Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-04-15
MARTIAL LAWN PANA.
Another Deadly Riot in the Illinois
Mining Town.
SEVEN DEAD AND NINE WOUNDED

The Conflict Was Precipltnted by
Negro Miner Who Tried to Carry
out n Threat to Kill Sheriff Downey.
One Negro Woman Among the Killed
Pana, Ills, April IA deadly riot,
the most serious disturbance that has
occurred here since t:ie union miners
instigated a strike in April, 1898, waa
enacted yesterday. resulting in seven
persons being shot TO death and nine
wounded. The dead are: Frank Co
burn, citizen; Xavier Lecoq, French
man. union miner; three nop-union
negro miners, James l.. James, Green
vile, S. c.. and Henry Hobbs and
Charles Watkins, from Alabama; nesra
woman, said TO be the wife of a south
ern negro miner.
The situation quieted down at night
fall and no moro trouble was looked
for. Adjutant General Reece. Colonel
A. e. Culver and three companies OF
infantry arrived at o'clock last even
ing on special trains, and perfect order
was maintained through the town
here are Company H. from Decatur,
under Captain Castle; Company c.
from Springfield, under First Lieuten
ant Bauman, and Company E. from
Taylorville under Captain B. Parish.
Governor Tanner has declared the city
under martial law.
Henry Stephens, Il negro miner, who
has long been considered a leader
among 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.
Stephens has long cherished hatred
for Sheriff Downey, and has openly
made threats that he would kill him
on sight Sunday lie was on the
streets with revolver, saying he WAS
looking for Sheriff Downey. He con-
tinued this yesterday and Sheriff
Downey came upon him on Locust
street. The Sheriff commanded Ste
phens to deliver the revolver and told
him he was under arrest for carrying
concealed weapons. Stephens, with
out Il word. instantly leveled his
weapon and fired at the sheriff. The
bullet went Wild The sheriff I'M
mediately opened fire on the negro.
Deputy Sheriff Cheney, hearing the
shooting, rushed to join Sheriff
Downey.
Stephens took to his heels and sue
ceeded in gaining Penwell's general
store on Locust street, the principal
thoroughfare, two blocks distant, and
took his stand in the entrance. He
hesitated there an instant, and then
stepped to the pavement, leveled his
revolver down the street toward his
approaching pursuer, and fired. The
bullet missed the deputy and struck
Xavier Lecoq, Frenchman, who was
standing in the entrance Of Il nearby
saloon, squarely in the forehead, kill
ing him instantly. Stephens then
turned and ran into the Penwell store
and sought refuge behind Il 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 Null
len and several citizens. A fuslllade
of bullets was poured into the store,
and Stephens emptied his revolver at
his assailants from behind the counter.
The Infatuated crowd at the door
continued firing and Stephens, seeing
that death was inevitable, made des-
perate dash from his cover to stair
way in the rear o. 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 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. Stephens is
q negro of robust constitution, big and
brawny. The shock of his numerous
wounds did not apparently hurt him,
for he sworc and. said to the deputy,
II surrender" and with blood pouring
down his clothing walked with his
captor to physicians Office, where
he was given medical attendance. He
was then taken to jail.
Meanwhile the riot was raging in the
street. AS soon as the first shot had
been fired the whistle of the electric
light plant was blown as a 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 Penwell mines, which are To-
Gated about two 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 Stephens, one OF their
number, had been shot and arrested
aroused them to pitch of fury. They
shot at any living mark in sight, and
as a result among their victims are
three women, two of whom are white
women wounded and one negro wo-
man dead