Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-14
ALL IS QUIET.
The Virden Miners Have Had
No Further Trouble.
Town Under Martial Law--AII Weapons
Collected by Troops.
Coroner Hart Has EmpanelIed the Jury and
Commenced the Inquest.

Vlrden, ILL.,, Oct. 13.-TOuay passed
without another outbreak of violence.
but aside from the restraining influence
OF the militia no progress has been
made toward permanent peace. The
idle miners are excited and determined
while the Chicago Virden Coal Com
pany has shown no sign of a purpose
to abandon its plan of operating its
mines with imported negroes. Yester-
days shooting has resulted in IA deaths
so far.
The number Of injured will not much
exceed 20. The coroner's inquest, to-
day. brought out no evidence of i'm
portance.
Coroner Hart has empanelled jury
The jurymen include Justice Of the
Peace A. J. Roberts and ]. D. Foley,
members of the executive committee
union miners. Six union miners were
examined. They were unanimous in
testifying that the first shots were fired
from the train, yesterday, while the
train was about 100 feet south of the
station. They claim their men did not
return the fire into the train until the
train reached the stockade. They tes-
tilted that their men shot into the air
until the train came to a stop.
This afternoon, all the arms ammuni-
ton of the Chicago Virden Coal Com
pany were confiscated by Captain Fer
vior, commanding the state militia.
There were 124 Springfield rifles and
2400 rounds of ammunition.
The rear of the Climax Trading Co.'S.
store and adjacent buildings bear evil
dence of the terrific firing that took
place, yesterday. when ]. F. Eyster
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 riddled with bullets
and .buckshot. All the window panes
bear bullet holes and the roof of the
coal shed was moved by a charge of
buckshot that was fired at Eyster Just
as he sprang through the syklight into
Miners hail. Gun wads and cartridge
shells lie scattered around the rear Of
the store.
Six feet from the rear door Of The
Climax store stands the delivery wagon
in which Eyster made the trip to the
stockade with physicians, yesterday
afternoon. A load of buckshot riddlcd
the rubber curtains, dents from bull
let's are in the sides of the wagon, the
tongue is broken off short and thestub
end is bloodstained 1t is learned that
the team of horses, shot and goaded to
madness by the wounds, broke the
tongue and ran. They went two blocks
and both fell dead. The windows in
the store under Miners hall were
broken in and the mob dragged Eyster
into the street. Aside from this there
are no other buildings damaged.
A meeting of the executive commit
tee of the strikers was held, late this
afternoon. Chairman Belgar asserted
hat not a man among the Thiel agency
and Pinkerton detectives stationed
within the stockade had been sworn In
Is a deputy. He declared that all OF
hem could be held as accessories on
charge of murder.
He stated that so Pinkerton and Thiel
men acting as guards We're on the train
bearing the negroes which stopped at
he shaft. yesterday. He said none Of
'hese men We're residents of the state
Ind consequently Sheriff Davenport
rad refused to swear them in. The
natter was discussed and it was de-
'ided to employ counsel and lay the
natter before the grand jury. There
vas great excitement here, tonight.
When it became known that a special
rain consisting Of one box car, three
APPARENTLY empty coaches and ca
Dose. that passed through here, this
vening. bore two carloads of negroes
AIKEN through here to Springfield, yes
in rd
ucceeded in passing through Vfrden
Without interference. A big crowd of
Ginews was at the station but the mil
tia held them in check. When the
rain stopped at the stockade Capt.
'evefr. who was in command there
houted: Don't allow anyone to dis
mbark from that train"
The gate opened and file of soldiers
ushed out at double quick with fixed
ayonets and lined up alongside of the
rain. Gen. Manager Lukens made a
primal request that his employees be al
,wed to land and enter the stockade.
apt. FEWER declined to grant this.
hen Mr.. Lukens put it in the form Of
demand, but the officer replied that
e was under orders from Gov. Tanner
, prevent the Decentralization of any
egro miners at the works General
lanager Lukens protested in vain and
lie train pulled out, headed south.
BY this time the advance guard Of
trikers gathered at the depot had i'd
ance up the track to within 100 yards
the stockade, where they remained
ntil the train passed. After the de-
arturo of the train, Mr.. Lukens said:
From my own personal knowledge I
an say that no shots were fired, yes
srday, from the train carrying the
egro miners until at least 500 shots
ad been fired into it and several Of
ne guards were wounded.
The strikers commenced fir ng on the
ain just after it had passed the depot
nd Kept 1t up as long as the train was
ithin gunshot. When the train stopped
the gate. our guards were there to as
ST IN unloadlnE the cars. but few shots
ere fired by them. most of the defence
ring being done by the train guards.
AT 1920 O'Clock tonight, a special train
caring Troops A and c. dfsmounted cav
CONTINUED on mage ~