Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-05-05
BLEW UP BUNKER HILL
Strikers Capture Train and Firearms
Are Used Freely.

the scenes of blOodshed witnessed
in the memorable strike of 1892 are
being re-enacted.
This morning about 100 union
miners and sympathizers forcibly
took possession of the local train
running between Burke and Wal
lace, the mob being made up from
Burke and Gem. The train crew
was forced into the service of the
mob and made to pull the train in-
to Wallace where the mob was
swelled by additions to about 900.
At Wallace the train was switch
ed over to the o. X. & N. track
and sped away for Wardner at
lightning speed.
A little before noon a special
train black with living freight
rushed down to Wardner junction
and stopped short distance from
the Bunker Hill and Sullivan
mines. From engine and tender,
platforms and the crowded cars,
men swarmed down on the side
nearest the mill, and rushed out
until the ground was black with
men.
They did not stop to parley.
With shouts and curses, backed by
The eloquent swing of loaded pis-
tolls, they started for the mill.
Resistance was useless. The
men in the mill saw that in an in
slant. No sooner did they sight
of the mob than they realized that
even with the arms at their COM
mand they were helpless. To fight
was 'o die. There was no hesita-
ton. With whoops of delight the
crowds rushed to the deserted
building. The first half of the
days battle was won. They halted
to plan for the second conflict, the
capture of the mines.
The news flew fast. In few
minutes every man in the Bunker
Hill and Sullivan knew that mob
of miners was on its way to clean
out the mines. 1t was u panic.
There seemed no thought of resist
ance. There were probably over
200 men in the mine this morning.
They were in an arsenal, as arms
had been provided in plenty by the
company. Armed guards were
among them, but there was just
one thought-flight. And they fled.
Two saloons near the mill were
quickly invaded by the mob after
the capture of the mill. The men
in charge had no chance to close
them if they desired. Many of the
men began drinking deeply, pay
ing, however, for every drink. The
whiskey did it's work. The mob
grew more noisy, more violent,
cursing the non-union men and the
owners. AS the mob stood sur
rounding the mill a rifle shot sud-
denly rang out from the hills, to
which the mill employees had fled,
and one of the strikers fell over.
Then another shot, followed by a
scattered volley, came from the
same direction, and two more of
the mob fell. The front ranks of
the mob fired an answering volley
after the scattering men in the
hills, apparently without effect.
With this the shooting ceased. The
mob, angered by the wounding of
three of its members, rushed TO the
depot platform and, snatching up
sixty boxes of giant powder, rap
idly carried them into the mill.
BY this time strikers from Ward
ner began arriving in large num-
bers, when an exciting discussion
with the mob already ON the ground
took place. The result was that a
few minutes later a terrible explo-
sion took place and the 5000, 600
mill of the Bunker Hill & Sullivan,
company was in ruins. The ruins
took fire and at this writing are
still in flames.
One union man was accidentally
shot by a companion. This is the
fourth man shot. The miners are
still gathered around the mill and
have made no sign of an advance
upon the town,
The people of Wardner are panic
stricken and many women and
children boarded the train for Spo-
kane. All the business houses and
saloons were closed and the owners
are momentarily expecting the ar
rival of the mob.
The Bunker Hill company have
appealed TO the federal government
for protection and probably United
States troops will be sent to the
scene.
Miss Horace Greedy Perry, a
newspaper man of st. Paul.
Mimi, has taken charge of the
American Falls paper. Miss Perry
ran paper of her own in Mime
sofa for number of years. This
will make the second paper in Idaho
published by ladies, the other be-
ing the Salmon City Recorder, Mrs.
Ada G. Merritt, proprietor.
Bad as the weather has been
H.,