The Night They Burned the Bridges: Sprague Makes Its Stand

The most startling news which reached the city yesterday regarding the Northern Pacific strike was that of the burning of two bridges and wrecking of some cars at Sprague. The following dispatch tells the facts:

SPRAGUE, July 9. — Rioting broke out here at 1 o'clock this morning. The train bringing the militia companies home from the encampment at Olympia was assailed by a mob which threw sticks and stones. The train dashed through the mob and ran into several ditched cars, battering the engine and derailing the baggage car. About the same time a long trestle one mile east of town was fired. Fifteen deputies went out on an engine and extinguished the flames after considerable damage had been done. Still another mob pushed a car loaded with kerosene upon a culvert a mile west of town and fired it. The car and culvert were completely destroyed. Thus the train could neither advance nor return. The damage was subsequently repaired. Chief Deputy Vinton has left Spokane for this point with a special train, having on board several deputies and a number of carpenters.

Brig.-Gen. Curry wired the facts to Gov. McGraw from Ritzville, and the governor replied: "Yours today received. Proceed with all possible speed to Sprague and use all force at your command to preserve the peace and disperse all rioters and unlawful assemblages. I depend upon you to act promptly and with vigor. Report to me here frequently. — J. H. McGraw, Governor."

TACOMA, July 9. — Inasmuch as the entire town of Sprague seems to be solid for the strikers, a proposition is favored by the officials of the Northern Pacific to withdraw the car shops and division superintendent's offices from that city. This, it is asserted, would kill the town, as it is primarily a railroad town. The Farmers' Alliance recently met at Sprague and decided to stand by the strikers. They agreed to raise potatoes and supply general produce to carry on the fight to a finish, and when it was intimated that Troop A, of the National Guard, was about to return home on a train manned by a non-union crew, many of the citizens became indignant, and advised the troopers to walk home, if necessary, rather than ride behind a non-union engineer. The division headquarters, it is said, will be located permanently at Spokane.

TACOMA, July 9. — Strikers assaulted a Northern Pacific employe tonight, the sixth within a week. The victim was Henry Kirchner, janitor of the superintendent's office at the Seventeenth street depot. He was followed by several strikers as he went home to supper, and he waited until he supposed they had disappeared. Just after he left the house eight or nine men fell upon him, apparently with knives. Light gashes were made on his head, and when he reached the depot he was weak from the loss of blood. Outside of this attack everything is quiet here tonight.