Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-04-11
SIX KILLED
At Pana, H., in Fight Between
SheriffS and Miners.
Trouble Results Over Attempt to Ar
rest a Negro Miner Leader.
Whole Section Tenorized and Now Under
Control Of the Infantry.

! the most serious disturbance that has
| occurred here since the Union miners
| instgated a strike in April, 1898. was
enacted. today, resulting in seven per-
sons being shot to death and nine
wounded as follows: The dead:
Frank Coburn, citizen.
Xavier Lecocq, Frenchman, union
miner.
James J.. Jones. Greenville. $. C. :
Henry Hobb, Birmingham, Ala
Charles Watkins. Alabama.
Julia -, said TO be wife Of negro
miner.
Unidentified negro. found, tonight,
near shaft No. Of Pana Coal Co.
| The wounded:
| Frank Landsworth, shot in head.
| Mrs. Henriet, shot in left arm.
| VIII Kuhn, laundryman, shot in legs
and hands.
| Cyrus Stricken, shot in back.
| Albert Vickers. shot in hand.
George kimball, farmer. Rosemont,
| shot in arm.
| Henry Stevens. negro. shot in neck.
| Cass Profit, shot in foot.
| Carrie Felix, shot in breast
The situation quieted down at night
| fail and no more trouble was looked
for. Adjutant General Reece. Col. A.
|. Culver and three companies of Infan-
| try arrived, at 6 o'clock this evening,
on a special train and perfect order
was maintained throughout from that
time. Troops now here are Co. II from
Decaut. under Capt. Castle, Co. G. from
Springfield. under 1st Lieut.. Vauman,
Capt. Prish. The soldiers immediately
began patrolling the streets through
out the entire town. Miners stood
about in groups talking but there was
no outward manifestation OF excite
ment although it was evident that
great Indignation existed especially
among the townspeoItle oyer4the shoot
| ing of the citizens and NwomeJ:s
| Henry Stevens. 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 has long cherished hatred fer
| Sheriff Downey and has openly made
threats that he would kin him on sight.
Yesterday. he was on the street with
piNtI say NJ NdS IODhlnS IUT
Sheriff Downey. He continued this. to-
day. and Sheriff Downcy came upon
him on Locust street. The sheriff COM
Inanded Stevens to deliver the revolver
and told him he was under arrest for
carrying concealed weapons. Stevens
with out word instantly levelled his
weapon and fired at the sheriff The
bullet went wild. The sheriff mediate
IL "a Co.
Sheriff Cheney hearing the shooting
rushed to join Sheriff Downey
Stevens took to his heels and
succeeded in gaining PenwelTs
general store in Locust street.
the principal thoroughfare two blocks
distant. and took his standing in the
entrance. He hesitated another in
slant and then stepped to the pave
ment. leveied his revolver down the
street toward his approaching pursuers
and fired. The bullet missed the depu-
~ and struck Exacier Lecoc. a French
man. who was standing in the rear Of
nearby saloon. squarely in the fore
head. instantly killing him.
Stevens then turned and ran into the
Penwell store and sought refuge be-
hind counter. By this time fhe
streets We're rapidly filling with men.
all of whom bore weapons. Deputy
Cheney dashed into the store. followed
by Deputy Joe Mullen and several cit
zens. A fusilade of bullets was poured
into the store and Stevens emptied his
revolver at the assailants from behind
the counter. The Infatuated crowd at
the door continued the fire, and Stew
ems. seeing that death was inevitable
if he remained behind the counter.
made desperate rush to a stairway in
the rear of the store. He fell, pierced
by six bullets before he had gone 10
feet. One of the bullets had gone
through his neck. another through his
back and other wounds were of minor
nature.
The firing stopped instantly and Dep
uty Downey ran to the side of the
wounded negro and placed him under
arrest. Stevens, with blood pouring
down his clothing, walked with his
captor to a physicians Office, where he
was given medical attention. 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 a signal for
the citizens. that had been long sincec
sworn as deputies, to turn out armed
and ready to fight. At the same time
the miners of the Pana and Pcnweli
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 had been shot and arrest
ed aroused 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,
wounded and one negro woman dead.
Frank Colburn was killed by bull
let from the Penwell tower He was
the local agent for brewing company
and was standing in the doorway of
his bottling house near the Penwell
coal mine when he was struck. Frank
Langsworth is grocers delivery boy,
He was delivering goods near the Pen-
Continued on page 81