The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-04-13


occurred here since the union miners in
stigated strike in April, 1898, wa.
enacted, resulting in seven persons being
shot to death and nine wounded, as fol
lows:
The dead:
Frank Coburn, citizen.
Xavier Decocq, Frenchman, q union
miner.
-Four negro men.
One negro woman.
The wounded:
Frank Laldsworth, shot in head.
Mrs. Henriot, shot in left arm.
Will Kuhn, laundryman, shot in leg,
and hand.
Cyrus Strickler, shot in back.
Albert Vickers, shot in hand.
George Kimball, farmer, Rosemonne
shot in arm.
Henry Stevens, negro, shot in neck.
Cass Proffitt, shot in foot.
Carrie Felix, shot in breast.
Adjutant General Reece, Colonel A
e. Culver and three companies of in
fantry arrived on special trains and per
feet order was maintained throughout
the town.
Henry Stevens. a negro miner, who
has long been considered a leader amonl
his associates, was declared to have
been the direct cause of the riot. Ii
was said he was also the leader of thu
riot that occurred last September.
Stephens has long cherished hatred
for Sheriff Downey, and has openly
made threats that he would kill him OF
sight. Sunday he was ON the street,
with revolver saying he was lookinl
for Sheriff Downey. He continued thi
and Sheriff Downey came upon him on
Locust street. The sheriff commanded
Stephens to deliver the revolver anC
told him he was under arrest for carry.
inging concealed weapons. Stephens
without a word instantly leveled hi,
weapon and fired at the sheriff. TIL
bullet went wild. The sheriff imme.
diately opened fire on the negro. Deputy
Sheriff Cheeny hearing the shooting
rushed to join Sheriff Downey.
Stevens took to his heels and succeeded
in gaining Penwell's general 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 hisrevolver down the
street toward his approaching pursuel
and fired. The bullet missed the deputy
and struck Xavier Lecocq, a aFrenchman
who was standing in the entrance of a
nearby saloon, squarely in the forehead,
killing him instantly. Stevens then
turned and ran into the Penwell store
and sought refuge behind 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 sew
eral 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 continued the fire and
Stevens, seeing that death was inevita-
BILE if he remained behind the counter,
made desperate 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 bull
lets had gone through his neck, another
through his back and the other wounds
were of a minor nature. The firing
stopped instantly, and Sheriff Downey
ran to the side of the wounded negro
and placed him under arrest. Stevens
was negro of robust constitution, 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
pouring down his clothing walked with
his captor to 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
han,, R,.a1 fhA x.yh,atln 30 L. II
light plant was blown as signal for the
citizens, the majority of whom had long
ago been sworn as deputies, to turn out
armed and ready to fight. At the same
time the miners of the Pana and Pen
well mines, which are located about four
blocks distant from the Penwell store,
which is about the center of the town
rushed in to the tipples and opened fire
on the thronged streets. The news
that Stevens, one Of their number, had
been shot and arrested aroused them TO
a pitch Of fury. They shot at any liv-
ing mark in sight and as result among
their victims are three women, two Of
whom are white women wounded and
one negro woman dead.
Some of the killed and wounded were
shot while attending to their own af.
fairs.
The military upon arrival immedi-
ately arrested every deputy sheriff, in
cluding Chief Deputy Cheeny, all OF
whom were disarmed and then released
Chief of Police William Kiely was also
arrested by the soldiers and taken before
Colonel Culver, who disarmed him, re
lieving him of his own weapons.
Other troops were ordered here.
The saloons were closed.
Coroner Bradley said that he had been
told that the bodies Of six more negro
miners had been found in the Flatham
III etfipt