The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-11

| Six Persons Shot to Death and Nine
wounded I'm the Worst Riot That
Has Occurred Since the Serious
Strike Troubles Mt Pana Bepan
Trouble Was Started by a Negro
I Who Resisted Arrest.
| oPRlNGFIELD, ILL.,, April 10-Gov.
Ianner has issued a proclamation decIar-
| Ing martial law at Pana. The proclama-
tlon creates district comprising the CITY
OF Pana and all territory within a mile
thereof, and forbids the carrying of arms
within such district.
PANA, Ill, April 10-A deadly riot. the
most serious disturbance that has oc-
Cured here since the union miners in
stigated a strike in April, 1898, was en-
acted at 10 o'clock this morning, result
Ing In seven persons being killed and nine
wounded, as follows:
THE DEAD.
FRANK COBURN, citizen.
XAVIER LECOCQ, Frenchman, union
miner
FOUR NEGRO MEN
ONE NEGRO WOMAN.
THE WOUNDED.
Frank Laldsworth, shot in head.
Mrs. Henriot, shot in the left arm.
VIII Kuhn, laundryman, shot in hands,
cyrus Stricken, shot in the back.
Albert Vickers, shot in the hand.
George Kfmball, shot in right arm.
Henry Stevens, negro, shot In neck
Cass Proffitt, shot in foot.
Carrie Felix, shot in breast
Nhn ctfr
and no more trouble is looked for. Adjt.
Gen. Reece, Col. A. E. Culver and three
companies Of infantry arrived at 6
o'clock this evening on special trains, and
perfect order was maintained throughout
the town from that time on. Three COM
panies of infantry are coming from De-
catur, under Capt. Castle, one company
from Springfield, under Lieut.. Bauman,
and one company from Taylorville, under
| Capt. B. Parish.
The soldiers Immediately began patrol
| ling the streets throughout the entire
! town. Miners stood about In groups,
talking. but there was no outward mani
festations of excitement, although ii was
| evident that great indignat ton existed. es-
pecially among the townspeople,. over the
shooting of the citizens and women.
CAUSE OF THE RIOT.
Henry Stevens, a negro miner, who has
long been considered 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. Stevens visited the jail
about $50 o'clock this morning and was
talking through the window gratings to
|
offenses, when Deputy Sheriff Cheney ap-
preached and told Stevens he was under
arrest, and served a warrant that had
been standing against Stevens for some
time The negro Immediately drew a re-
volver and showed fight Undaunted, the
deputy drew his revolver and advanced
to take Stevens, who Immediately fired.
| The bullet went wild and the sheriff
| opened up with his own weapon, but with
| out effect. Stevens took to his heels and
succeeded in gaining Penwelrs general
| store, in Locust street, the principal thor
| oughfare two blocks distant, and took his
| stand in the entrance He hesitated there
an instant and then stepped to the pave
ment, leveled his revolver down the street
toward his approaching pursuer and fired.
| The bullet missed the deputy and struck
| Xavier Lecocq, a Frenchman, who was
| standing in the entrance of a nearby sa-
| loon squarely in the forehead, killing him
| instantly. Stevens then turned and ran
] into the Penwell store and sought refuge
| behind counter.
FUSILLADE OF BULLETS.
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 Mullen and
| several citizens, fusillade of bullets was
| poured into the store, and Stevens emp
| tied his revolver at his assailants from
| behind the counter. The infuriated crowd
| at the door continued the fire, and
| Stevens seeing that death was inevlta-
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 bullets had
gone through his neck, another through
| his back and the other wounds were of
| a minor nature The firing stopped in
stantly, and Deputy Cheney ran to the
wounded negro and placed him under ar
| rest.
Stevens is a negro Of robust constitu-
| ton, Dig ana DTdWHy, anu tue SuOCk OI
| his numerous wounds did not apparently
| hurt him, for he swore and said to the
| deputy: "I 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.
WANTON WORK.
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 citi-
| zens, 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 located about four
| blocks distant from the Penwell store,
| which is in 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 result among their vic
| tins are three women, two of whom arc
| white women, wounded, and one negro
| woman dead.
| MILITARY ACT PROMPTLY