The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1904-02-26
make A
RAID ON P00LR0OM
ATTEMPT TO CLOSE ESTABLISH
MENT AT MADISON, ILL,
CAUSES A RIOT.
BATTLE ENSUED AND
SIX PERSONS INJURED

Failure of Grand Jury to Return In
dictments Anglers Citizens Who
Will Continue the Fight-List Of
the Injured.
st. Louis, Feb. PIN an effort to close
up a poolroom that has for a long time
operated in the outskirts Of Madison, Ill,
across the river from st. Louis, three
constables, augmented by a posse of cit
liens and bearing warrants for the ar
rest of six men connected with the pool
room, p%recipitated a riot late Friday,
which resulted in the shooting of six
men as follows:
Lee Harlan, of Madison, severe scalp
wound, struck over the head with the
butt end of a revolver; Edward Downs,
of st. Louis, shot in face, not serious;
William Schooley, Madison, kneecap
shattered by a bullet; Edward Harris.
Madison, scalp wound and facial
bruises, not serious; Oscar Wilcox, em-
ploye of pool room, shot in hip, Sc
rious; unidentified man, shot in right
arm, as he boarded train for st. Louis
Immediately after the shooting.
None of them will die from their
wounds, it is thought.
After the failure of the Madison county
grand jury, which recently investigated
the poolroom, to return indictments,
citizens took the matter in hand with
the intention Of having the poolroom
closed. Several days ago warrants were
issued for State Senator David Nelson,
Of Missouri, charging him with being a
pool seller, and Victor Schiller, charg-
ing him with conducting the poolroom
and being custodian Of the funds. Schulz
er was arrested Thursday and gave bond
of $500 pending a hearing. The addi-
tional warrants were sworn out Friday
and the three constables appeared at the
poolroom to serve them.
The Fight.
Two policemen were within and de-
clared they had arrested the operators
Of the poolroom and were guarding them.
Betting was was going on as usual at the
time. The constables were ordered to
leave the premises, which they did, aft
er argument. Proceeding through the
nelghborhood for the next half hour the
~constables organized a posse of armed
citizens numbering about SO persons.
The constables and posse then returned
to the poolroom and entered. They were
at once ordered out and the doors were
ordered closed.
The first fight occurred as the posse
approached the pool room. When Con-
stable Glass, leading the posse, was
about 200 feet from the room, a great
crowd OF pool room f~requenters lined
up on the outside Of the building and
began to fire. William Schooley, a
member of the posse, n Edward
Downs, Of St. Louis, were shot, the for
mer in the leg, the latter in the head.
The posse returned the fire and the
crowd a for the Illinois Central train
that was standing on the track near the
pool room. There we're about 100 of
the pool room people who could not
get on the train, which pulled out. The
posse forced itself into the room. Con-
stable Glass headed the posse.
No interference was met with at the
door. Inside the sheet-writers were at
work, although there were no specta-
tors in the room. The blackboard
marker was marking up q race. At the
front of the railing two policemen were
standing. Both had their revolvers
drawn. Policeman Patrick Mccain
bridge-called out IN order to the posse
to halt. 1--WE have warrants to serve"
shouted Glass, land we propose to
serve them" Glass continued his adj
vonce, the members Of the posse fol-
lowing close on his heels, and APP
preaching the policemen. Mccain
bridge raised his revolver and fired IN
to the ceiling. A shotgun was immedi-
ately leveled at his breast. He was
badly beaten.
A shot rang out from some other
place in the room, and Immediately
there was a f%usillade. Ten or a dozen
men fell to the floor. some of them
wounded and some trying to escape the
shots. There were probably 100 men in
the o at the time. Many of the
spectators had crowded in behind the
posse. They did not take any part in
the fight. At the first shot these men
scattered, crowding for the doors,
cursing and yelling, and trying desper-
ately to get out. A second volley was
fired and more men dropped. Alto
gether it Is thought that more than 100
shots were fired. In a few seconds the
poolroom was entirely in possession of
the posse, and the wounded were being
cared for.
To Continue Fight.
A meeting was held Saturday by the
Business Mems improvement League Of
Madison, and it was decided to con-
tinue the fight vigorously. Resolu-
tons condemning the action Of the POI
lice in defending and assisting the
pool room gamblers and provoking
hnrfilifina,p ware adontn1