The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-10-19
BLOODY Miners BATTLE.
An Attempt to Place Imported Ne
gro Laborers in the Mines
Brings On the Conflict.
TRAIN IS ATTACKED BY ARMED MINERS.
Ten Men Are Killed and More Than
Twice as Many Badly Wounded
Town Is Now Comparatively Quiet
How the Battle Commemorative
gineer of Train Is Wounded.

Virden, Ill.,, Oct 10. The little town
of Virden is comparatively quiet after
day of riot and bloodshed, the long
expected clash occurring between the
union miners and imported negroes.
AT 12:40 o'clock Wednesday afternoon
Chicago & Alton special train bearing
200 negro miners from the south ar
rived at the stockade around the Chi
cago-Virden Coal company's mines, and
Immediately terrific fire began from
the union miners.
The dead miners were removed
from the vicinity of the stockade to
hotels and livery stables, and the
wounded miners were taken on filters
to the station and then to Springfield.
Corrected List of Dead.
Virden. H., Oct. 14.-The following
is a correct list of the dead up to mid
night, including those who were shot
down and three who have since died
from injuries:
| DEAD-Ed Welsh, Springfield; Frank
Bilyen, Springfield; Ellis Smith, Mount
! Olive; Ernest Kemler, Mount Olive; -
EQWdruS GlTdrQ, "A. II. bTeneINdn,
| d. H. Kiley, detective, Chicago; A. w. Nor
gan, detective, Chicago: Thomas Preston,
detective, Chicago: Joe Guitterle. Mount
! Olive; William NJ Carroll, detective. Chi
cago; Ernest Long. Girard; William Her
| man, Girard.
| WOUNDED. F. Eyster, manager Gill;
max Trading company Virden. probably
fatally; Ansk Ankel, Mount olive; Gustav
| Wierlsiep. Mount Olive; Ed Upton, Spring
field; Thomas Jennings, Springfield; Joe
JIaines. Girard; Joe RUM, Girard; George
RUM. Girard; George Baston. Mount
olive; George Suprich. Mount Olive; Her
bert Tygar, c. A. engineer; H. Gulgesell:
o. j. Snyder. ST. Louis; - Nacke. ST.
Louis; James Sickles. Chicago; Frank
| Wilder, Chicago: j. w. Moonan, st. Louis:
Thomas McEntee. Chicago; P. ]. Hanan
ST Louis: ]. H. Smith. st. Louis: John Sin
negan. Mount Olive: Russell Warren. Cen
tralia
The Train Arrives.
For the past two weeks rumors have
reached Virden daily that train hav-
ing negroes from Alabama would
reach the city, and the c. d A. depot
has been surrounded day and night by
vigilant miners determinedly awaiting
their arrival. Wednesday the C. s. A.
limited, due to pass here at ten O'Clock,
shot through en- route to Chicago an
hour late, displaying flags on the
rear, Indicating that special was fol-
lowing. Immediately the word was
spread and dense crowd of miners lined
the station platform. while another
crowd collected at the entrance of the
stockade, half mile north of the sta
ticn. d. B. Kiley, c. & A. detective.
stood guard at a switch at the south
end of the station platform to see it
was not tempered with. AT 12:4o the
special train passed the station and
signal shots were fired from the south
end of the train announcing the spe-
calls arrival.
The Battle Begins.
Immediately shots were fired from
the moving train and outside, and the
battle was on. A few moments after
the train had passed the switch where
Kiley was stationed, while he was
talking with two citizens, he threw up
his arms and dropped dead with bull
let through his brain. He was the first
man killed. The train continued to
the stockade, the miners firing into ii
all along the route and the negro pas
sengers returning the fire. The mo-
ment the train reached the stockade
the miners opened a desperate fire
with Winchesters, revolvers and fire.
arms of all descriptions. The negroes
on the train answered with steady
fire, and the carnage of battle reigned.
The miners and the train were envel-
oped in cloud of smoke and the shoot
| ing sounded like a continuous volley.
Engineer Burt Tigar received bullet
in the arm and dropped from his seat.
His fireman seized the throttle, pulled
it open and with jerk the train was
under speed, carrying load of wound
ed negro passengers to Springfield.
situation at the Stocknde.
| The stockade surrounds about 20
acres of ground in square and is
made of pine boards an inch thick. set
on edge to edge, about IL feet high.
| On each of the four sides, about
midway, is a small watch tower con-
tanning a guard armed with Win
chester There are three entrances,
which are closely guarded by half a
dozen armed sentries day and night.
The fight occurred at the east en-
|