The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-10-17
The o. Censor Arrest.

Horace Greeley often remarked that
you could always trust the Democratic
party to make fool of itself at just the
right time. He'd he lived at Bozeman,
he would long ago have apologized to
that party, and have applied the remark
to the Ardnt Courier, whenever it is
under the control of the gentleman who
once astonished a gaping world by
editorially announcing that when con-
trolled by him "the Courier is now man
aged by young man Of literary, financial
and executive ability"
| I am impelled to this note by the COM
ments IN last weeks Courier upon the
arrest of Mr.. O Connor-the main object
of which comments seem to to he,
First, the advertising of what that
journals calls the prominence" of the
young man of Literary, financial and
executive ability"
Second, to make out as "a joke" de-
liberate and unnecessary attempt to
throw a gentleman into dirty Jail over
night, and,
Third, to seize an opportunity to vent
little spite against the writer hereof
Now, what are the facts in this matter?
simply these: A land trial is in progress
with Mr.. O'Connor as attorney against
. relative of said young man. Said young
man being person of prominence" of
course any such assumption on the part
of Mr.. Conner is crime which should
be met byhis arrest at 10 p. IN, that he
may pass the night in Jail not fit for
anyone but dead Indian.
As Mayor, l was upon the street at 9
o'clock the night of the 9th. BY mere
chance, learned from officer Morrison
that he had been requested to arrest "a
man named O'Connor a witness from
Miles City, for carving a pistol" Advis-
ing the officer that O'Conner was an
attorney and not WITHSTAND that as
he had not exhibited pistol-and that
as he is professional gentleman from a
distance here upon business which,
though respectable and legitimate, is not
always safe-and that as it might not he
unjust to smell rat" in the matter
and that it would be wise not to be used
as an instrument in the feathering of
any body's nest, l told him to perform
his duty as he understood it, and went
home.
To the credit of the officer and of the
city, be it said, Mr.. O'Conner was not
arrested.
The next morning, when court was
open and warrant procured the arrest
was, with comparative propriety, made.
did witness the arrest and state as a |
fact, the Courier maliciously conceals that
Mr.. O'Connor, though ignorant of what
had been attempted had no pistol with
him at the time.
I did visit the magistrate. did inter
vene for Mr., O'Conner, and, SO far as l
have heard, every just-minded citizen
approves my course. The aid l extended
to Mr.. O'Connor was voluntary" and it
saved the city disgrace, even though it
served as an additional ILLUSTRATION of a
certain saying about "the best laid plans
of mice and men,"
It is true, a fine was inflicted-that the
magistrate could not avoid, as Mr.. O'Con-
nor had brought with him and had
carried in his pocket a pistol. He was
fined $40, and if the gentlemen who
travel the country and who carry pistols
las they should) are to be arrested to
satisfy relatives Of prominence" enough
money may be secured from fines to run
the Territory and establish sinking
fund from which to provide young men
Of financial, literary and executive
ability" with new set of chronological
busts with original skulls thrown in.
Finally, l am not only an officer bound
10 Support the laws of tbs Territory" as
the young man says; but ! am citizen,
law-abiding and opposed to pistol carry
ing-yet, l recognize the fact that there
are exceptions to all rules" and that if :
merely suspected the "game" $50 to q
speak, on the night of the 9th, I now !
know that some one other than Mr..
0'Connor should have been arrested at
10 at night, in the absence of the magis-
rate, and upon mere verbal request to an
officer, no warrant having been asked,
md thrown into jail.
To Mr.. O'Connor it would have been,
n one sense, a disgrace; to the some one
Use it would have been-justice. Dol
mean the young man? Perhaps.
But Mr.. O'Connor is not in jail-hasn't
,een-wont be-shan't pay his fine, as :
'itizens mot Of executive, ETC., ability ;
nave combined to pay it, and he is "out,"
With bond signed by Walter Cooper