Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-11


wounded as follows:
THE DEAD;
FRANK COBURN, citizen.
XAVIER LECOQ, Frenchman, union
miner.
THREE NEGRO MEN.
ONE NEGRO WOMAN.
UNIDENTIFIED NEGRO.
THE woUNDED:
FRANK LALDSWORTH, shot in head.
MRS. HENRIOT, shot in left arm.
WILL KUHN, laundryman, shot in
legs and hand.
CYRUS STRICKLER, shot in back.
ALBERT VICKERS. shot in hand.
GEORGE GIMLIN, shot in right arm.
HENRY STEVENS, Negro, shot in
neck.
CASS PROFFITT, shot in foot.
CARRIE FELIX, shot in breast.
The situation had quieted down at
nightfall, and no more trouble was
looked for. Adjutant General Reece,
Col. A. e. Culver and three companies
of infantry arrived at o'clock this ev-
ening on special trains and perfect or
der was maintained throughout the
town from that time on.
The soldiers Immediately began pa
trolling the streets throughout the en-
tire town. Miners stood about in
groups talking, but there was no out
ward manifestation of excitement, al
though it was evident that great indig-
nation existed, especially among the
towns people over the shooting Of the
citizens and women.
Henry Stevens, a negro miner, who
has long been considered a leader
among his associates, is declared to
have been the direct cause of the riot.
1t Is said he was also the leader of the
riot that occurred last September.
Stevens mas long cherished hatred for
Sheriff Dewney and has openly made
threats that he would kill him on sight
Yesterday he was ON the streets with
a revolver, saying he was looking for
Sheriff Downey He continued this to-
day, and Sheriff Downey came upon
him on Locust street The sheriff COM
manded Stevens to deliver the revolver
and told him he was under arrest for
carrying concealed weapons. Stevens,
without a word, instantly leveled his
pistol and fired at the sheriff The bull
let went wild. The sheriff Immediate
ly opened fire on the negro. Deputy
Sheriff Cheeny hearing the shooting,
rushed to join Sheriff Downey. Stew
ems took to his heels and succeeded in
gaining Penwell's general store on Lo-
Gust street, the principal thoroughfare,
two blocks distant, and took his stand
in the entrance. He hesitated there an
instant, and then stepped to the pave
ment, leve1ed his revolver down the
street toward his approaching pursuer
and fired. The bullet missed the depu-
ty and struck Xavier Lecoq, a French
man, who was standing in the entrance
Of nearby saloon, squarely in the
forehead, killing him instantly. Stew
ems then turned and ran into the Pen
we'll store and sought refuge behind a
counter. By this time the streets were
rapidly filling with men, all of whom
bore weapons. Deputy Cheeny dashed
into the store, followed by Deputy Joe
Mullen and several citizens. A fusil-
ade of bullets was poured into the store
and Stevens emptied his revolver at
his assailants from behind the counter.
The Infatuated crowd at the door con-
tinued the fire and Stevens, seeing that
death was inevitable if he remained be-
dash from his cover to a 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 were of minor ma
ture. The firing stopped instantly and
Deputy Cheney ran to the side of the
wounded negro and placed him under
arrest. Stevens is negro OF robust
constitution, big and brawny. The
shock of his numerous wounds did not
apparently hurt him, for ne swore and
said to the deputy, Il surrender" and
with blood pouring down his clothing,
walked with his captOr to physician S
Office, where he was given medical at
tention. He was then taken to 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 IN as deputies, to
turn out armed and ready to fight. At
the same time the miners of the Pana
and Penwell mines, which are located
about four blocks distant from the
Penwell store, which is in the center
Of the town, rushed into the tipples and
opened fire on the thronged streets. The
news that Stevens, one of their num-
Der. had been shot and arrested, arous-
ed them to a pitch of fury. They shot
at any living mark in sight, and as a
result among their victims are three
women. two of whom are white women,
wounded, and one negro woman dead.
Frank Coburn was killed by bullet
from the Penwell tower. He was the
local agent for a brewing company, and
was standing in the doorway of his bot
Ting house, near the PenweH coal mine,
when he was struck. Frank Lands
worth is a grocer's delivery boy. He
was delivering goods near the Penwell
mine, and was wounded in the fore
head, but not fatally.
Carrie Felix, a waitress at the Har-
rison Hotel, was shot in the side by a
bullet that entered the kitchen window
from the Pana mine tipple.
Albert Vickers was wounded while
standing on the Big Four station plat
form
Farmer George Kinlsu ~ wounded