Jefferson City, Mo., July 18. -- Four men representing the foreign miners at Flat River called upon Gov. Gardner to-day and asked these two questions:
"Will the State give us any assurance of protection to life and property if we return to Flat River?"
"Will the State reimburse us for damages to property in the recent riots at Flat River?"
Gov. Gardner replied that the foreign miners could return to work at Flat River with assurance of ample protection, but that the State cannot reimburse for riot losses, that being a matter for recovery by civil suits in the courts.
The delegation was headed by Harry Ver Braack of St. Louis. The other members declined to give their names.
The race riot situation, which has focused the attention of the entire country on the Lead Belt district this week, is now apparently well in hand, and no further outbreaks of a serious nature are looked for. A number of shafts have already resumed work, but not enough men have yet been secured to furnish full crews for all the shafts.
At Bonne Terre the situation is different, and work at the mines there has not been seriously interrupted. Foreigners were employed there for many years before they were permitted to work in the Flat River district. Many of them have been there a sufficient length of time to raise and educate their families, so that on the whole the prejudice that exists there is not so pronounced as in other towns in the Lead Belt. It is true that the foreigners have been warned to leave Bonne Terre, and it was thought for a time on Sunday night a serious outbreak might occur. A detachment of troops was sent there Sunday night about 9:00 o'clock. Shortly before their arrival a gang of about fifty, mostly boys, had visited Hilltown. One of them approached Father Sevcik, shook his fist under his nose, and told him they were going to run the "Hunkies" out. Quite a number of volunteer guards were distributed throughout the settlement, and the foreigners themselves were armed and ready to offer vigorous resistance to the mob which had threatened to call on them. When the troops arrived the mob had dispersed and no trace of them could be found.
At Leadwood the majority of the foreigners have left, but no action aside from threats was taken to drive them out. The mines there are being operated.
The first outbreak occurred Friday evening about 6:30 o'clock, and was timed so as to intercept the foreigners while at the changing rooms and before they had time to start underground on the 7:00 o'clock shift. No. 1, Doe Run, was the first shaft visited here. The foreigners employed there were mostly Italians and lived in the Rivermines settlement. They were forced to jump out of the windows of the changing room, a distance of about ten or twelve feet. In falling one of them dislocated his hip. He staggered to the south end of the changing room, but was unable to make it further, and he laid down. Two of his friends, seeing his predicament, came back and carried him off. Rocks were being thrown thick and fast and some shots were fired. One of the Italians was shot in the left leg.
After opening the ball at No. 1, the mob rapidly increased in numbers and spread to every mine in the district. In less than an hour and a half nearly every shaft had been visited, and at all of them the foreigners were routed. They took refuge in the woods and every place else where they could find safety.
Late Friday night a mob of about 200, armed with almost every conceivable kind of weapon, among which were noticed several muzzle-loading shotguns, paraded the Main street at Flat River, calling on all Americans to assemble at Rivermines at 9:00 o'clock Saturday morning. When they broke up, their leader counseled them against violence or destruction of property.
The mob met according to the schedule arranged. A committee conferred with Supt. P. A. Haines, of the Doe Run Company, who informed them that he could not give them an answer as to what action the company would take.
The mob then formed in line and marched to the office of the Federal Lead Company. By the time they reached the offices there was probably 1000 men in the March. They conferred with the Federal officials and were told that no answer could be given to their demands before Monday.
The word was then given to visit the foreign settlements, line up the foreigners and drive them out of the district. This was done effectively and with abundant evidence of careful organization. The men were lined up in front of their homes and marched in detachments to the company offices to be paid off. From the offices they were marched to the banks to have their checks cashed, and from the banks to the depots, where they were held in line until the arrival of trains going north. The women were told that they would not be molested, and that they could remain in the houses until their husbands got located elsewhere and sent for them. Many of the women were so terrified and panic stricken they paid but little heed to this advice and followed their husbands to the depots and departed with them. Much of this work was done during a heavy downpour of rain.
As the day advanced the feeling became more tense. Notwithstanding the fact that the leaders constantly advised against violence and stealing, the situation got beyond their control. After the main body of the organization would leave the settlements, small bodys of men (in nearly every instance they were strangers in this community) visited the houses vacated by the foreigners and began a campaign of looting and burglary. In many of the houses furniture was destroyed, bedding torn up, and nearly everything of value carried away.
In the foreign settlement of the Doe Run and Federal Lead Companies there are nine small stores conducted by foreigners. All of them were looted. A particularly sad instance was that of George Miller and family. Notwithstanding their American name, they are foreigners. They conducted a small store and had taken refuge at the Federal Lead Company office when interviewed by a News reporter Saturday. Besides the parents there are seven small children in the family ranging in age from 13 to a babe in arms. Mrs. Miller said when they were driven from their store they spent all of Friday in the woods. During the night she fell and broke her arm. She wept pitifully while telling her story and implored that some one visit her home and try and find some clean clothing for her little ones. The whole family had been exposed to the rain and were drenched to the skin.
When the "Bull Moose" train arrived at Flat River, going north Saturday afternoon, it was unable to accommodate only a small portion of the foreigners who had been assembled at the depot for deportation. When the combination baggage and passenger coach was crowded to its utmust capacity the train crew was ordered to pick up a box car. The foreigners were then hustled out of the baggage coach and into the box car. As they left the baggage coach a man stood at the door and punched each foreigner in the ribs and kicked him as he jumped to the ground. The box car was soon jammed full and as it pulled out a fusilade of shots were fired into the roof of the car through the open door.
The St. Louis Smelting & Refining Company was not molested in the morning, but in the afternoon a crowd of about 200 marched on this plant. Several of them entered the enclosure at the checking office gate. On the inside they met Mike Javoc. They knocked him down and kicked him. He got up and ran through the checking office to the outside. When he saw the crowd outside he took to the wheat field adjoining the hospital. As he ran he was the subject of a regular bombardment. Most of the men were apparently firing in the air to scare him, but one man was seen to get down on his knee and take deliberate aim. One of the mob overtook him and brought him back to the office and demanded of T. L. Bunte that he pay him off. Mike was given a check.
Gus Franz, a German, who a number of years ago conducted a butcher shop at Elvins but who recently has been running pumps for the Doe Run Lead Company, was mistaken for a "Hunkie" Saturday morning at Rivermines and forced into the line which was being held for arrival of the train. In his excitement he got his English so mixed that he was unable to explain clearly who he was. Friends who recognized him interceded for him six different times before he finally got away.
J. A. Overall, age 24 years, of Elvins, dictated a statement to reporters after his arrest Sunday night. He said that he had been elected leader of the mob Saturday morning, that he had advised the men against violence, but was unable to control all of them. He said his home was in Tennessee and that he had been living in Elvins for about a year. He said he was formerly a member of the J.O.U.A.M.--Junior Order of the United American Mechanics. He said that "American" meant that none but natural born citizens would be eligible for membership. He intended to organize a branch of that fraternity in this district. When asked whether the committee, of which he was the head, had formed any basis for discussion at a conference with mine officials, he said that his committee had reached no agreement, but that personally he favored allowing the foreigners to go back to work, providing an iron clad agreement to the effect they would be allowed to do nothing but shovel could be secured with the companies.
Fred Kunert, a German, who is well known throughout the Lead Belt, having made his home here for many years, was told by some men at Elvins Monday evening that he would have to leave town. The matter was called to the attention of the militia and a guard was placed at the house where he rooms at Elvins Monday night. Fred worked for a number of years under Capt. Bell at the old Crawley shaft, in Flat River.
The rock dump at No. 1 shaft here has been liberally baptized with whiskey, wine, gin and beer. The soldiers have been able to uncover vast quantities of it which heretofore has escaped the attention of the powers that be. In the basement of Andy Hargo's store at Gofftown they found three large barrels of wine, two cases of whiskey and a couple barrels of beer. This they hauled to No. 1 shaft and destroyed. They also uncovered several other consignments in different sections of the foreign settlements. They found twenty-four cases of beer which had not been lost. This bunch had been captured at J. H. Craft's joint at Bonne Terre last week by Sheriff Adams. The beer was stored in the old Miners Supply Store building. They carried it outside and smashed all but four bottles, which they left for evidence, against a rock.
At Doe Run Lead Company shaft No. 3, Wednesday night about 30 men employed there became frightened when a report was circulated that an effort was going to be made to blow up the shaft. The men got together underground and decided they had better quit work. They were hoisted out.
The evidence of destruction and robbery committed by small bands of looters which swooped down on the foreign settlements after the main mob had driven the foreigners from their homes almost beggars description and many pitiful stories are told by the aliens who have returned to gather up their effects. In every house visited by a representative of the News, trunks were found to have been smashed open, beds overturned, dresser drawers pulled out and scattered about the floors. Many of the trunks had contained sums of money.
H. D. Sapp, who conducts a commissiary for the Central Boarding & Supply Co. at Rivermines, said that during the rain Saturday he went out into the woods to where an Italian woman was huddled under a bush trying to protect her six-months-old baby from the rain. He induced her to give the baby to him so that he could take it home for temporary shelter.
Sapp said he saw four American girls coming from an Italian house laden with clothing. He said one of them had red hair and that he would be able to recognize her if he ever saw her again. Sapp said he also saw an Italian man help up in front of his house at the point of a revolver and robbed of $15.
Mike Byli, a Russian, who returned from St. Louis Wednesday after his clothes, received a message shortly after he arrived at Rivermines informing him that two of his babies had died in St. Louis from exposure. The babies, with their mother, had been driven out in the rain by the looters. One of the children was six months old and the other two years.
Some of the foreigners are taking advantage of persons seeking to buy cows and other stock. Cote Allen was swindled by Mike Kastovich, a Russian. Cote gave Mike $45 for a cow which belonged to his neighbor, Chas. Moyur. Mike hiked for St. Louis. Other cases of a similar nature have been reported.
The Ministerial Alliance, which includes all the Lead Belt towns, at a meeting held Monday afternoon, adopted the following resolutions:
"Resolved, that the Association deplores the action of the mob in the Lead Belt on Friday and Saturday in the movement against the foreigners; that regardless of any grievance that may have appeared their action was despicable and contrary to the spirit of American citizenship; that it endangers by its example the life and property of all citizens, native or foreign; that the movement should be unqualifiedly condemned by every citizen of the Lead Belt.
"It was Further Resolved, that the people of Flat River and of St. Francois county should demand of the county authorities a vigorous prosecution of all persons having taken part in the mob, and a more resolute stand by the officers against any recurrence of such outrages in the future. The Association further expressed its condemnation of any discrimination on the part of the companies against American laborers that may have resulted in the racial antagonism and industrial disturbance."
All of the American miners employed at Leadwood quit work Tuesday morning. A committee came to Flat River to confer with Maj. W. D. Stepp and Labor Commissioner Wm. H. Lewis. They were admonished not to intimidate the foreigners and were told that their action in quitting work would greatly aggravate the situation throughout the entire county. The committee was composed of reasonable men. They returned to Leadwood, talked the matter over with all the men. A vote was then taken and the men decided to go back to work Tuesday night. Everything is reported to be running smoothly at Leadwood.
The blind tigers at Bonne Terre, which have been doing a flourishing business ever since the adoption of local option, were put out of business Tuesday by the soldiers. They visited George Brand, Walter Moon, Eaves' restaurant, Cook & Roux, and Mike Vallo. The soldiers captured in all about 500 gallons of intoxicants, which included almost everything from beer to champagne. All of the booze was destroyed. Bonne Terre on Tuesday was "bone dry" for the first time in its history.
Prosecuting Attorney Mathews is busy securing evidence to be presented to the grand jury, which has been called by Judge Peter Huck, to meet at Farmington next Monday. The following men have already been arrested, and all but four of them are now in jail at Farmington or in Iron and Jefferson counties, where they were taken when the county jail became overcrowded. They are being required to furnish bonds in the sum of $10,000:
J. A. Overall
Mont Edwards
J. E. Stallinger
John
Mifflin
Martin Kreiger
Guy Boyd
Jack Webb
Will Brooks
Richard
Ward
Arthur Potts
Lawrence Barfield
C. B. Good
Clifford
Rollins
John Nieham
Grover Jefferson
Jeff Davenport
George
Bone
Henry Whitt
Tom Carter
Wm. Rich
Ben Kelly
Oscar Moyer
Wm.
Crabtree
Elworth Wilkerson
George Hart
Frank Forister
Herbert
Bruce
Walter Phelps
Haskel Ferguson
George Ratley
Elmer
Hartzell
Budd Dunn
Leslie Bruce
Fred St. James
Wilburn St.
James
Oval Bilderback
Charles Harris
Harry Dunn
George Campbell
The Prosecuting Attorney says he intends making a thorough investigation of the entire trouble, and prosecute to the full extent of the law all who participated in the riot. He has written letters to citizens throughout the county asking their co-operation in securing names of witnesses to be summoned before the grand jury next week.