Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-14
UNDER MARTIAL LAW.
virden Remained Quiet thursday Bodies oil
Dead Miners Taken Home.

Firden, ILL.,, Oct. 13.-The town is as
quiet as country church yard, today. |
TWO gatling guns of the Galesbury bat
terry on the public square and a blue
capped lnfantryman at each corner IN
the business district, are about the only
evidences of yesterdays riot outside of
the O'Neill home. story and a half
cottage.
In the front yard of this humble
home stand five black-covered collins.
on each of which is a simple plate, en-
graved with the words: AT Rest" I'm
der the lids are the remains of five We
tins of yesterdays battle. They are
Ernest Kitterly, Mount Olive; Ellis
Smith, Mount Olive: Ernest Keutner,
Mount Olive; Ed Wetz, Springfield;
William Blue, Springfield.
Col. Mcknight of the governors staff
accompanied by Adjutant General
Reese, at midnight visited the stockade
and served formal notice on Manager
Lukens, who had been inside the stock
ade throughout the trouble, that the
soldiers would visit the stockade. today
and disarm the inmates. Col Nc
Knight says that no objections were CT
fered to this proposition. He anticipa-
ted no trouble at that point and he ex-
presses his opinion that there will be
no further outbreak on the part of
either the union miners or guards at
the stockade.
Col. Mcknight said that he drove
over from his home at Girard last
night. On the way he passed numer-
Gus squads of miners, returning to their
homes in Girard, Mount Olive and
neighboring towns. The parties num-
bered from half dozen to 25 or 80 and
in most cases the men We're well armed
Upon the arrival of the soldiers from
Pana, two gatling guns were taken tc
the public square, where they COM
mand the business section. Guards
We're thrown out and the remainder of
the soldiers were quartered in the
Opera house.
Two hundred of the striking miners
who have been sleeping in the Miners
Union hall for several weeks, were
somewhat surprised on coming from
their quarters at day break to find sol
dicrs on picketsd duty at the door. Each
man was met With hold up' your
hands The request was good natur-
edly assented to, however, Each man
was thoroughly searched for fire arms.
Among the crowd We're several negroes,
and from outward appearances there
existed the best of feeling between the
white and black union miners.
. General Bradley. a unique character
among the mine workers and leader of
e delegations Of GO miners from Mount
t11ins Of the dead Mount Olive miners.
think this has been one of the most
lhterilai ontgagess ever perpetrated on a
laborlng tppbic. he sad. Our men We're
4 snot dowlf like dogs. We hau orders to
"a talk the matter over with the mine peo-
z PIE when II came to crisis. ard not to
trating the question:, / leave for home
with a baggage car Of dead men.
y ~ do not expect any further trouble at
Virden for the present but ! cannot an
swer for the future. for there is a day of
reckoning coming when the laboring man
will be given bread instead of bullets
There is IA feeling among the people of
the town who are not connected with the
mines. that the Virden miners are not re-
sponsible for yesterdays tragedy. One
citizen expressed his views an a very en-
phatic manner, saving that all the trouble
has been caused b. outsiders, who came
here and induced the local strikers to
acts of violence. A striking incident tina;
bears out this statement is the fact that
In yesterdays bloody work, not a single
Nirden miner was kille- ana only one
slightly injured.
Small knots of people are gathered on
every corner discussing the results of
yesterdays affair, and all anxiously
awaiting the arrival Of Col. Noung's bri-
gade.
After a careful investiga on. the list of
dead and wounded remains at 10 killed
and 20 wounded
Coroner John Hart TODAY went TO tbe
stocNade and subpcenaed a number of the
companys miners as Witnesses Ii is a
question whether any violence will be
offered the Stockade miners wuon thew
come from their barricade to attend the
inquest. Coroner Hart expressed himself
as positive that no demonstration would
fnntt inn Ls,1
least temporarily been subdued by the
presence of the soldiers, nut at the same
time adding significantly that the Sub
poenaed miners would be looked after
carefully while en- route to the town hall
Late reports are that j. f. Eyster SUI
perintendent of the Climax Trading Co.
the establishment controlled by the chi
cago-Nir6en Coal Co. Who was so severe
~ beaten in the scrimmage. has improved
slightly.
Mir. Eyster is 81 years old. member of
the Knights of Pythias, and stands high
in the Masonic lodge He was spirited
away from the Buckeles hotel during the
night by his fellow Masons and is now in
hiding at a private residence 1t is
effect that he died, last night. were cir
culated to deceive the strikers. Some of
the miners claim they Were under the i'm
nression that it was Manager Iukens
they were chasing. and if EySter had not
shown fight he would have been allowed
10 escape unhurt.
An incident showing the intense feeling
of the miners developed when word was
passed that a man from the stockade WAS
in a barber shop on Jackson street near
the square. In a few moments "A crowd
sat hered in front of the place. Word was
passed by the soldiers on picket duty TO
headuuarters and reinforcements were
sent on the double-uuick TO uisperse the
gathering throng. The man returned 10
the stockade unlnolested.