The record-union., 1899-04-11
Seven Persons Known to Have Been Killed
and Nine Others Wounded.
The Trouble Started by a Negro
Miner Attempting to Murder
the Sheriff, Who Had Command
ed Him to Deliver Up His Re-
volver-Three Companies of
Militia Patro1ing the Streets of
the Town.


the most serious disturbance that has
occurred here since the union miners
instigated the strike in April, 1898. was
enacted to-day, resulting in seven per-
sons being shot to death and nine
wounded, as follows:
Dead: Frang Coburn, citizen; Xavier
Lecocq, Frenchman, union miner; four
negro men and one negro woman
Wounded: Frank Landsworth, shot
in head; Mrs. Henriot, shot in the leE
arm; Will Kuhn, laundryman. shot iIi
leg and hand Cyrus StriSkler, shot in
back; Albert vickers, sAot in hand:
George Kimball, farmer, shot in right
arm; Henry Stevens. negro, shot in
neck; Cass Profit, 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 2.
Culver and three companies Of infan-
try arrived at o'clock this evening
ON special trains, and perfect order was
maintained throughout the town from
that time on. The troops now here are
Company H from Decatur, under Cap
tain Castle; Company C from Spring.
L
and Company B from Taylorvilie, un-
der Captain B. Parrish. The soldiers
immeditely began patrolling the streets
throughout the entire town. Miners
stood about in groups talking, but there
was no outward manifestation Of ex-
citement. although it was evident that
great Indignation existed, especially
among the townspepole, over the shoot
ing 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 dirsct cause of the riot.
1t 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
revolver, saying he was looking for
Sheriff Downey. He continued this to-
day, and Sheriff Downey came upon
him in Locust street. The Sheriff COM
manded Stevens to deliver the revolver.
and told him he was under arrest for
carrying concealed weapons.
Stevens without word instantly
leveled his weapon and fired at the
Sheriff, but the bullet flew 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 gaining Penwelrs general
store in Locust street. the principal
thoroughfare, two blocks distant, and
took his stand in the entrance He hes
itated there an instant, and then step
ped to the pavement, leveled his re-
volver down the street toward his ap-
preaching pursuer and fired The bull
let missed the deputy and struck Xavier
Lecocq, a Frenchman, who was stand
ing in the entrance of a near by saloon,
squarely in the forehead, killing him in
stantly. Stevens then turned and ran
into the Penwell store, and sought ref
uge behind a counter.
By this time the streets were rapidly
filling with men, all of whom bore
weapons. Deputy Cheney dashed into
the store, followed by Deputy Joe Mui-
len and several citizens. A fusillade of
bullets was poured into the store and
Stevens emptied his revolver at his as
sailants from behind the counter.
The infuriated crowd at the door cen
tinued the fire, and Stevens, seeing
that death was inevitable if he remain
ed behind the counter, made a desper-
ate rush 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 of a minor
nature.
The fighting stopped Instantly. and
Sheriff Downey ran to the wounded
negro and placed him under arrest.
Stevens is a negro of robust build. big
and brawny. The shock of his numer-
Gus wounds did not apparently hurt
him, for he swore and said, to the Sher-
iff
II surrender" and with blood pour
ing 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 signal for
the citizens, the majority of whom had
long before 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 the center of the
town, rushed into the tipples and opened
fire on the thronged streets, the news
that Stevens, one of their number, had
been shot and arrested arousing 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 were white women,
wounded, and one negro woman dead
The military upon arrival immedd-
ately arrested every Deputy Sheriff, in
Guiding Chief Deputy Cheney, all of
whom were disarmed and then re-
leased. Chief of Police VIM. Kiely was
also arrested by the soldiers. and on
being taken before Colonel Culver was
disarmed.
Frank Colburn, the local agent for a
brewing company. was standing in the
door of his bottling house near the