The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1899-07-07
AMBUSH BY STRIKERS
Results in the Murder of Negro
Woman in a Train Load Of
CoIored Miners.
SHE rs SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.

SHE Is SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
Others the Train Wounded, but Not Sc
riousiy - Attack Planned Beforehand
and Carried Out as Planned-Other Ne
groes Who Had Joined the Union the
Assailants - More Trouble Expected.
Murphyabor0,, fills, July AT 9
a. m. yesterday CoIductor William
Bryans train on the Johnson City
branch of the Illinois Central, bearing
forty-seven negro miners from Pana,
was shot into by crowd of miners at
LaWder, in Williamson county. One
negro woman was killed by a bullet
through her heart. The negroes were
brought by Samuel T. Brush, superin-
tendent of the st. Louis and Big Muddy
mines near Carterville, to work in his
mines there, where there is now a
strike. The miners, fifty in number
were armed with rifles and were hid
den in the grass behind the country
station. When the train stopped the
leader, who is an Italian, got on the
platform and commanded the negroes
to get out.
No Others Were Seriously Hurt.
Conductor Bryan interferred, but was
stopped by revolver in his face. The
train began to move and the miners
poured in their fire. Conductor Bryan
yelled to the negroes to throw them
selves on the floor. All ecaped serious
wounds save the woman, who was
killed instantly. Half mile farther
on the negroes were unladen and
placed under charge of guards. They
were then marched to the mine. In
tense excitement prevails in the Car
terville coal field, and bloody riots are
expected, as the feeling has been in
tense for weeks.
Strikers Are Mostly Negroes.
Some months ago Brush, superinten-
dent Of the mines, brought in lot Of
negroes from Coal Creek, Tenn, to
work in his mines. Everything went
smoothly until a few of them joined
the union and went out on strike.
The bulk of the imported men re-
manned with Brush. The strikers hay
ing heard Of the coming of more ne
groes, with Winchesters laid in wait
as above stated, and when the train
came signaled it down.
Springfield, Ills, July 3. - Because
the sheriff of Williamson county,
backed by a number of citizens Of that
county, urged the sending Of troops to
the scene of the labor disturbance i'll
that county, and because on Saturday
the nOn-uniOn cOIOred miners, enraged
at the attack made on them by the
union negroes at LaWder, had attacked
the settlement in which the union ne
groes lived, driven them out and
burned the houses; and because there
ensued a fusillade that lasted for
hours between the union and non-un-
ion blacks, no one being hit, how
ever; and because it was reported here
on what seems to have been good au-
thority that hunrdeds of union min
ers, armed, were gathering at the
scene of trouble and had Manager
Brush and sixty nOn-uniOn miners
surrounded and a fight was imminent
Acting Governor Warder ordered
two companies of state troops there.
Protests Against Sending Troops.
They arrived in due time and these
are recent kilograms received by Ward
er. Both are from Carterville, where
the troops are, and the first is from
Ryan, secretary of the miners union:
''In the name of 10000 United Mine
Workers of Illinois [ protest against
state troops being sent to Carterville.
The sheriff has not been here for TWEEN
ty-four hours and certainly he would
be here if the situation demanded his
presence"
1--WE understand that militia has
been ordered to Carterville. Militia are
not needed and the citizens protest"
This is signed by F. c. Zimmerman,
mayor; r. H. Hampton, A K. Ellis,
G. A. Heshaw, S. H. Bundy, J. V.
Watkins, T. J. Moake, c.. E. Owen, citi-
zens OF that town.
Surrounded by an Armed Mob.
Yesterday afternoon at o'clock
Acting Governor Warder received a
dispatch from Captain J. H. Barton,
commanding company G, of Carbon
dale, in which it was stated mo
clashes occurred between the miners
at Carterville last night. The sheriff
of Williamson is here and will &C
company the troops. Superintendent
Brush is still shut Up in his coal works
and surrounded by an armed mob"
Colonel Culver, Of the Sixth Illinois
regiment, went down from Springfield
on the noon train as the representative
of Acting Governor Warder to look
over the situation.
Citizens Call on Col. Culver.
Yesterday afternoon at Carterville a
delegation Of merchants and property
owners called on Colonel Culver to
inc of no
troops and to ask their withdrawal.
At the meeting of the leading mer-
chants of the town Saturday night $3.50
was raised to defray the expenses of
sending away the non-union miners in
the Brush shaft. The negroes had ex-
pressed their willingness to go, and
had it not been for the arrival of the
militia it is said that within forty
eight hours not one of the negroes
would be in the mine. AS it is the
OH