The Elbert County tribune., 1899-05-04
MILL BLOWN UP.

vent Non-Ualss Ne. Krs. wsrkisE.
! Spokane. Wnsh.. April 31---A Ward
ner, Idaho, special 10 the Spokesman
| Review snys: Wardner to-day has been
| the scene OF the worst riots since the
deadly labor war OF 1892
One man is dead. another is thought
| to be mortally wounded. aud property
valued Mt <250.0O0 has been de
stroyed by giant powder and fire- The
damage wns done by union men and
sympathizers from Canyon Greek,
about twenty miles from Wnrdner.
This morning n mob OF from 800 TO
1000 men, all OF them armed with
many OF them masked. seized n train
Mt Burke. the head OF Canyon Greek.
There were nine box cars and pas
senger coach, and they were black
with the mob. The visitors brought
with them 5000 pounds Of giant pow
der.
After n parley OF two hours. i4O
masked men, armed with Winchesters,
Burke in the lead, and Wnrdner follow
Ing, started with yells for the Bunker
Hill and Sullivan mill and other build
ings. third OF mile from the depot.
They sent pIckets ahead. and one Of
the pickets fired n shot ns n signal
that the mill was abandoned.
HIS WIS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ny tnt ulhiu
body OF the mob. who imagined that
non-union miners In the hills had
opened fire on them. and they began
firing on their own pickets.
About 1000 shots were thus ex-
changed between the rioters and their
plckets, and Jack Smith, one of the
pIckets, formerly of British Columbia.
and u noted figure In drill contests,
was shot dead. The fatal error was
discovered after n few seconds firing.
and Smiths body was brought down
from the hillside.
By this time the strikers had taken
possession OF the Bunker Hill and Sui
Ivan mill, which they found deserted,
the manager having directed his EN-
ployes not to risk their lives by bat
Ting with the mob. Powder was
called for and sixty fifty-pound boxes
were carried from the depot to the
mill.
The heaviest charge was placed
among the machinery of the mill. An
other charge was placed under the
brick Office building. Other charges
were placed around the mill. Then the
boarding. house. frame structure. was
fired.
Fuses leading TO the charges were
lighted and the strikers. carrying the
body OF the picket. retired to safe
distance.
At 2:36 p. M, the first blast went on.
1t shook the ground for miles, and
buildings In Wnrdner, two miles nwny,
trembled. AT intervals OF sixty sec
onds, four other charges went of. the
fifth being the largest. and completely
demolished the mill. The loss to the
Bunker Hill and Sullivan Company Is
estimated at from $3.50, 900 to $500, 900.
In few minutes the strikers went
back to the station, the whistle was
blown for strngglers. the mob soon
climbed aboard, and at o'clock, Just
three hours after its arrival. the train
pulled out for Canyon Creek
The present strike In the Occur
d'Alene mining district, In northern
Idaho. was lnaugurated about ten days
ago. and is directed principally against
the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mine, Mt
Wardner. where non-union men are
employed. The demands of the min
ers for increased wages were met by
mine owners. but the miners demand
ed that the union be recognized. and
that non-union men he discharged.
This the mine owners refused to do.
and the Last Chance mine closed
down. The Bunker Hill and Sullivan.
however. continued to run with nom
union men until today, when they
were driven out by nni armed mob OF
union men.
1t is understood that Governor Steun-
enburg will call upon President Ne
iSiniey for troops, as the militia Is In
the Philippines.
Minneapolis. Mimi. April 3O-Or.
ders were received nj Fort Smelling to-
day to hold In readiness the troops
there for departure at any moment for
Wardner. Idaho. the scene of Satur-
days trouble among the miners.
1t Is reported that the troops mt 9TH
er forts In the West have received sim.
ilnr orders.
st. Louis, Mo-, April 30.-Captain
Woodbury. of the Sixteenth United
States infantry at Jefferson Barracks,
received orders to-day to hold the
troops in his command In readiness to
move Mt n moments notice. II is be-
lieved they will be sent to Wardrcr,
Idaho, to help quell the miners riots.