The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-11

PoA S4PetAIS LII tAlS 1IOuD4e-
Seven Men Badly Wounded and
It Is Expected That More Dead
Bodies Will Be Found After Day
light-Attempt to Arrest "a Negro
Miner Starts the Shooting.
Pana, ILL.,, April 10.-A deadly riot,
the most serious disturbance that has
occurred here since the union miners
instigated the strike in April, 1898. was
enacted today, resulting in seven per-
sons being shot to death and nine
wounded, as follows:
DEAD.
Frank Coburn, citizen.
Unidentified negro, found tonight.
Xavier Lecocq, F'renchman, union
miner.
Three negro men.
One negro woman.
WOUNDED.
Frank Landsworth, shot in head. Is,
Mrs. HenriOt, shot in the left arm.
VIII Kuhn, laundryman, shot in les-
and hand.
Albert Vickers, shot in hand.
George Kimball, farmer. Rosemond,
shot in right arm.
Henry Stevens, negro, s.S-t in neck.
CasS Proffitt, shot in foot.
Carrie Felix, shot in breast
The situation quieted down at night
fall and no more trouble was looked
for.
Adjutant General Reece, Colonel A.
GNrr1t- =,
fantry arrived at o'clock this even
ing on special trains and perfect order
was maintained throughout the town
from that time on. The troops now
here are company H, from Decatur. un-
der Captain Castle; company c. from
Springfield, under First Lieutenant
Bauman, and company 3, from Tay-
lOrsville, under Captain 3. Parish.
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 in
dignation existed, especially among the
tOWnspeOple, over the shooting of the
citizens and women.
CAUSE OF THE RIOT.
Henry Stevens, a. negro miner. who
has long been considered a leader
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 fol
Sheriff Downey and has openly made
threats that he would kill him on sight
Yesterday he was on the streets with
d revolver, saying he was looking tor
Sheriff DoWney.
He continued this today and Sheriff
Downey came upon him on Locust
street. The sheriff commanded Stevens
to deliver the revolver and told him he
was under arrest for carrying concealed
weapons. Stevens without a word in
stantly leEeled his weapon and fired at
the sheriff, but the bullet went wild.
The sheriff Immediately opened fire on
the negro. Deputy Sheriff Cheney.
hearing the shooting, rushed to join
Sheriff Downey.
Stevens took to his heels and sue
ceeded in getting to Penwell's store in
Locust street. the principal thorough
fare two blocks distant and took his
stand in the entrance. He hesitated
there an instant and then stepped to
the pavement. leveled Is revolver
down the street toward his approach
ing pursuer and fired. The bullet
missed the deputy and struck Xavier
LecOcq. a. Frenchman, who was stand
ing in the entrance of a nearby saloon,
in the forehead, killing him
instantly. Stevens then turned and ran
into the Penwell store and sought re-
fuge behind a counter.
BY this time the streets were rapidly
filing with men. all Of whom bore
weapons. Sheriff Downey dashed into
the store, followed by Deputy Joe Mul-
len and several citizens. A fusilade
of bullets was poured into the store
and Stevens emptied his revolver at his
assailants from behind the counter. The
infuriated crowd at the door contin-
ued the fire and Stevens, seeing that
death was inevitable if he remained
behind the counter, made a desperate
dash from his cover to a stairway in
the rear of the store.
FOUGHT UNTIL HE FELL
He fell. pierced by six bullets. before
he had gone ten feet. One of the bullets
had gone through his neck and through
his back, and the other wounds were
of a minor nature. The fighting stopped
instantly and Downey ran to the
wounded negro and placed him under
arrest.
Stevens is a negro of robust constitu-
ton, big and brawny. The shock Of his
numerous wounds did not apparently
hurt him, for he swOre and said to the
officer Il surrender" and, with blood
pouring down his clothing, walked with
his captoT 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, the majority Of whom had
long before been sworn as deputies 10
turn out assembled and ready to fight.
At the same time the miners Of the
Pana and Penwell mines, which are 10
Gated about four blocks distant from
the Powell store, which is in the center
of the town, rushed into the tpples and
opened fire on the thrOnged streets, the
news that Stevens, one of their num-
Der. lad been shot and arrested. arous-
ing them to a pitch of fury. They shot
at any living mark in sight, and as
result among their victims are three
women. two of whom are white women,
wounded. and one negro woman dead
The military. upon arrival, immedi-
ately arrested every deputy sheriff. in
Chief Deputy Cheney, all of
whom were disarmed and then re-
leased. Chief of Police William kiely
was also arrested by the soldiers and.
on being taken before Colonel Culver.
was disarmed.
INNOCENT VICTIMS OF THE RIOT
I7ranI. Co1burn. the local agent for a