Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-30
FATAL RIOT IN IDAHO,
The Worst Since the Dead,
Labor War Of 1892.
ONE MAN IS SHOT DEAD
Another Is Thought 10 Be Nor.
tally Wounded.
NINE BTILDIxGs DESTROYER
blown Up With Giant Powder b. q
Mob OF STRIKERS and sympatAixers
With Them-Loss, s2aO,0OO ID
100000
I.
NINE BrILDIxGs DESTROYER
100000 .

WARDNER. IDA, April es-wardner
to-day has be:n the scene OF the WORSE
riot since the leadly labor war OF 1892.
one man Is del Il. another Is thought To
be mortally wol ndcd. and property valued
| at $4,000 has been destroyed by giant
powder and IRE The damage was dons
| by union miners and mpathizers from
| Canyon Creek, about twenty miles from
| Wardner
This morning a mob OF from SO to i,O0S
men. all OF them armed and many Of
them masked, seized a train at Burke, az
the head Of Canyon creek. There werS
nine boS-cars and passenger coach. and
they were black with the mob. The visit
ors brought with them 5000 pounds Of
giant powder.
A Fatal, MISTAKE.
After parley of two hours, no masked
men. armed with Winchester rifles, thu
Burke men in the lead. and those from
Wardner following. started with yells fos
the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mill, and
other buildings. third OF mile from the
depot. They sent pickets ahead, and ono
OF the pickets fired a shot as a signal
that the mill was abandoned. This was
misunderstood by the main body OF the
mob. who imagined that non-union miners
in the hills had opened fire on them, and
they began TO fire upon their own pick.
etc.
About 1000 shots wero thus exchanged
between the rioters and their pickets, and
Jack Smith, ono OF the plckets. formerly
of British Columbia. and a noted figure In
drill contests. was shot dead.
THE POWDER APPLIED.
BY this time the strikers had taken
possession of the Bunker Hill and Sulli-
van mill, which they found deserted, the
manager having directed his employees
the mob. Powder was called for and
sixty JO.pOund boxes were carried from
the depot TO the mill. The heaviest charge
was placed under the brick Office
Other charges were placed
around the mill. The the boarding.
house. frame structure, was burned.
Fuses leading to the charges were lighted,
md the strikers. carrying the dead body
II the picket. retired 10 a safe distance.
At 2.36 i. NJ. the first blast went of.
Il shook the ground for miles, and build,
ngs I'm Wardner, TWO miles away, trem-
lled. At intervals Of about sixty seconds
our other charges vent or, the nth
Deing the largest. and completely demol-
shed the mill. The loss 10 the Bunk.
r Hill and Sullivan Company is est-
mated at from $4,000 10 $4,000.
I'm q few minutes the strikers went back
o the station. the whistle was blown
or stragglers. the mob climbed aboard,
nd at o'clock-just three hours after
Is arriyal-the train started for Canyon
'reek.
TWO MEN WOUNDED.
During the fusllade from the guns Of
he mob. Jim Chain, a Bunker Hill and
ullyan mine man, was severely shot
Trough the hips. 1t Is reported that he
as carried off by the strikers. aud that
IL wound Is probably fatal J. j. Rogers.
stenographer In the employ Of the com,
any. was shot through the lip, but HIS
0und Is trivial.
This morning the 23O non-unon miners
the Bunker HUI and sullivan had
arning OF the coming Of the mob. and
# the mill and took 10 the hills. They
ave not been seen since. Union men
orking I'm the Last Chance left the mine
IFS afternoon, presumably TO take part
the riot
OBJECT OF THE STRIKE.
April 29.--The present strike
the Occur d'Alene mining district be-
m about ten days ago. and is directed
.lncipally against the Bunker Hill and
lllivan mine, al Wardner, where nom
lion men are employed The demands
the miners Tor an increase In wages
ere met by the mine-owners. but the
iners' men demanded that the union he
cognlzed. and that non-uDion men ID
This the mlne-owners refused TO do,
"a the Last Chance mine closed to-day.
The Bunker lin and Sullivan. however,
ntlnued to run with non-unon men
Ill to-day when they were driven out.
MINE CLOSED INDEFINITELY.
Tonight the Bunker IIll and sullivan
ne Is closed indefinitely. With the
n wrecked II is impossible 10 handle
p ore produced a the mines. The Last
ance is likewise closed down. IL has
IN getting power from the Bunker Hilt
ne. and the destruction OF those works
l prevent the Last Chance from
rklng for the next three months. or
TN its own compressor is completed.
the total working force Of
town is laid OFF.
he wreckng OF the mill plant Involves
. livelihood OF COO men. The bunker
i mine, up TO the time OF the strike.
4 been working go men. and the mill
while the Last Chance altogether
ployed 80.