Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-03-24
TROOPSGUARD Town
PREVENT PITCHED sATTLE sI.
TWEEN WoRKMEN AT sENLD
AND GILLESPIE, Ill.
MANY ARRESTS TO FOLLOW
Civil Authorities to Punish Armed
Foreigners Who Marched on VII
lass and Made Demonstration
Against English Brethren.

Gillespie, Ill.--With soldiers OF the
Illinois National Guard patrolling the
town Of Bend. south Of here. immedt
ate danger Of q battle between Italian
coal diggers and the English speaking
miners has been averted. The civil
authorities are preparing to prosecute
those who bore arms Tuesday in
demonstration calculated to awe their
brethren who wanted to return to
work.
Operations in mine No. l. located
here, and one OF the three shafts
owned by the Superior Coal company
was resumed Wednesday morning
One company of guardsmen Is polio
ing this property.
Sheriff Elmo Etter of Macoupin
county Is in Benld with force of 50
deputies and cooperating with Col
Edward J. Lang. commanding the
Fourth infantry of the National Guard
States Attorney James Murphy OF Car
linville Is also on the scene, giving
the sheriff counsel.
Wholesale arrests are to follow, &C.
cording to the states attorney and
the sheriff. Sheriff Etter will not indi.
cate the probable number Of arrests to
be made, but warrants will be issued
for all who are known to have borns
arms and against all others who had
any part in melting the riotous dem. L
onstration. 4, 4
The saloons have been closed. al
though this was not done until Colonel
Lang conveyed to Mayor L. c. Romell
a suggestion to this effect which was
virtually command.
When 1t was realized that the petL
ton presented by Mayor Romell to
Colonel Lang would not accomplish
the desired result citizens commit
tee left town for Springfield to per
sonally urge Governor Deneen to call
the troops of.
Colonel Lang and Sheriff Etter viz
tied the three mines Of the Superior
Coal company after camp had been
pitched near the interurban railroad
station. The reconnaissance completed
patrols were located at the three
mines and other patrols assigned to
duty In the town Of Benld proper.
When the first squad was sent out
on patrol duty large crowd collect
ed, pressing closely upon the guards
men. Orders were given to disperss
the crowd, and in pushing back the
foremost ones an unidentified miner
sprang at one of the men with an open
knife. The guardsman presented the
business end of his ride with bayonet
fixed and charged his would-be asaii
ant. The man fed.
The hurry call for troops followed
demonstration by Italian miners. One
t Thousand strong, armed with a varied
assortment OF firearms, old rifles
muskets. shotguns, revolvers and Win.
chesters. and marching to the music
Of an Italian band, the foreign speak
ing coal miners OF Bend gathered at
sunrise to move against their English
speaking brethren Of Gillespie, The
procession stopped at mine No. l..
passed through the main street Of Gil.
lespie, thence on to mine No. 3. and
back to Bend. Counseling Of the old
er citizens and business men Of Gil.
lespie against the commission Of any
overt act prevented bloodshed
The Superior Coal company owns
three mines here, with q daily total
output Of about 10000 tons Of coal
Three months ago John P. Reese
came to Gillespie from Iowa to take
the superintendency Of the properties
Superintendent Reese inaugurated
several changes and reforms that!
were not favorably received by the
foreign element among the miners