The bee., 1906-08-09
STORY OF THE
STURGIS TRAGEDY
Last Statement Of Henry Ventras
who Died From Wounds.
spRINHER ALLEGED TO HAVE SAID
Would Not Mind Serving Sentence If He
Had Shot Superintendent Bucher.

A recital of the full details of
unprovoked and murderous at
tack made on Tuesday afternoon
OF last week by two active
union strikers on Henry Ventress
and Jackson Withers, two colored
miners, whose only offense was
that they were employed by the
West Kentucky Coal Company,
OF Sturgis, make the affair even
more dastardly if possible, than
at first reported. Ventress, who
died the day after the shooting,
had been working in the mines
of Webster and Hopkins coun-
ties for the past eight years.
An expression from Springer,
one OF the men charged with the
murder, is believed to indicate
that the two union men probably
meant to assassinate Superin-
tendent Bucher, who, it is said,
had intended driving that way
on the day of the murder.
The following is the account
of the tragedy as published by
the Sturgis News Democrat. in
its last Issue and includes the
dying statement of Henry
Ventress:
The victims, one of whom is
dead, and the other at the point
of death, are Henry Ventress and
Jackson Withers, both colored
mine workers. Withers has been
in the employ of the West Ken
lucky Coal Company, and the
latter part of last week went to
Providence, his home to visit
relatives. While there he in
duced Henry Ventress, colored
mine expert to accompany him
to Sturgis and work for the
West Kentucky Coal Co.
The ey reached Wheatcroft
about 10 O'Clock Monday morn
ing, and after purchasing some
drinks, continued their journey.
A short distance this side of the
VIM. Wallace farm they were
overtaken by two men in a bug
gy carrying Winchesters, who
halted them, and after roughly
inquiring their destination and
ordering them to turn back, shot
and mortally wounded both men.
Withers ran on through the
Wallace farm while the blood
was pouring from his face and
shoulder while Ventress lay
helpless in a ditch with broken
spine and bones of his thigh
protruding from the flesh. He
was told to get uD and get into
his buggy and go back home,
but being unable to rise was
brutally thrown over a fence to
die. The two men with guns
then returned to their buggy and
drove towards Sturgis at a fu-
rious pace, according to testi-
mony of those whom they passed
on the road.
Withers painfully made his
way to Boxtown where he told
the circumstances as best he
could, his jaw being almost shot
away. Supt. Chas. Bucher had
him make a sworn statement be-
fore Police Judge Jas. Wallace,
upon the strength of which war
rants were issued for the arrest
of Harve Springer and Bob Hall,
two active union miners. Judge
Wallace was also taken to the
scene of the attempted murder
and got the statement of Ven
tress, who was still lying help
less where he had fallen. Ven
tress' statement, substantially
the same as that made by With
ers, is given below. As there
was no officer in town at the
time the special men who have
been on duty at the shaft were
deputized to arrest the accused
men. Springer was found in
front of Cartwright's restaurant
and arrested by Doherty, while
Dollins found Hall near the City
Court building. Dollins makes
affidavit that Springer said, re-
ferring to Bucher. 81 wouldn't
object to serving 21 years If |
had got that
Il 81.