the place
Eyster jumped into his delivery wa eon
and, securing two doctors, rushed them
10 the mines. He returned to his store
cllmbed out of the wagon and was lust
entering the door when the cry was
raised that Mana ger Fred Lukins of the
IIAners, was with him. With a rush A
throng OF lnfuriated miners pressed to-
counter with a revolver in each hand
Inc miners pressed hard after him and
as Eyster sprang upstairs he and the
miners began shooting simultaneously
tie ran TO the top of his building and
Jumped behind a chimney, while the
miners ran into the street and opened
IRE on him again Chips flew from the
brick chimney and Eyester ran from
cover across to the roof of another store
nr1ng 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
wound in his side. but with logged de-
termination against terrible odds he
continued his fight. Jumping to the
roof of the Rae & Gish drug store, he
halted behind a projection from the
roof of the building he had Just left and
enaptied the twelve cham bers of his two
reVolvers- Then, springing from cover,
Eyester 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 a crowd Of miners, who seized
him and carried him down stairs to
the street. Other hands seized the al
dragged into the middle of the street.
Local policemen drove back the crowd
and carried Eyester to the city square
across the street and laid him on the
grass. EyeSter was ulOtiOnleSS and
supposedly dead. In few minutes
EyeSter was seen to raise his hand
and wipe the blood from his face Two
men sprang at him and with the ferOci-
~ OF tigers began jumping on his body
and striking him on the head with
stones With a yell the angry crowd
charged into the square to kill Eyester.