The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-04-30
Strikers Fire on Their 0utpOStS
by Mistake, Killing One and
WOunding Another.
PROPERTY LOSS ENORMOUS
Buildings Destroyed by Giant Powder
Causing a Loss Of over Two Hun
dred and Fifty Thousand.

SPOKANE, April 9-A Wardner spe-
cial to the Spokesman Review says;
wardner today has been the scene Of
the worst riots since the deadly labor
war Of 1872. One Is dead, another Is
thought TO be mortaily wounded. and
property valued at $4,000 has been de-
stroyed by giant powder and fire.
The damage was done BY union men
and sympathizers from Canyon Creek
about % miles from wardner
This morning a mob Of from 500 TO 1000
men. all Of them armed and many Of
them masked seized the train at
Burke, al the head Of Canyon creek
There were nine box cars and a pas
senger coach and they were black with
the mob The visitors brought with
them 900 pounds Of giant powder
After a parley OF two hours 40 masked
men, armed with winchesters, Burke in
the lead and wardner following. started
with yells for the Bunker Hill ard Sui
'llvan mill and other buildings a third
OF a mile from the depot. They sent
plckets ahead. and one OF these piekets
fred shot as signal that the mill
was abaEd0ned This was misunderstood
by the main body OF the mob, who i'm
agined that the non-union miners had
opened fire on them. and they began
hring on their own pickets.
About 100 shots were thus exchanged
between the rioters and their pickets.
and Jack Smith. one OF the plckets. form
erly Of British Columbia, and noted
figure in drill contests. was shot dead.
The fatal error was discovered after
a few seconds firing, and Smiths body
was brought down from the hillside. By
this time the strikers had taken posses
sion OF the Bunker Hin and Sullivan
mill which they found deserted. the man.
ager having directed his employees not
to risk their lives by battling with the
mob.
Powder was called for and 90 5O-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 beard
ing house. frame structure, was fired.
The fuses leading to the charges were
lighted, and the strikers. carrying the
dead body OF the picket, retired to a safe
distance.
At 2;SS p. m the first b'ast went on
/, shook the ground for miles. and the
buildings In wardner, two miles away.
trembled. At intervals of about 30 Sec
onds four other charges went of the
NTH being the largest and completely
demoIishlng the mill
The loss 10 the Bunker Hiil and Suli-
van Company Is estimated from S2sO.OO0
to $4,000.
In few minutes the strikers went
back to the station. a whistle was blown
for the stragglers, and the mob soon
climbed aboard. and at o'clock. just
three hours after its arrival. the train
pulled out for Canyon creek.
During the fusnade from the guns OF
the mob Jim Chayne. a Bunker Hin and
sullivan millman, was severely shot
through the hips. 1t is reported that he
was carried of by the strikers and his
wound is probably trivial.
This morning go non-union miners at
lhe Bunker Hill and Sullivan had a
warning of the coming of the mob and
left the mine and took to the hills.
They have not been seen since
The union men working in the Last
Chance left the mine this morning, pre-
to take part in the riot.