OF LONG WEEK
,1
I HE shaft of tho St. Paul
conl mine at Cherry, 111.,
was sealed on Thanksgiv
ing day. When they laid
tho last plank over the
mouth of the shaft they
wrote "Finis" to tho most
hldoouB mine tragedy of
years, a tragedy costing
the lives of more than 300
men.
So tho story of that ex-
plosion of November 13 and tho events
which followed in heartrending variety
until Thanksgiving day Is done. It
'has passed Into history, to bo referred
fvto only for comparison with the next
blg mine disaster. It is a good thing
"to forget the details of theso horrors
us soon as may be.
But though much has been written
in tho press about tho Cherry mine
and the terrible accident, one chapter
J Sn tho story has not been completely
told, sayB a writer in the New York
World. It is the story of tho most
dramatic, thrilling scene which it is
possible for tho mind to conceive. A
light among a score of maddened, des
perate miners, COO feet down in tho
bowels of tho earth, in tho pitch dark
ness of their prison. No doubt it was
not the only fight of the sort which
over took place. There have been
many mine horrors, thousands nnd
thousands of mon havo been caught
under the ground, nnd nobody knows
what frightful things havo gono on
while they have waited for death. Mad
with hungor, fear and thirst, men in
hundreds of instances must havo fig
ured in scenes tho telling of which, if
there could be any telling, would
shock tho reader beyond expression.
But never beforo have men who came
back from the tomb as thoso did
brought an account of such a scene.
Among the Fortunate.
When tho explosion came on that
fateful Saturday afternoon there wore
400 men down In tho mlno. Somo
' miners found themselves grouped to
gether, struggling to escape from tho
flames, at the end of a long tunnel
some five hundred feet from the bot
tom of the shaft. They pushed on,
climbing over over the bodies of other
miners who had fallen overcomo by
the black dnmp; the stronger helping
tho weak, who would have succumbed
but for assistance. There was scarce
ly flvo feet of hoad room, and tho
black damp hung heavy in tho dark
chamber. They fell in pairs, with
.moans of despair, hut still there were
survivors who got to tho end of tho
- tunnel and flung thomsolves on tho
ground against tho impenetrable wall
of conl.
After a while, when their eyes en
nblcd them to see n lltttlo In tho dark,
and they found that tliero was n con
siderable number of them together, a
miner named George Eddy took it on
himself to find out just who was
there and how the men were situated.
"Boys," said he, "we're In a pretty
tlx, but wo musn't glvo up. We're at
the end of the tunnel, nnd between us
nnd the shaft there's probably nil
, kinds of obstructions. But if wo can
hold out a while they'll try to got to
. us, and they may dp It. First of nil,
though, wo'vo got to havo somo
scheme for living down here."
"What's the good of planning any
scheme?" Interrupted another man,
. "We've got a little food, but the black
damp is sure to fill this placo, and
that will be tho end of us."
Hard Crowd to Govern.
"Not a bit of it," said Eddy. "We're
' going to wall ourselves up." And then,
under his leadership, theso men,
with picks and shovels, proceeded to
perform what must havo been ono of
the most unusual tasks that ever foil
to mortal's lot; this was to seal tho
door of tbelr tomb! It had to bo dono,
of course, else the black damp would
. bavo rolled in . with its death-giving
fumes, and their end would bavo been
Quick and certain.
OF SUFFERING
While tho men re busy building
tho wall ticorgo Eddy nnd two or
three of his friends found time to
discuss the situation.
"There's n hard crowd, thero," said
Walter Wnlte, a sturdy young fellow
of 26. "All kinds Slavs, Poles, Ital
ians nnd French. We're going to have
trouble with them, when they begin to
wnnt wntor."
"That's what is bothering me," said
Eddy. "The only way is to tako mat
ters right in hand now. Who can wo
count on?"
It was decided that an Italian
named Que Antonloso could be count
ed on to stand by Eddy and Walto
In case of troublo, and ho was told to
watch his countrymen and sco that
they were kept in somo sort of order.
It was discovered that there were
some Blck men in the crowd too, and
Walto groped around until he found
tho two who were in the worst condi
tion an old Polo named Walowczak
and an Italian, Zannarlnl. Already
theso two were moaning for water,
and tho leaders foresaw the trouble
that would surely come when It
should bo discovered that there was
no water there.
lie maintained an air of perfect
composure, howover, and when tho
men had finished walling the chamber
ho began to talk to them.
"Boys," said ho, "we're going to bo
all right now. Tho first thing to do
Is to sec how wo stand f6r food. How
many of you havo lunch palls?" Near
ly all tho mon answered In tho af
firmative. "Now, hand them over to
mo. We're going to pool tholr con
tents, and I'm golngto give tho food
out In regular rations, so that It will
be faro and faro alike. Anybody got
any objections?"
Walte, who had been feollng his
wny about tho cave, whispered to
Eddy thnt a big Slav, nlcknnmod "The
Bull," was holding out his dinner pall.
Eddy called to him:
The First Sign of Trouble.
"I don't find 'Tho Bull's' pall among
theso," ho said. "Come, hand It over."
With a grumble tho mnn did as or
dered, accompanying tho net with an
oath that did not escape Eddy.
"Thero Isn't much here, boys," said
the lender, trying to bo cheerful about
it, "but I guess it'll do, Now, as to
wator, I suppose you fellers think
you'ro going to die of thirst, eh? Well,
don't worry. Somo of you tako your
picks and dig Into tho ground as deep
ns you can. I think you'll find some
thing to drink, all right."
Tho men did ns ho ordered, and In
a little while tho cry caino that tho
earth was getting damp. Later, water
began to seep through tho oarth, nnd
tho men, already thirsty, fell on their
stomachs and pressed tholr faces
down Into tho black oozo that was
forming In the little wells. Eddy or
dered them to drink sparingly, as
thero was no telling how long this
scanty supply would hold out. As
some of tho men rebelled against
these ordjrs, notably "The Bull,"
Eddy set Walter Walte and Quo An
tonleso ns guards over the two prin
cipal wells, and moved tho sck Walo
wczak and Zannarlnl near tho wells,
so that they could get tho water, as
they needed It badly.
Subduing "The Bull,"
Eddy portioned out the food ac
cording as his judgment directed, and
most of the men stood by blm, oxcopt
a little group beaded by "The Bull."
It was on the second day of their con
finement that tho first real troublo oc
curred. Eddy had called tho men to
him to give thom tholr food. His
hand would select a quantity from
tho pilo which he had mado in one
corner of tho cave, and as ho felt a
minor's band reaching out to receive
it ho would give tho man ills rations.
Ho could not tell If a man "repeated."
He had to take their words in the
dark, or not a glimmer of light was
thero in thnt strango chamber.
It was "Tho Bull" whom Eddy dis
covered repeating. Something, an in
tuition, told him thnt tho fellow was
doing this, and when ho found him
out he attended to him promptly,
"Who is thlB?" demanded Eddy, ns
tho man whom ho took for "Tho Bull"
held out a hand for his rations. "Tho
Bull" mumbled the namo of the sick
Polo, who Eddy know was lying on
tho ground by tho well unabo to inovo
across tho cave.
"You'ro a liar!" shouted Eddy. "You
are 'Tho Bull" He tried to catch
tho man by his arm, but ho pulled
away. Eddy, howover; reached for
him and caught him by tho shoulder.
Then, in the dark, his fist struck out
and tho other men could hear It land
on "Tho Bull's" Jaiy. There would
havo been more of n conflict Eddy ex
pected itbut sdhiobody pulled "Tile
mi" iiwuy, mm ior uie lime uuingi
peace again rolgned.
Tho third day came. They know it'
was the third day because Walto had
n watch, from which ho removed tho
crystal, fllck'tog out tha'tlmo hi' fceli
lng tho hnndBwlth hid, Yough lingers.
Somo of tho mfcn took' no thought of
tho flight of the hours, hqwever.. nnd
spent Uioir tlmo crying for tho' loved
ones Up,.on .thojearth, whohi.sthoy ha.d
given- up;hH liopo of- Beelng7iigaln.
They wore getting llght-lieaded, the)
poor follows, all of them, nnd it was a!
huge taRk for Eddy, himself 'sick now,,
to keop: their spirits, up." v ' :
Walto and Antonfeso vcro. the only
two who gnve him nny rVol assistance,
Walte, by his sturdy good naturp, "JoU
lied" tho other m6uftrid Autonlosa
rendered splendid service In- caring
for tho men whb wore the sickest. Ho
argued with tho well men that they
must give up somo of their shhro fat
the water to theso sick unfortunates,
and though they did not nil accept tho
suggestion gracefully he lot them un
derstand that he would stand no fooU
Ing on their part, and backed It up
With a long knife which they know
thnt he carried.
On tho third day, however, An
tonloso, made a discovery. It was that
"Tho Bull" was stealing water from
old Walowczak. Ho caught him at It
himself, and his first lmpulso was to
thrust that long knlfo between tho
ribs of tho thief, but he resisted that
Impulse and crept across tho cave to
Eddy, to whom lie told of his discov
ery. Eddy said:
"Wo must mnko sure. Wo must
watch. Sny nothing, but keep as near
Wolawczak as you can and If 'Tho
Bull' goes near him grab him nnd
holler for me."
Conflict In the Dark.
A llttlo while Inter It happened. An
tonlese let out n yell, nnd Eddy, call
ing Walto to follow him, leaped to his
assistance. He had "The Bull," and
they were engaged In a deadly strig
Kle. The other men were screaming
and shrieking to Wjw what tho mat
ter was. In their unnatural condition
of mind this conflict drove them fairly
crazy, and they turned on each other
and fought savagely for no reason but
that each man took the other for art
enemy. When Eddy dragged himself
through tho struggling mas8C3 they
caught at him and pulled him to the
ground, He hnd to fight back, and
felled with his list half a dozen pool
follows who would have kept him
from getting to "Tho Bull."
In fact, when he reached the spot
from which Antonloso had called htm,
the fight for the moment was over.
The Italian and Walto both lay
sprawling on tho ground, nearly
knocked out by the big Polo's heavy
fists. Eddy demanded to know whoro
"The Bull" was.
I'm here, curso you!'1 came the an
swer from a corner of tho cave
through the darkness. "I'm here, nnd
I'm armed, and if you or anyone comes
noar me I'll kill him. Boys," ho went
on, calling two of his countrymen by
name, "there's going to be a change
here now. We're going to kill this
Eddy and his crew nnd run things our
wny. Come over here, any of you that
stand by me." There were shuflllng
sounds In the inky blackness of the
place, and Eddy heard somo of the
men going over to tho Polo.
"Boys," he called out, "I don't know
how many of you havo deserted mo,
hut you're wrong. And you can't get
away with It. I'm trying to manage
things so that we'll all havo a fair
chance. That's the only way. If you
think you can do better, put It to a
vote of us all, nnd If tho rest of tho
crowd likes your method hotter than
mlno I'll step down. How about it?"
Eddy's heart leaped with encourage
ment ns he felt tho contact of other
Wives and Children Waiting
1 Jl i 1 1
t $
I I I
' '
forms, when his supporters mora
thnn ho had bcllovcd remained
crowded to his sldos. "Good," ho Bald.
"Now, boys, wo'ro going to overcomo
Tho Bull' and his gang.' Aro you
ready. Aro you nrmedf" .
The Mutineers Subdued,
Many of tho 14 on Eddy'a side had
knives nnd clubs, broken from tho
supports of the cave, from which they
had been eating tho bark for tho last
few hours. Each grasped whatever
weapon ho had. "Then como on,"
said Eddy, quietly but firmly,
His llttlo band dashed forward
through the darkness. It was an un
precedented entry Into battle, B
though tho two foes had been bund
folded. It was Indeed a gnmo of
bllndman'8 buff, but ono played in
dendly onrncst. As ono man met an-
othor thero was n shout, and then tho
sound of blows falling, of howls of
pnln nnd rrigo, and cries of agony as
a club fell across a head.
' Eddy found, "Tho Bu)U" ho had a
club as long as his body,, a. big knotty
stick of cedar. He flung It about his
head as ho and Eddy came together,
nnd It would havo killed tho other If
he had not fortunntclv cnueht tho
blow on his left arm glancing, so that,
he was scarcoly hurt nt all. Ho closed
In on "Tho Bull," who was a giant In
strength, but ho wpuld have had no
chance to wln but for tho. timely Inter
vention of Antonlcse. who wrenched
"VTh.0 BuII'b" club from him and
brought It down on tho Rlant's head
with a crunch. "Tho Bull" yelled, his
arms, that had been crushing Eddy'a
body, relaxed, nnd he fell In a heap on
tho ground.
They bound his hands and feet nnd
throw him Into n corner. Tho rost of
his crowd had been subdued by Eddy's
supporters nnd wero mostly on tholr
knees, promising, through battered,
bloody lips, to obey Eddy's orders.
The critical moment hnd been passod.
' Theso men wero in that tomb for n
week altogether. Tho last two days
of their Incarceration found Eddy
among tho sick himself, but Walto
and Antonlcso saw that ho was well
takon enro of, oven though thoy thorn
selves had to eat their boots finally
to keep themselves alive.
Latt Hours of Suspense.
Somo of tho men kept dlnrlos, ono
of them having found In n popket
somo pieces of pnper nnd a stub of n
pencil, which they took In turns.
Jt was the wntor In tho woll, tho
seeping oozo, thnt kept them from
knowing tho hideous tortures of thirst
"Tho Bull." subdued, soro and
wounded, lay In tho cornor unspoken
to by tho others. They brought htm
water, nnd when It got too low to dip
out thoy enrried him to tho well,
where ho could Ho down and lick n
few drops up from tho earth. Thoy
would havo liked to kill hlra, this
thief, but thoy Wero morel ful. Any
way, he, like the rest of them, would
not Inst much longer. '
Seven dnyB from tho day thoy wonfc
Into their tomb, nnd when thoy wero
stretched out, wonk, on tho floor of
tho placo waiting for death, some ono
henrd n sound. At first ho paid no at
tention to It, believing It part of tho
dream they had all hud at ono tlmo or
another a dream that rescue had
come.
But then others iieard It. Somo one
raised his tired, emaciated body from
the floor und staggered to tho wall.
Ho callod faintly. "Hello!" Thoro was
nn answer.
Tho papers have told tho rest, how
tho rescuers found them nnd carried
them out, nil nllvo but ono llttlo
Frenchman, who died ns thoy brought
him to tho air.
Tho chapter Is closed and tho mlno
Is sealed, but thero's on'o part of tho
Btory that theso follows will toll over
and ngaln that's tho part about tho
flght lu the dnrk.
Prisoner's Needlework.
Canon Ilorsley, tho new mayor of
Southwark, was tho last chaplain of
tho Clerkcnwoll house of detention
and ho has many mementoes of his
prison days. Ono Is an antimacassar,
tho work of a once notorious woman
drunkard who had been convicted 400
times and spent the larger part of her
life In Jull. With n bent pin found on
tho floor of the cell tho woman pulled
threads from her underclothing nnd
made a really beautiful lace border,
four feet long nnd four Inches deep.
Next she procured from n warder n
nccdlo and thread and a plcco of ltnon
a foot square, round which she sewed
the lace. With hulrs pulled from hor
head she embroidered an elaborate
pattern, tho whole of tho center being
occupied by tho words of n hymn. Tho
completed design formed an exqulslto
piece of needlework. From M. A. P.
for News of the Burled Men.
MIW1I III) I
DOC
A Night of Surprises
By DOWmArR LEMON
DOC
(Copyright, 1909, by
Jack O'llrlon gathered his police
man's ralncapo closer about his shoul
ders nnd yawned drowsily, ns for tho
fifth tlmo ho loft Mulberry street nnd
crossed Into tho shadow of Hnmpstend
avenue, with its ono arc light overy
two squares.
"Nothing doing! Noth-lng do ing!"
his $S boots scorned to pnd solttly, ns
bo paced tho lower half of his bent,
hnd tho flapping tails of his rnlncoat
took up tho refrain ?'Noth-lng do-lngl
Noth-lug do-lng!" till porhnps ho
would have fallen asleep as ho walked
from sheor monotony, had ho not sud
denly caught a gllmpso of n shadow
crouching beneath n rear window of
the Hill mnnslon.
O'Brion was n green hand, having
been placed on tho forco only tho
wook provlous, yet ho was shrewd
enough not to pause In his measured
pace, but continued down tho nvo
nuo as If wholly unconscious of that
ovll-proportlonod shadow crouching bo
ncath tho window. Nino to ono ho
wes being watched himself, elthor by
tho shadow or that thlof's pal, con
cealed somewhere in tho (mmedlnto
neighborhood.
Ho mado his accustomed turn nt tho
next corner, when noting that ho was
no longer under tho observation of
tho shadow beneath tho window, and
that save for himself tho road beforo
and behind hint was desorted, ho in
creased his pace for a few yards and
sprang upon tho stono wnl) that ran
along tho roar of tho 11111 mnnslon.
In another momont ho had dropped
under tho wot shrubbery qn tho in
side of tho wall, whoro ho could com
mand n vlow pf tho rear nnd right of
tho mansion, yot romaln wholly con
coalod from observation.
Ho was confident that tho shadow,
he had seen wns that of a man, nnd
ho wob not mistaken. Aa ho watched,
this shadow suddenly longthcnod Itsolf
and now noiselessly opening tho whv
dow beneath which it had crouched,
disappeared Into the mansion.
O'Brlpn. waited a, good .two. minutes,
then thrust his holmet from tho hodgo
with the Intention of following, when
ho was stayed by tho appoarnnce of
tho thief's pal. Ho crept into vlow
from mound tho left stdo of tho house,
hugging tho wall till ho reached the
opori window, through which ho dls
pcared with tho alacrity of a monkey.
O'Brien felt for his pistol, hand
cuffs and billy and crouched silently
and determinedly, proposing to wnlt
until tho two housebreakers wore pro
occupied with tholr lubors, then It
would bo but the work of n courage
ous five minutes nnd he would havo
them both handcuffed nnd on their
wny to tho station house.
Now again ho thrust bis holmet from
tho hedgo and waB about to quit his
placo of concealment, when u third
flguro appeared suddenly from tho
front of tho mnnslon, keeping closo
to tho right wall, and stolo to tho
rear, whore, opening a second window,
this flguro also disappeared Into tho
mansion,
"Why tho devil didn't ho tako tho
other window!" wondored O'Brion.
"Sure, thoy must nil belong together."
A low whlstlo camo from this sec
ond window, and n fourth shadow de
tached Itsolf from a shade treo sot
half between tho building and tho
stono wall on tho right, nnd crossing
the lawn disappeared into the window
whence tho whistle had proceeded.
O'Brien reached for big helmet,
which In his astonishment had fallen
from his head. "Sure, It looks like
business." ho meditated. "Shnii i
pinch 'om myself, or call up Flnlgan?"
tie decidea on trio former course:
Though thoro would be more danger
entailed, there would be morn hrtnrti
gained. He might ovon succeed In
landing all four thiovos, tingle-handed
-Bucb a feat no Jim Maloon had onco
accomplished and bo a markori mn
irom tbat night.
Again ho felt for his nlatni ,i
handcuffs and billy, and was about to
como from tho hedge, when ho was
stayed by a fifth nnd sixth shadow,
mat stoie togotner irom around tho
left sido of tho mansion to n rnn
door, which they now forced and on-
wrea uie nouse. ( ,, (
"Sure, I'll call up rinlgan!" 'decided
--
3CZJ
Dally Story Pub. Co.)
O'Brien. "And I'll send In n hook fori
n dozen of tho boyfl and n, patrol. It's
a gang that's got tipped off tho serv
nnts nro away nnd havo conlo around
to clean out tho place."
Ho backed towards tho stono wall
with tho intontlon of putting this plan
Into effect, when ngaln ho wasBtayod,
this tlmo by two men leaping ovor tho
stono wall only n few yards from.
where ho was concealed. -
Theso mon, after crouching ior ii
mlnuto In tho shadow of a hodgo,
hugged n low cross-hedgo to a position
oppoalto'tho rear wall of tho house,
from whoro thoy stolo ncross tho nnr
row strip of lawn and disappeared
through tho door that had been forcod
only n fow minutes beforo. J".
"Would you notlco It!" murmurod'
O'Brien. "I'll Just lay by n bit and!
wait till thoy fetch tho piano wagon."
Ho now removed his holmet and,
laughed softly Into It "It's thd boys
playing n trick on mo, that's what It.
in! But tho devil a bit will I notlco
It! I'll got bnck on' my beat and lot
'cm fool Flnlgan with tholr klddln"!"
Ho Bprlng ovor tho wall to tho road.
"MIko will bo waiting for mo nt tho
box. 'Twill bo tho laugh on him and,
n warm bed for Jack O'Brion." '
Shaking a fow loaves and t twlga
from his capo ho started down tha
road nt his nccustomcd paco. Tho
sound of Inughtor now1 camo from tho
Hill mansion, nnd poerlng over tho
stono wnll through nn opening In tha
hedgo ho saw two moro ohadows steal
across tho lawn and disappear thrbugh
tho open door nt tho rear of tho
house.
O'Brien wiped n broad grin from his
fnco. "The boys will know mo hotter
aftpr this night," ho said. "But I'm
right sorry for Finlgant Ho'd' hotter
pull a drunk goat thnn nab that bunch
of plumhors."
At tho pntrol box-O'Brien was soon
Joined by MIko Flnlgan and itolloved
of duty by tho latter.: , fo.
"Anything doing?" queried Tlnlgnn.
who wnB n grooii hand llko thajbthor
mnn, and nB cngor to mnko. ajirccord
and get promoted in town. $-f
""You might pull tho moon,; if he's
full," grinned O'Brion. '"Tls n wot
night you'll havo, MIUe,..nn wetter
outsldo than InBldo. I'm t,hln$fag."
Flnlgan winked, licked lils Hps; nnd
with a grn turned to patrol his beat,
while O'Brien mbved off toward thq
station. Hpro tyo caught' tho last elec
tric and Boon wns relieved of all du
ties by Capt. Sloop.
At his ten o'clock brenkfast tho
next dny O'Brion oponcd tho morning
paper, smiled to think that tho Joko
might bo out on Flnlgan, when ho all
but foil from his chair as his vision
was confronted with tho headlines!
MIKE FINIGAN A HERO.
A Surprise Party Very Much Sur
( prised.
Intrepid Officer Arrests Ten House
breakers. Slngle-Handed Holds Thieves at Bay
Till Relief Arrives.
Tho donblo column thnt followed
wnB a detailed glorification of Michael
Denis Flnlgnn and his great coup,1 V
Accordlug tb tho paper, n-fow mln
utes nftor Flnlgan had gono on his v
bent tho provlous night, having re
lieved Officer Jack O'Brion, ho had
mndo tho discovery that tho rear door
of tho Hill mansion wns open, and
noiselessly entering tho building had
surprised ten housebreakers, collected
In tho dining room about' a basket of
wine.
Covering tho mon with s revolver
and pressing i'uu electric burglar
alarm, ho had hold tho ehtlro party at
bay till relief arrived, whon tho ton
mon wero handcuffed and taken to tho
stntlon. Only ono shot hnd been fired,
which Flnlgnn had boon -forced to ox
pond on tho legs of ono of tho house
breakers, who had objected to his
capture.
Tho paper wont on to Btnto that a
grimly nmuslng fact had subsoquontly
como to light. Tho housebroakors had
effected their entrance to tho Hill
mansion In parties of two, without tho
slightest suspicion that they had boon
preceded or wore to bo followed by
others on n llko mission.
Imagine their astonishment wroto
tho reporter whon each pair found
that tho sumo night had boon chosen
by four othor couples bent on a llko
robbery, and their still greater sur
prlso whon offt'eor Flnlgan had held
them up In a body.
Flnlgan, tho paper wont on to state,
had already been recommended for
promotion, which ho so richly merited.
Whon O'Brion had llnlshcd this re
port, his nppetlto for breakfast was
quite gono. From his place of con
cealment under tho hedge ho had wit
nessed tho lclplence of tho wholo busi
ness, and hnd ho taken steps to arrest
tho men his name would now stand
bracketed with glory Instead of tho
namo of Mlchnol Donls Fiqlgan.
"But who tho devil would havo
thought that, ten jlmmlos would hit
on tho Bnmo, night to break Into a
house!" growled' O'Brlou, soro as a
mashed thumb.
It Is difficult to tell which la moro
painful; to watch tho way In which
a mnn handles n baby or tho way in
which a woman handles a joke. '
