The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-11
DEADLY RIOT
RESULTING in
SEVEN DEATHS
And the yyounding of Nine Per.
sons, Three Of Them
Being Women.
THE TROUBLE WAS STARTED
THE TROUBLE WAS STARTED.
By Non.Union Colored d Miner Of
one of the Pana, iii.
nois Mines. ~

lHSli6dttu d SliihC III <tplii, losoI was
enacted to-day resulting in seven per-
sons being shot to death and nine
wounded. rs follows:
The Dead: Frank Coburn, citizen;
Xavier Lccoq., Frenchman; union mi
ner: three negro men; one negro wo-
man; unidentified negro, found near
shaft'No. Q of Pana Coal Company.
The wounded: Frank Laldsworth.
shot In the head; Mrs. Henriot, shot in
left arm; VIII Kuhn. laundryman shot
In leg and hand; Cyrus strickler, shot
In the back; Albert 'Vickers. shot in
hand; - Glmlln, shot in the right
arm; Henry Stevens, negro, shot in the
neck; Cass Profit, shot In foot; Carrie
Felix. shot In the breast.
The situation quieted down at night
fall, and no more trouble was looked
for. Adjutant General Reece. Col. A.
E. Culver and three companies of In
fantry arrived at o'clock this evening.
on special trains, and perfect order
was maintained throughout the town
from that time on. Troops now here
are Company h. from Decatur, under
Captain Castle; Company G., from
Springfield, under First Lieutenant
Bauman, and Company b., from Tay-
lorville. under Captain 3. Parish. The
soldiers Immediately began patrolling
the streets throughout the entire town.
Miners stood in groups talking. but
Il ,,,p p,,If far tot ,.F
excitement although 1t was evident
that great Indignation existed. espe-
cially among the towns-people. over the
shooting Of the citizens and women.
Cause oftho Riot.
Henry Stevens, negro miner, who
has long been considered leader
among his associates, is declared to
have been the direct cause Of the riot.
It is said he was also the leader Of the
riot that occurred last September.
Stevens has long cherished hatred
for Sheriff Downey. and has openly
made threats that he would kill him on
sight. Yesterday he was on the streets
with 4 revolver, saying he was looking
for Sheriff .Downey. He continued this
to-day. and Sheriff D6Wney came upo!t-
him on Locust street. The sheriff COM
manded Stevens to deliver his revolver,
and told him he was under arrest for
carrying concealed weapons. Stevens,
without Il word. instantly leveled his
weapon, and fired at the sheriff The
bullet Went wild. The sheriff immedi-
ately opened fire on the negro. Deputy
Sheri@ Cheeny. hearing the shooting,
rushed to join Sheriff Downey. Stevens
took to his heels and succeeded In gain
irp % ,tnr t,,
street. the pricipal thoroughfarc, two
blocks distant, and took his stand In
the entrance. He hesitated there an
instant, and then stepped to the pave
ment, leveled his revolver down the
street toward his approaching pursuer
and fired. The bullet missed the deputy
and struck Xavier Lecoq. Frenehman.
who was standing In the entrance OF
nearby saloon, squarely In the fore
head. killing him instantly. Stevens
then turned and sought refuge behind
counter. BY this time the streets
were rapidly filling with men, all Of
whom bore weapons. Deputy Cheeny
dashed into the store. followed by Dep
uty Joe Mullen and several citizens. A
fusilade Of bullets was poured into the
store, and Stevens cmptied his revolver
at his assailnnts from behind the coun-
ter.
Crowd Infuriatcd.
The infuriated crowd at the door
continued the fire, and Stevens, seeing
that death was Inevitable IL he re-
mained behind the counter, made
desperate dash from his cover to
stairway In the rear Of the store. He
fell. pierced by six bullets before he
had gone ten feet. One of the bullets
had gone through his neck. another
through his back and the other wounds
wcr Of n minor natule. The firing stop
ped Instantly. and Deputy Cheney ran
to the side Of the wounded negro and
placed him under arrest. Stevens Is
n negro OF robust constitution, big and
brawny. The shock OF his numerous
wounds did not apparently hurt him.
for he swore and said to the deputy: II
surrender" and with blood pouring
down his clothing walked with his cap
tor to @ physicians office, where he was
given medical attention. He WAS then
taken to the jail.
Meanwhile the riot was raging in the
Street. AS soon as the first shots had
been fired. the whistle OF the electric
light plant was blown as signal for
the citizens, the majority OF whom had
long ago been sworn US deputies, to
turn out armed and ready to fight. At
the same time the miners OF the Pana
and Penwcll mines, which are located
about four blocks distant from the PEN
we'll store, which Is in the ocnter OF the
town, rushed into the tipples and OPEN
ed fire on the thronged streets. The
news that Stevens. one of their number,
had been shot and arrested, aroused
them to q pitch Of fury. They shot ut
any living mark In sight, md as n re-
suit among their victims are three wo-
men, two of whom are white women,
wounded, and one negro woman. dead.
How They We're Killed.
Frank Coburn wac killed BY q bullet
from the Pcnwcll tower. He was the
local agent for brewing company, and
was standing In the doorway OF his
bottling house, near the Penwcll coal
mine when he was struck. Frank
Landsworth IL Grocer's delivery boy,
He was delivering goods near tho PEN
well mIue. and was wounded In the
forehead, but not fatally.
Carrie Felix, n waitress at the HnrrI-
son hotel, was shot in the side BY a
bullet that entered the Kitchen window
from the Pann mine tipplc.
Albert Vickers was wounded while
standing on the Big Four station plat
form.
Farmer George Kimbnll was wounded
Just as he stepped from Big -Four
train. l.
Cyrus Strlckler was struck n bullet
while sitting In the house OF neigh
Dor.
Cass Profit WINS woundod Il, al,