The age-herald., 1900-06-14
Beginning of the End Believed
 to be Near.
INQUEST OVER DEAD BODIES
As Result of Investigation the Coroner Announced That He Would Hold
 Deputy Sheriff Mcknight, One of the Posse.

St. Louis, June 13.-To all appearances
 today witnesses the beginning of the end
 of the riotous demonstrations and scenes
 of bloodshed that have characterized the great street railway strike for over a month
 past, and possibly of the strike itself. The
 chief of police and the sheriff think that
 the critical stage has been passed, and the
 St. Louis Transit Company is slowly but
 surely approaching a complete resumption of business with the aid of non-union men. The inquest over the bodies of the victims
 of Sundays riot began today The testi- mony was not of a character on which to base a decision as to which side was to
 blame for beginning hostilities, the wit
 nesses disagreeing on material points.
 Some placed the blame on the posse men,
 and others placed it on the strikers. The inquest over the bodies of Edward
 Thomas and George Rine, victims of Sun days riot at Washington avenue and Sixth
 street, began today. A large number of
 witnesses were present.
 In the absence of Ex-Governor William
 A. Stone, Attorney Maurier represented the
 strikers
 Before the inquiry began Police Captain
 Kelley submitted to the coroner his of ficial report, stating that the man who shot Edward Thomas was Deputy Gordon Me Knight It set forth that Thomas was
 about to shoot Adjutant J. B. Webster when killed by Mcknight, and that re- volver, now in the possession of Colonel Cavendar, was found on the body of Thom- as.
 | Attorney Maurer said he would endeavor to bring out evidence showing that the shooting was not done by the deputies in the performance of their duty under the
 law. asd therefore was not justifable. 4Thouas Was Not Armed William Thomas, half brother of Edward Thomas, one of Sundays victims and for merly motorman on the Choteau Avenue line said he was among the paraders and that three or four deputies caught hold of him with guns pointed at his breast He said his brother threw rocks and was
 not armed. Witness said no weapons were found on him when he was searched. Albion Brown, motorman, said he heard no shots before the deputies discharged their guns. "I was about thirty feet from Thomas when he was shot," said Brown. q saw the man under arrest and saw a deputy shoot man who went to his as- sistance
 Brown identified L. s. Fisse, of the posse, as one of the men who fired shots. He is a son of Judge William E. Fisse, who is a captain in the posse.
 Mrs Brown, wife of the witness, said she heard the same story-no other demonstra- tion than the shouts of "scabs' from the strikers.
 o opap 1 lyQr "I heard a number of shots fired. The reports were those of shot guns. l saw a man fall. I saw deputies struggling to ar rest a man. Later l heard volley or shots Rine ran past me. saw him halt and look back. As he did so he was shot, I am positive the shooting of Rne was was without provocation. did not see the street railway men cause any disturbance The deputies seemed greatly excited Edward Farnbach, a cigarmaker, testified that he saw the paraders running and the deputies shooting at them. He saw no stone or bricks thrown and only heard the men cry "scab
 Fred Reinhardt said he saw two men holding another The larger of the two, who appeared to be detaining the third man, placed a revolver to the head of the prisoner as he seemed to be, and fired. No Stones Thrown M. F. Goodrich saw no stones thrown by the strikers. The first shot he heard sounded like the report of a shotgun. H. E. Williams formerly conductor on the Chateau avenue line testified: Two deputies ran across the street and grabbed William Thomas from the ranks His brother Edward ran up and told the deputies not to kill his brother. Then two other deputies ran out from the barracks and one of them shot Ed Thomas: Will
 fam Thomas was not making any disturb
 we
 paraders."
 William P. Kennett, a member of the
 Merchants Exchange, and a former presi-
 dent of that body, who is serving on the
 posse, testified to helping Deputy Sparks
 bring in two prisoners. Neither he nor
 Sparks had any arms. Witness identified
 Thomas as one of the prisoners. The first
 shot the witness heard was a revolver
 shot, so he declared. Bennett admitted
 that some of the deputies were armed with
 revolvers.
 Charles Sparks, posse man, said:
 'I heard the crash of a stone against
 car Adjutant Webster gave an order to
 capture the man who threw the stone. We
 captured man and the oAowd tried to
 rescue him."
 pr. E. E. Woodruff, surgeon at the bar
 racks, said:
 T saw some man across the street raise
 his hand to throw something and l heard
 q missile strike the car. Some of the depu-
 ties ran across the street to get the man
 who threw the stone. Lieutenant Cornwell
 of the posse dropped his revolver and it
 was discharged. This was the first shot
 heard"
 John Roberts, a striking motorman, said:
 "I was in the parade I saw one of the
 deputies shoot man down. heard a man
 say. Lets get one of the
 turned around and saw two deputies hold ing a man. One of them brought up his