The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-08-24
A WILD RIOT
Five Men Shot Down as Result
of a Strike and
MANY OTHREs HURT


Mob Of Maddened Strikers Storm
Works Of the Pressed Steel Cal
Company's Plant at Shoenville and
Pitched Battle is Fought Between
Soldiers and Foreigners.
One State trooper, and one deputy
sheriff, and three foreigners were
shot and killed Sunday in wild riot
at the Pressed Steel Car plant, in
schoenville, whose employees are now
on strike.
At least a score of persons were
seriously wounded, ten fatally.
The rioting followed day of quiet
and broke without warning.
At midnight the following partial
list of dead and injured was made uE
from reports received from the
morgue, hospitals and several ply
sicians' Offices: The dead:
John L. Wilson, State trooper.
Harry Exler, deputy sheriff.
Three foreigners.
Fatally injured:
John C. Smith, State trooper.
Lucelian Jones, State trooper.
Seven foreigners.
George Kitch and John O'Donnell
State troopers, were seriously inJur
ed, and one woman was shot in the
neck.
Over a score of persons received
more or less serious injuries.
The riot scene was practically In
describable. Mounted State troop!
galloped indiscriminately through
the streets with riot maces drawn
cracking the heads of all persons
lettering in the vicinity Of the mill
Deputy sheriffs and troopers broke
in the doors of houses suspected o
being the retreat of strikers, ant
wholesale arrests were made.
From $3.50 to 1880 scores Of per
sons were arrested and placed in boz
jails in the mill yard.
During the early stages OF th'
rioting women were conspicuous
Some of them were armed, Others
effectively used clubs and stones
These women, all foreigners, insane
with rage, were mainly responsible
for melting the men to extreme
measures.
At midnight quiet reigned in tn
strike zone.
Shortly before $50 Sunday nigh
mob gathered about the schoen
VILE entrance to the car works ant
made a concerted attack upon th'
big swinging gates of the stockade
The attack was resisted by State
troopers and deputy sheriffs, Wh'
used riot maces. In the melee Harr!
Exler, deputy sheriff, aged hft!
years, was shot and instantly kille(
by a bullet fired, it Is said' by
strike sympathizer.
In an effort to arrest the maj
picked out Of the crowd as the on'
who did the shooting, State troope'
Smith was instantly killed by re
volver bullet.
For the first time since the incep
ton of the strike the State trooper!
then opened volley-fire on the MOB
Six trikers fell at the first round
Three of them are reported fatal!
shot.
The members of the mob ther
opened fire with rifles. Two mount
ed troopers dropped from their hors
es fatally shot. They were taken tt
the Ohio Valley Hospital in dying
condition. AS an ambulances made
it's way from the car plant to the
hospital carrying wounded troopers
the vehicle was attacked and the
driver forced to fee for his life. the
frightened team of horses attached
to the ambulance plunged wildly II
and about the crowd. Two men were
trampled under the horses hoof. The
ambulance was finally driven In the
hospital by a detachment OF troop
ers.
Sheriff Gumbert. at the county
jail, called for fifty men to serve
in the strike zone at 1890 o'clock
At II o'clock the sheriff started II
an automobile for the scene of the
rioting. He took with him ten rio'
guns and two boxes of riot ammunl
tion.
The county morgue has sent fol
the bodies of the dead troopers anc
deputy sheriff.
The Ohio Valley Hospital has
treated ten injured. three of whom
are reported fatally hurt.