The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-05-21
Ordered Out.

1SDoAs ~ H. "as " AANaA
fatally wounded, hundreds OF others
with broken heads and cut faces, cars
running merely as arsenals with nc
patrons. the city under martial rule.
with its citizens in a frenzy Of excite
ment, and the city authorities and lead
ers of the strikers trying TO get the
railway company to come to an ami
cable settlement. was the situation
when darkness put an end to the
strife growing put of the street car
strike tonight.
Those fatally wounded are William
Walsh. a merchant. and Leroy Smith,
a merchant, both shot by national
ron-union motorman, skull fractured.
Others most seriously injured are:
George Booze, citizen. cheek ripped
open by bayonet; William Rooney, cit
izen, shot by national guard, and Gill
bert Hall, on union motorman, shot
by mob.
The bloodshed came after a day of
peace. From early morning the crowds
had melted away before bayonets and
shot-guns; CARS a been operated I'M
der heavy guards and there was an
impression that the spirit Of turbulence
was waning. There had been some
minor demonstrations, particularly in
north Albany, but not a shot had been
fired and as the day passed the run
ming of cars attracted but little atten-
ton.
The volly fired on Broadway by a
squad of the Twenty-third infantry
men, in which Leroy Smith and Will
liam Walsh, we'll known citizens, fell
III I--
1t stirred anew the feeling of hatred
as the exciting tidings swept through
the city and the guardSmen We're bit
terly denounced. Neither of the men
had been guilty of any ~offense, but
were caught in a crowd, some member
of which had stoned the guardsmen,
and by were hit. The dis
turbance was not a serious one, and
murder is the title applied by in
famed public sentiment to the shoot
ing.
The guardsmen seem but to have
followed their duty as soldiers for they
were under orders to shoot if assaulted.
The bright prospect of a settlement
of the strike has not served to allay
the growth of vindictive feeling and if
the present situation continues acts of
bitter revenge and violence may be ex-
pected.
1t was in the last run of the soldiers
on the cars that the tragedy of the day
occurred. The cars were on Broadway
moving northward n constantly
swelling crowds were gathered about
the Union depot. The first of the work
a folk had been released by the
whistles that sounded through the
manufacturing district and they were
pouring into the crowd. Near Column
bia street. a truck blocked the way of
a car. and, urged on by the crowd, the
driver refused to move on as speedily
as desired. Some one in the crowd
threw a stone but it went wide of it's
mark. The crowd was very noisy and
there was much confusion.
The car finally moved orward into
the next block and another stone was
the next block n another stone was
hurled at it. There was a sharp COM
mand and as the car lowed down four
! shots were fired from it. Leroy Smith
lounged On the steps of his store; Will
liam Walsh, his business neighbor
from across the street, was his imme-
date companion and a small crowd
hung about near them. 1t was into
this crowd that the ~guardsmen fired
at a range of less han twenty feet.
| Smith and Walsh were both shot in
the abdomen, and fell where they stood.
A third man. William Rooney was
slightly hurt by a glancing bullet.
| Some of the guards stepped from the
car and reloaded their pieces. The
startled crowd fell back at the first
shot and a moment later the guards
sprang aboard the car and were rapid
ly wheeled from the scene.
Smith and Walsh was hurried away
to the hospitals for surgical care and
an angry mob swarmed into the street
to curse and d%enounce the guardsmen.
Smith is a member of the shoe manu-
featuring firm of Smith & Herrfck, and
a citizen of wealth, respectability and
prominence. He is a member of the
Albany club and a whist expert of
national reputation. He is so years of
g and has a family. Walsh is the
head of a plumbing house and well
known in business circles. Neither
men had any part other than specta-
tors Of the demonstration that pro-
voked the shooting.
The remainder of the cars made the
run to north Albany and back without
trouble and when they reached the
Quail street barn were housed for the
night.
When the cars were all in the guards
In the streets were recalled.
11:05 p. m.-General Roe has just is
sued an order calling out b Ninth
infantry regiment, Colonel Norris, of
New York, and directing it to report
here tomorrow night
William Walsh, who was shot today
by one Of the Twenty-third regiment