The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-12-07
GAINESVILLE TROUBLES
Mob Terrifies Negroes and Shoot
Out all the Windows of Their
Big Boarding House.

Big Boarding House.
There is trouble brewing at Gains
Vile over the employment of negroes
at the coal mines and on account Of
strike of the union miners, and the
prospects are that there will be more
trouble before the matter is settled.
The GAINESVILLE News tells of the
trouble as follows:
Last Friday night about II o'clock
those of our citizens who had gone to
bed were awakened out of their sleep
by the rapid and heavy discharge of
fire arms in the vicinity of the mine
grounds. All acquainted with the
situation at once came to the con-
clusion that the fire was directed
against the old Enterprise building
owned by the Coal Company and used
as a boarding house and lodging
place for the colored people.
The reason for the attack, it is
thought was to force the colored peo-
pie who are working in the mines, to
leave. They had been warned day
or two before that they would be
compelled to leave but refused to go.
The building is large two story,
the upper story of which is occupied
by the colored folks. Probably SO
or 100 shots were fired at the upper
windows, between 80 and 40 lights
being shot out and in an instance or
two the sash was almost shot away.
1t is said that the colored folks took
refuge on the floor, some under beds,
and thus escaped being wounded or
killed 1t seems miracle that all
should escape injury, as the rooms
were riddled with shot, and broken
glass was everywhere to be found in
those rooms. AS the shooters stood
some little distance away and on the
ground the shot was upward which
in measure explains their escape.
The next morning empty shells
and gun wads showed where some of
the attacking parties stood, one of
the mine guards finding % empty
shells under some trees in G. R. Will
sons pasture just across the road
from the mine property. We are
told the fire was converging, enter
ing the building from the west,
northwest and southwest.
Sheriff Manifold, of this county,
was in town at the time and went to
the grounds as soon as possible but
of course no one could be found.
The Company had anticipated trou-
Ible and had stationed some guards
about this building but they had gone
up to the boiler house something like
100 yards away to eat their supper
and they had just taken off their
overcoats when the firing began. OF
4 Il t1 in
front of the rain of bullets.
Mr.. I. 3. Grant, the General Man
ager had been away several days and
did not get back until Sunday even
ing, and on Monday morning war
rants were sworn out against Art
Fosdick and the two Walkers charg-
ing them with being of the number
of those who made the attack. They
were taken to Bethany where Mr..
Fosdick gave satisfactory bond for
his appearance at circuit court, but
the Walkers were not able to give
bond and were lodged in Jail. We
understand that a number OF other
arrests are contemplated and war
rants may be issued at any time.
The electric lights about the build
ing were shot out.
Our business men and other citi-
zens with practical unanimity bitter
ly denounce this fragrant and out
rageous violation of law. They do
not endorse the wanton destruction
murder, and are aroused and angry
deplorable occurrence.
o. h. IND
meets this affair with the strikers,
but Union leaders deny it vehement
ly and say it was done by irresponsi-
BILE parties and that they deplore it
as much as anybody. This being
true it seems to us that it is the duty
of the Union and the citizens of the
town to join hands in an earnest ef-
fort to assist the officers of the law in
ferreting out and bringing the guilty
ones to justice. 1t is singular that
only Union men have been recognized
as being members of the party and
it therefore behooves the Union to
make an extra effort to put their Or
ganization right before the public.
The strike situation seems to be
about the same as last week. The
situation is improved in this that the
men who are working go to and re-
turn from the mine without molesta-
ton. The strikers are still out and
are reported confident that they will
win out. They claim that only rs or
80 men are working at the mine.
The mine officials are still firm in
their stand against recognizing the
Union and assert that they have no
fears for the outcome. About go
men are at work, and more are ex-
pected soon, the Company claims.
Au0fhap AccOunf