Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1903-07-09
RIOTERS SHOT DOWN
NINE PERSONS ARE KILLED AND
FOURTEEN WOUNDED.
Enraged Mob of Citizens Again At.
tacks Jail, Which Militia SternIy
Defends-Dead and Wounded Cover
Ground-Troops Retain Position.

Ground-Troops Retain Position.
Evansville, Ind. July 7.-Foilowing
four days Of rioting and general law
lessness, this city last night saw the
most terrible Of its experiences with
rioters. Nine 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, ffteen-year-old
daughter of Joseph H. Altman, shot in
breast with shotgun; John Barnett,
shot in right lung; August Jordan,
musician, bullet wound through head;
Ed Rule laborer, shot through body
and head; two unidentified dead men,
lying in front of Jail.
Frank Lamble, the eighth victim
of the battle in front of the county
jail died at the hospital
The ninth death resulting from the
riot occurred at 1870, the victim
being Charles Taylor, who was shot in
the back. He was an onlooker and
did not engage in the attack on the
troops.
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;
fhGrlpS ,h>
through left wrist and bullet wounds
in both heels; 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-
fall, but got away before their names
we're learned. Four members OF com
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 com
pany A, First regiment, Indiana Ma
tional Guard, after a days vigilance
guarding the county Jail, and 100 dep
uty sheriffs under Sheriff Chris Kraft
fired point blank into 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 it's manifestations of I'M
easiness more frequent, and at 10
o'clock it was seen that nothing could
prevent an assault on the jail The
rioters, with a bicycle in their front
as 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 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 iioter. Stones and boulders
began to fly through the air. A sol
der was struck with a rock and fell.
A rioter was knocked down with a
gun butt, and then a shot was fired
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 800
shots were fired from the Jail win,
dows. the court house steps immedi.
ately opposite and by the soldiers In
the streets. No one knows who fired
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
and deputies fired into the retreating
mob OF men who ran into Division
street For fifteen minutes the firing
continued In front Of the staggering
band OF tirty-eight soldiers lay the
dead and wounded. Means OF agony
came from the wounded
Ed. Schiffman, a painter, who was
seen tn the front rank of the mob dur.
ing the evening, lay on the sidewalk,
the top of his head blown completely
off and his brains oozing on the side.
walk. A short distance away laid an.
other man, and close by lay young
man Dead with a bullet wound over
the heart All over the street, crawl
ing and moaning wounded rioters and
onlookers tried, to ease their pain
and escape by getting away from the
jail. On the street, lying between
her grfef.stricken 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 cour: house, wounded rioters
lay and back OF the line of soldiers
two of the militiamen had fallen. On
the tail steps had stood Sheriff
Kratz. At his side was Colonel Nc.
Coy Of the First regiment. Around
them stood a few doctors and report.