The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1908-08-13
STRIKERS FIRE ON
MOVING TRAIN
RECAICITRANT MINERS SHOT Up
TRAIN ON THE BIRMINGHAM
MINERAL RAILROAD ON
SUNDAY MORNING.
Three Passengers Were Killed Out
right and Several Wounded;
Twenty-Seyen Men Have
so Far Been Arrested.


die, when striking miners fired into
a passenger train on the Birmingham
Mineral Railroad at Blocton this
morning about two O'Clock.
The dead: Conductor Joe T. Col
Inns; o. q. Dent, deputy sheriff; Will
lard Howell, non-union miner
The injured: Maj. F. H. Dodge,
superintendent of safety, Tennessee
Coal Company, wounded IN hand and
leg; E. E. Cox, superintendent of
mines, Tennessee Coal Company, a
slight wound in knee; A. E. Cross,
chief clerk, superintendent Office,
wounded in the arm and knee; J. C.
Johnson, deputy sheriff, a slight
wound in side; a. G. Bryant, deputy
sheriff, slightly wounded in side; j.
B. Cornett, deputy sheriff, wounded
in neck; ". H. McAuly, a soldier,
slightly injured; NJ. A. Pearson, a
soldier, wounded in left shoulder; j.
G. Martin, wounded in head, back
and arm a. J. Myer, laborer, wound
ed in arm and,r lye. e.cmfwypcmfwyp
ed in leg; Robert Sigmon, wounded
in arm and breast.
Dogs were placed on the trail of
the assailants at noon today, and they
led into the camps of the union min
ers. Twenty-six men and one negro
woman have been arrested. Four
or five Slavs among the number ar
rested have confessed. There were
eight negroes arrested. The remain
der of the twenty-seven are Slavs.
The Slavs who confessed to having
participated in the assault declare
there were some Americans lead
ing in the attacking party. They do
not know their names, but would be
able TO identify them.
The assault came suddenly, while
the train was pulling into the yards
of the Birmingham Mineral Railroad
at Blocton. The train, which was a
special bearing non-union miners to
the properties of the Tennessee Coal
Company at Blocton, had just passed
gineer saw a pile OF cross ties on the
track just ahead of the engine. just
at this moment a fusillade of shots
rang out within a few feet of the
train, and he speeded his engine
through the barricade.
Every window in the forward coach
and in the engineers cab was shat
tered with bullets OF every deserip-
tion, from p to the regulation steel
-Jorgsens. The assailants were
barricaded behind rocks and trees
within a few yards of the railroad
track, and were safe from the return
fire of the soldiers and deputy s1er-
ifs who We're guarding the train.
The attacking party also had the ad-
vantage of the interior lights in
the cars.
Company L, First regiment, made |
up of boys from the South Alabama
towns. who had just been assigned
to duty in the district, were on the
train. Two members of this COM
pany were injured, but not seriously.
The train pulled into Blocton, and
1t was found that three men were
dead and eleven wounded.
The officers are at loss 10 know
how the assailants knew that this
train would be run at this time of
night unless they were notified by
spies from Birmingham or along the
line by wire, either telegraph or tel
ephone. This phase of the affair is
being thoroughly investigated. The
of laborers and guards
was in absolute secrecy and without
previous announcement.
Blocton is forty one miles from
in Bibb county. This
Is the first disturbance of any con-
sequence that has occurred in that !.
community since the strike, and came
without warning of any kind.
Gov. Conner held a hurried confer ,
snee with Lieutenant Colonel Hub :
oard, commanding the militia, this :
morning, and another company was
1urried to Blocton. All is reported
luiet there tonight.
The trouble had caused widespread +
today, and a general de-
nand is being made that more stren- r
lous action be taken looking to the :
of order. Gov Conner T
las not made a statement on the sit r
Iation today. While no disturbances
ave been reported in the district to- 4
lay, other than the Blocton affair, =
he situation is regarded as the most \
rave since the inauguration OF the
trike over a month ago.
7