River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-08-07
STRIKING RIOTERS
KILL 4, INJURE I
Hay PICkERS FIGHT WITH
POSSE IN CALIFORNIA.
MILITIA HURRiES TO SCENE
District Attorney Among Those Slain
in BattIe-Rioters Are Heavily
Armed and More Fatalities
May Follow.

Sacramento, Cal, Aug. 5.-A special
train carrying five companies of mill
tia has been ordered to leave here
for Wheatland, Cal, where four men,
including the district attorney of
Yuba county, were killed in a revolv-
er battle between 400 striking hop
pickers and a sheriff's posse.
The militia men are equipped with
zoo rounds of ammunition to the man
and three days rations.
Report of Affair.
According to reports reaching here
from Wheatland the hop pickers held
a meeting and formulated demands
for increased wages. All were en-
ployes of the burst ranch, which lies
partly within Wheatland township.
burst and Constable Anderson at
tended the meeting.
When burst refused their demands
the men became abusive. Anderson
sought to place the leader under ar
rest. He was disarmed and beaten,
but escaped and telephoned Sheriff
George M. Voss of Yuba county for
help.
Voss gathered posse and FASTENED
to Wheatland by automobile from
Maysville, the county seat. District
Attorney Maxwell accompanied him.
When the machines reached Wheat.
land, Voss and four deputies ap-
preached the rioters, who gathered
near the burst ranch house. Voss
sought to parley with them. Abusive
language was hurled at him and he
seized one man and started toward
the motor cars. The prisoner
friends leaped at the sheriff and beat
him into unconsciousness.
Deputies Make Charge.
The deputies made charge and
volley of shots were exchanged.
Maxwell, standing by the automo-
biles, and Reardon, deputy sheriff,
were instantly killed, as were two
colored hop pickers. Nels Nelson, a
wealthy farmer; Constable Anderson,
two women and three men bystanders
were wounded. Several shots, 1t is
reported, were fired into Voss' body
as he lay unconscious on the ground
The driver of the sheriff's automo-
bile was the only man in the car to
escape the bullets. He jumped into
the machine and fed.
After the firing stopped, the sur
vivors of the posse were permitted to
gather the dead and injured and
take them away. They fastened to
Maysville in the second machine.
Reports said that the burst broth
ers, owners of the ranch; their moth
err and two children are surrounded
in the home and the rioters have
threatened to kill anyone who comes
out. Armed with shotguns the strik-
ers are patrolling the roads on both
sides of the burst ranch.
h One Industrial Worker of the
World taken into custody in the
town, said that the ranch employees
were striking for better sanitary con
ditions in camp and in the field and
also for fresh water service twice a
day.
He said that messages had been
sent out by the leaders of the /. w.
w. organization calling all members
to Wheatland Four arrived in
Wheatland by train and were held
by the volunteer guards. One of the
members of the mob declared the
members of the sheriffs posse opened
fire first. The hop pickers did not
fire, he said, until two Of their mum
Der had fallen. Members of the posse
denied this