Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-07-03
BLOODY WORK.
Conflict Of Authority In East st.
louts-Two Men Killed.

Conflict Of Authority In East st. |
Louis-Two Men Killed.
ST. LOUIS, June 30.-The state Of
chronic disturbance which has pre-
vailed in East St. Louis for months
past eliminated this afternoon in a
tight between part of the Metropoli-
tan police force and the City Mar
shals organized by Mayor Bowman.
1t appears that last January, the Met
ropolitan, under Chief Henshaw,
took forcible possession of one Of the
city engine houses and prison cells,
which has been used as police head
quarters, and, although Mayor Bow
man has repeatedly demanded that
it be vacated by them and returned
to the city, his demands have been
refused. About noon to-day City
Marshal Walsh learned that there
were but three of the Met
ropolitan force in the engine house,
and, thinking it would be easy to
capture it, he mustered his deputies
at his own headquarters, little more
than u block away, and made dash
for it. He was quickly seen, no viewer,
and the occupants of the engine house
Officers Wallace and Gleyre, and
Turnkey Chapman--barred the door
and fastened up stairs and the two
first-named appeared at the windows
armed with Springfield rifles. Walsh
and his men rushed on, armed with
clubs and revolvers, and found Off
Ger Stock near the door of the engine
house, whom they assaulted with
clubs, knocked down, and three pis-
toll shots are said to have been fired
at him, one of which wounded him
in the head. Wallace and Gleyre
then called upon the crowd to dis
perse, when more shots were fired by
Markham. Wallace and Gleyre then
shot into the crowd, and Deputy Mar
shals Neville and Corners fell dead,
and James Doyle was wounded. The
Marshals then retired, taking with
them their dead and wounded. May
or Bowman in the meantime appear
ed on the ground, and, he says, mar
rowly escaped, as one of the men in
the engine-house, he claims, took de.
liberate aim ar him. but by, quick
jump sideways, he avoided being hit,
the ball entering the ground only
few feetfrom where he stood. While
the fight was progressing the alarm
bell on the engine-hOuse was rung,
and the Metropolitans fastened to
headquarters from all directions, but
the Marshal had retired and nothing
further was done. Mayor Bowman
Immediately telegraphed to Belle
vile, the county-seat, for Sheriff
Weber and County-Coroner Comfy,
who arrived this afternoon
Weber went to the headquarters of the
Metropolitans and arrested Wallace
and Gleyre, and Coroner Coniey will
hold an inquest on the dead to-mor-
row. The circumstances which led
to this unfortunate affair cover much
time and many events, dating as far
back as 1867, when the Metropolitan
law was passed by the Legislature.
This law has been pronounced uncon-
stitutional several times by the Su-
preme Court but the force has some
way managed to exist. 1t has been
totally ignored by Mayor Bowman,
who organized a force of Deputy
Marshals under a city ordinance, and
the result has been two distinct forces
of police which have been at
swords point for months past and
conflicts more or less serious have
been of almost daily occurrence.
There are also two political factions
in the city, called Bowman and anti
Bowman, which are very bitter, and
stop at no means to damage each 9TH
er. Mayor Bowman says that, even
granting the legality of the existence
of the Metropolitan Police Commits
sioners and force, the original Legis-
lature specially provides that they
shall be entirely separate and definite
from the city of East st. Louis, and
shall not use or occupy any of the
city's property; therefore he or his
officers had right to dispossess them
of the engine-house. Further trou-
BILE is apprehended tonight, but mp
to the present writing all is quiet on
the other side OF the river, and the
probabilities are that no further vio-
lence will occur.
LATEsT ACCOUNTS.
ST.. LOUIS, July Mayor Bowman
of East st. Louis, says there will be
no further force used to get the head
quarters of the Metropolitan police.
He deplores yesterdays work, but
says he was acting legally, while 9TH
ers were outside the law. Wider,
the other leader, sustains the Metro
politans. A decision is expected
soon from the Supreme Court. Both
councils meet within twenty -four
hours. The two Metropolitans who
did the shooting were examined
to-day and held in $1,000 bail each.