Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1912-05-03
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MOB ATTACKS 200 ANTLToBAcco
CRUSADERS IN STREET
BATTLE.
TWO ARE SERIOUSLY HURT
Trample Upon Men and Women in
Mad Rush-Deputy Sheriffs Patrol
City After "FaithfuI" Are Whipped
and Routed.

Chicago, May Lied by the town
marshal, blackjack" band OF citi-
Gems on Monday evening attacked zoo
of Wilbur Glenn Voliva's crusaders at
Zion City, who were singing hymns OF
praise. Both men and women We're
beaten and trampled on the ground in
the rioting.
The attack was the OutgrOwth OF the
bitter feeling of citizens styled indie
pendents" against the churchman's
crusade on the tobacco using en-
ployes' of Ziou City's new industries.
The crusaders had massed near the
Cook electric plant to pray for the
workers as they left the shops.
Following the riot, in which several
of the churchmen were seriously in
jured, Voliva caused the huge bell OF
Zion hall to be rung continuously for
an hour. That summoned 1000 OF the
faithful together.
In the meantime angered 'independ-
ents" stormed in mobs up and down
the streets, driving Voliva followers
indoors. Mayor w. F. Miller caused
Sheriff Elmer Green to rush from
Waukegan to the riot-ridden town with
armed deputies. Throughout the eve
ming there were threats OF further.
trouble on every side. The deputy
sheriffs patroled the streets with a
free display of weapons.
Joseph Bishop, a youthful follower
of Voliva, was the most seriously IN
jured. In attempting to defend women
about him in the mad rush at the
prayer service, he was beaten to the
ground by ''blackjacks' and "blllles"
in dozen hands. 1t is thought his
skull is fractured.
1t was just five O'Clock, the time Tor
quitting work, when the church work
ers took their stations opposite the
electric plant. The meeting was one
of the two to decry the tobacco curse"
which have been held daily, and winch
have caused the bitter feeling.
Marshal John Hoover, with 40 depu-
ties, had already stationed himself at
the factory He had served the VollVa
followers with notice that their meet
ings melted riots and that he would
stop them.
Elder F. M. Royal was there as lead
er of the prayer service. With three
other elders he was on a Ilattorm
built on fenced-in church property
across the street from the factory. The.
200 followers, large majority OF them
women, were gathered about the plat
form.
Come on, let's clean them out"
yelled some one in the crowd, now
augmented by the factory employees.
Down. came the fence as the club
welding mob charged. The strains or
the song were drowned by the shr1eks
of women, the curses Of the charging
force and the groans of beaten men.
Some of the crusaders, clasping Bibles
in uplifted hands, submitted without a
move to the blows from clubs. Others
ignored the command of the leader
from the platform and fought, feeble
as their efforts were, against the
armed men.
In few minutes the assailants had
reached the platform and the elders
were pulled bodily to the ground. They
were beaten mercilessly.
AS the Voliva followers retreated
they bore unconscious men and faint
ing women from the scene. In the
meantime the marshal and his depu-
ties placed two of the crusaders, /. E.
Mills and John Thorpe. under arrest.
The sight of young Bishop and John
Bryson, man of seventy years, bleed
ing and senseless on the ground, led to
truce. The injured were carried of
the field and the crusaders, followed
by jeering mob, marched OFF to re-
port to Voliva.