Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1898 — NEGROES DRIVEN OUT. [ARTICLE]

NEGROES DRIVEN OUT.

White Miners at Washington, Ind., Drive Out Blacks. Dispatches from Washington, Ind., state that 150 miners from I’ana arrived there and routed the negro miners, who were compelled to leave the city at the point of revolvers. One negro who refused to go waa fired upon, and it is said was killed. Masks were worn by the miners, and the police of Washington were unable to arrest any of them, although a fire alarm was sent in and a number of citizens were sworn in as deputy sheriffs. The strikers visited every house in the city occupied by the negroes, who were brought from Kentucky a year ago, and the blacks were lined up, and then commenced a march west on the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern tracks. Upon reaching White River, Winchesters were pointed at the negroes and they were given orders never to return to Washington; that if they did they would meet with more severe treatment the next time. A crowd of armed strikers visited the Cabel Company mines with the intention of capturing the negroes who dwell in a shack near the mines, but the negroes had evidently been notified of their coming and made their escape. The strikers fired several shots into the air, and this led to the report that a battle was in progress. A consignment of 200 guns and 100 revolvers has been received by the miners’ organization and hidden away. The provost guard is still on duty patrolling the streets. Reports that 150 more Alabama negroes were on their way there caused more bad feeling among the miners, and many threats were made.

During a thunder shower the other day the water supply at the home of Gilbert R. Ives of Sandisfield, Mass., was*shut off by lightning. The water was conducted to the house and barn by a pipe from a spring sixty rods away. A large tree standing near the pipe was struck and splintered, and then the lightning, entering the grouud, followed the pipe to the spring, blowing off the boards and stones covering it* to a distance of fifty feet. At the same time a ball of fire entered the bouse,, shocking slightly one of the inmates, but doing uo further damage.