Gilpin observer., 1903-07-09
RIOTERS SHOT DOWN
SEVEN PEReoNs KILLED AND
FOURTEEN WOUNDED.
Enraged Mob Of Citizens Again At
tacks jail, Which Militia Sternly
Defends-Dead and Wounded Cover
Ground-Troops Retain Position.


pefends-Dead and Wounded Cover
Ground-Troops Retain Position.
Evansville, Ind, July Following
four days OF riotirg and general law
lessness, this city last night saw the
most teVible of its experiences with
rioters. Seven persons are dead and
fourteen are known to be. injured
and at least that number more are
thought to be hurt.
The dead: Edward Schiffman,
painter, top of head blown off with
rife; Hazel Altman, fifteen-year-old
daughter of Joseph II. Altman, shot in
breast with shotgun; John Barnett,
shot in right lung; August Jordan,
musician, bullet wound through head;
Ed Rule, labcrer. shot through body
and head; two unidentified dead men,
lying in front of jail.
The wounded: Fred Schmidt, driv-
er for brewing company, seriously shot
in leg and arm, taken to hospital;
Fred Kapler. buckshot charge in race
and body wounds, serious. will die;
Lee Hawley, laborer, shot in leg;
Charles Presky, grocery boy, shot
through left wrist and bullet wounds
in both heelc; Theodore BEEN, shot
in right side; John Fares, shot in
head and hip may die; Albert Kasuss,
soldier, shot while picking up wound
ed rioter, hit in right arm, not seri-
Gus. Six other rioters were seen to
fall, but got away before their names
1oo Irr <.f
| pany A, First regiment, suffered bull
let wounds on the body. One of them
was shot through the shoulder, anoth-
er through the ankle and the other
received two slight scratches. Two
deputy sheriffs were slightly wounded.
Angry Crowd Surrounds Jail.
At 1920 p. m. the members OF CON-
pany A. First regiment, Indiana Ma
tional Guard. after a days vigilance
guarding the county jail, and 100 dep
uty sheriffs under Sheriff Chris Kratz
| fired point blank into a mob of 1000
men gathered in Fourth, Division and
| Vine streets, surrounding the Wander
burg county Jail. and attempting it's
capture. From a. m. to the hour of
the catastrophe the crowd surged
| about the Jail. calling the militiamen
vile names, assailing them with
stones and berating the deputy sher-
! IFS who guarded the jail. The mob
had gradually become more and more
excited. and its manifestations of un-
easiness more frequent, and at 10
O'Clock it was seen that nothing could
prevent an assault on the jail. The
rioters, with bicycle in their front
as a shield to the bayonets of the SOL
diers, attempted to enter the alley
and storm the alleyway entrance.
Captain Blum of the National Guard
ordered a charge. Gradually the
crowd was forced back. the soldiers
using their bayonets and the butts Of
their guns. Suddenly a rioter fell.
A soldier tried to drag him to his feet,
but before he could do SO was assault
ed by rioter. Stones and boulders
began to ny through the air. A SOL
dier was struck with rock and fell.
A rioter was knocked down with a
gun butt, aud then a shot was fred.
The one shot started fusillade Of
musketry and shotgun fire from the
defenders of the Jail and a scattered
return fire from the rioters. Fully 300
shots were fred from the Jail win
dows. the court house steps immedi-
ately opposite and by the soldiers in
the streets. No one knows who fred
the first shot. The soldiers say it was
the rioters. Governor Durbin is said
| to have instructed the authorities not
to jeopardize the safety Of the jail
with half way measures. The soldiers
and deputies fired into the retreatinS
mob of men who ran into Division
street. For fifteen minutes the firing
continued. In front OF the staggering
band of fifty-eight soldiers lay the
dead and wounded. Means OF agony
came from the wounded.
Ed. Schiffman. a painter, who was
seen In the front rank Of the mob dur
ing the evening. lay on the sidewalk.
the top of his head blown completely
OF and his brains oozing on the side
walk. A short distance away laid an
other man, and close by lay a young
man dead, with a bullet wound over
the heart. All over the street, crawl
ing and moaning wounded rioters and
tiiCd W SaSS thSh pam
and escape by getting away from the
jail. On the street. lying between
her griefstricken father and mother,
the little Altman girl was dead. with
her breast torn away by buckshot
charge. She was out driving with her
parents, who stopped few minutes
to watch the excitement. In the yard
Of the court house. wounded rioters
lay and back of the line of soldiers
two OF the militiamen had fallen On
the Jail steps had stood Sheriff
Kratz. At his side was Colonel Nc
Coy OF the First regiment. Around
them stood a few doctors and report
ers. When the firing had ceased Cap
tain Blum reformed his mer and gave
them orders: Keep that mob back.
call on them to halt. II thew dom.