Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-05-17
FATAL SHOTS FIRED BY
NATIONAL GUARDSMEN.
ENDS WITH THE KILLING OF
CITIZENS.
THREE INNOCENT SPECTATORS
NESS MEN, VICTIMS OF
THE MILITIA.

ALBANY, N. Y, May 16.-Five hours
of conference tonight with all the war
ring elements represented failed to set
tile the Albany strike of street railway
employees.
The strikers waived all demands for
the removal of the nine non-union men.
The executive committee of the United
Traction Company will consider the
proposition in the morning and may &C
cept it and settle the strike.
In the meantime Major General Roe
intends to take every precaution and at
midnight tonight ordered out the Ninth
regiment of New York 1t will arrive
here tomorrow 800 strong, and if the
strike is not settled, will assist in open
ing up the other lines of the traction
company in this city.
VIM. Walsh, one of the men wound
ed by bullet from squad of the
lwenty-third regiment, defending a
car, died at 1915 tonight.
Leroy Smith, shot In the same melee,
was slightly improved at midnight
The shooting of Smith and Walsh
had very depressing effect upon the
members Of the Twenty-third regiment
ana tonight when stones were hurled
at the picketmen around Quail street
barn they did not fire into the dark
Two privates were hit and hurt, but
they did not care to take chance by
firing. 1t was held by the officers and
men generally that the order to fire
was entirely justified, but there was
general regret at the consequences of
the volley.
With the addition of the Ninth regi-
ment tomorrow there will be over
5000 guardsmen in Albany
ALBANY, N. Y, May 16.-Three
men fatally wounded, hundreds of 9TH
ers with broken heads and cut faces,
cars running merely as arsenals with
no patrons, the city under martial rule
with its citizens in 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 out of the street car strike to-
might.
Those fatally wounded are:
William Walsh, merchant, and
Leroy Smith, merchant; both shot
by National Guardsmen, and
William Marshall, a non-union mo-
torman, skull fractured.
Others most seriously injured are:
George Booze, citizen, cheek ripped
open by bayonet;
William Rooney, citizen, shot by Ma
tional Guard. and
Gilbert Hall, non-union motorman,
shot by mob
The bloodshed came after a day of
peace. From early morning the crowds
had melted away before bayonets and
shotguns, cars had been operated I'M
der heavy guards, and there was an
impression that the spirit of turbulence
was waning.
There had been some minor demon
strations, particularly in North AL
bany, but not shot had been fired and
as the day passed, the running of cars
attracted but little attention
The volley fired on Broadway by
squad of Twenty-third infantrymen. in
which Leroy Smith and William Walsh.
well-known citizens, fell MORALLY
wounded. changed all that 1t stirred
anew the feeling of hatred as the ex-
citing tidings swept through, and the
guards were bitterly denounced. Nei-
Their of the men had been guilty OF
any offense, but they were caught in a
crowd, some member of which had
stoned the guardsmen and by mis-
chance were hit. :.
The disturbance was not a serious
one, and murder" is the title applied
by infiamed public sentiment to the
shooting
The guardsmen seem but to have fol-
lowed their duty as soldiers, for they
were under orders to shoot if as
saulted
The bright prospect of settlement
of the strike has not served to allay the
growth of vindictiye feeling, and if the
present situation continues, acts of bit
ter revenge and violence may be ex-
pected
1t was on the last run Of the soldiers
of the cars that the tragedy Of the day
occurred. The cars were on Broadway
moving northward and constantly
swelling crowd was gathered about the
Union Depot The first of the work
day folk had been released by the
whistles that sounded through the man
ufacturing district and they were pour
ing into the crowd. Near Columbia
street truck blocked the way Of a
car, and urged on by the crowd. the
driver refused to move on as speedily