The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-05-04
Mill at Wardner Destroyed by Mol
Of Union Miners.
FATALITIES ATTEND STRIKE
They Come Down from Canyon Greek Six
Hundred StroDg-Three Thousand
Pounds Of Dynamite Ex-
ploded In the Mill.

OPonohC, w oohiHS lOu, hpAii ~
A Wardner special to the SpKes-
man-Review says Wardner today
has been the scene Of the worst riot !
since the deadly labor war of 1892.
One man is dead and one is thought
to be mortally wounded and property
to the value of $3.50, 900 has been
destroyed by giant powder and fire.
The damage was done by union
men and sympathizers from Canyon
creek, about 20 miles from Wardner
This morning q mob of 800 to
1000 men, all armed and many OF
them masked, seized train at Burke,
the head OF Canyon creek There
were nine box cars and passenger
coach and they we're black with the
mob
After parley of two hours 140
men, masked, armed with Winchest-
ers, Burke in the lead and Wardner
following, started with yells for the
Bunker Hill & Sullivan mill and
other buildings, II third of mile
from the depot They sent pickeis
ahead and one of these pickets fired
shot as signal that the mill. was
abandoned This was misunder-
stood by the main body of the
mob who imagined that non-union
miners in the hills had opened fire on
them and they and they began firing
on their own pickcts
About one thousand shots were
thus exchanged between the rioters
and their pickets and Jack Smith,
one of ike pickets, formerly from
British Columbia, and noted figure
in drill contests, was shot dead. The
fatal error was discovered after a few
seconds firing and Smiths body was
brought down from the hill side
, By this time the strikers had taken
e possession of the Bunker Hill & Sui.
Ivan mill which they found deserted,
The manager having direc' ed his en-
ployes not to risk their lives battling
q with the mob Powder was calleC
and 60 so pound boxes were carriet
from the depot to the mill. The
p heaviest charge was placed among
the machinery of the mill Anothr
charge was placed under the brics
office building. Other charges wer
q placed around the mill The board
Il ing house, frame structure, was fred
}. Fuses leading 10 the charges wer
e fred and the strikers, carrying til
g dead body of the picket, retired to
safe distance. At 236 p. m. til
ID first blast went off. 1t shook til
II ground for miles and buildings j
/, Wardner, two miles away, trembled
,e At intervals Of about 80 second
J. four other charges went off, the fft
,e being the largest and completed
demolished the mill
The loss of the Bunker Hill (
Sullivan Company is estimated I
e. from $3.50, 600 TO $500, 900.
" In few minutes the strikers wei
r: back to the station, the whistle WI
blown for stragglers, the mob soc
by cimed aboard and Mt 3 o'clock, ju
of three hours after its arrival, the ira
as pulled out for CANYON creek.
Vr er' During the fusilade from the gul
IT. of the mob jim Chain, Bunk
ur Hill g. Sullivan mill man, was sever
IN shot through the hips. 1t is repoi
'u' ed that lie was carried by the strike
in and his wound ip probably fatal.
we j. j. Rogers, stenographer
IN the employ Of the company was sh
sn. so. through the lip, but his wound
er. trivial.
ty This morning 230 non union mi
ers at the Bunker Hill & Snlliv
.d;, eu, had warning of the coming of
nc mob and took to the hills. Th
we have not been seen since.
ISL Union men working in the L'
Chance left the mine this mornir
mt presumably to take part in the Ri
= The miners then went back a
from canyons and gulches are defyi
tue arrest Governor Steunenberg call
tne on the Preaident for troops and G'
sri- eral Merriam is in Boise ready 10 ts
Tie charge. One company OF regul
ev have been sent to Warduer and il
the rumored they will be attacted
uc- union miners before reinforceme
." arrive.
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