The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-10
Some Testimony Drawn Out in the
Contempt Proceedings at
Boise City.
An Eye-W Witness to the Move
ments of Peter Braen at
Wallace.
Evidence OF Charles A. serinso, Pinker-
ton Detective, who became secre-
tary Of this Germ Union. *H

DoisEs aug. = interesting teStl-
nony was given In the contempt proceed
inRs before Judge Beatty Saturday, in thu
matter Of the Occur d'Alene miners. A. l..
Gross testified that he was at Wallace on
July IL. On ths morning Of that day he
heard Peter Breen demand that the mon
at the Gem mill be taken out of the coon-
try. Breen wanted the nom union men TO
surrender tier arm to the sheriff, while
the union men kept theirs. Becoming I'M
patient. Brsen took out his watch and said
ne would give the witness twenty minutes
to sign an agreement to surrender tho Gem
men. The agreement was signed. The
witness and others then went to the Gem
and told the men in the Gem mill that an
agreement had been reached, that they
must surrender their arms and 90 to Wal
lace. Breen and Attorney Bushnell then
requested the witness to telegraph the pres-
ident to withdraw the troops. II this was
not done, they said, the mills would be
blown up and great loss OF life would re-
suit. He refused to do this. Bushnell and
Breen then rode up to Mnllan and told the
commander Of the battalion OF colored
troops that soldiers were not needed at Wal
lace.
Charles A. Seringo testified that he had
been 4 resident of Gem since. September.
In October he was told by George Pettibone
to come to an empty saloon building at
Gem and become q member Of tho union.
de did 80, and was soon made recording
secretary OF Gem union. On July 10, in
the morning, he mel Sheriff Cunningham
and no told the sheriff he thought there
wal going to be trouble. On the 10th of
July the witness rode from Wallace to
Gem. That afternoon he saw crowds Of
men, some armed with Winchester riHes.
running toward the creek. He climbed
upon q fence and saw . crowd Of men who
had just finished beating Putnam. a guard
at the Gem mine. Mostly all the armed
men were union miners. On the previous
night another guard, Perry Barker, had
been beaten. The witness had. on Saturday
night. Jnly 8. heard union miners say thew
were going to kill of the guards. Paddy
Burke. Dave Hudson. John Mich
elson. Bob Bradley, Blacksmith
lNavin, John De Neville, Robert
Williams, Hugh Black and II. Robinson
had been plotting to do away with Basbsr
Putnam a. soon as the lights at the dance
had been extinguishsd. Paddy Burke,
Dave Hudson and John Do Neville seemed
to be trying to cajole the guards 70 remain
on the grounds until the lights had been
put ont. After the lights had been sxtin-
gulshed the witness saw union men insult
ing tho non union guards. Barker, one of
the latter, said he would fight any six OF his
tormentors. Presently r. Robinson, .
rioter. oame in and asked the witness il it
we're not time for him to go to bad. He
told the witness thst the boys had decided
that he had better get ont of the way. The
witness told Robinson to tell the crowd TO
go to hi. The witness started to 90 home
and he vas followed by q number Of union
men. he secured his rifle and went to the
ahan that the union men in Dutch Henry's
saloon were o TO finish some of his
men. Almost Immediately word came in
that Guard Barker had been nearly
beaten to death. Moynahan took look at
Barker and said a doctor must come imme-
dlately. the witness gent to Wallace and
sent q physician to Gem. 1t was on the
next day. July 10, that Putnam was beaten.
After they had performed this job the
union men began to congregats in front of
hugh Notices. saloon. Some of the armed
men went into the saloon and left their
rifles in that resort. The exoitemant waxed
and the crowd swelled. union man came
%galioping in from Burke. He left q mes
sage at McGes's saloon and then he re-
turned to Burke. Shortly after this the
union men employed in the mines at Burke
commenced to arrive. and union men came
in from both up and down the gulch.
Poynson. heavily armed, walked into Gem.
He heard Poynton call John A. Finch-a
mine owner-a son of q D.. and say that
Finch had come there to kill them and
their families, and shat he had better move
on. Finch said he would. A union man
who did not know the witness had been
spotted as q traitor, said that blood was to
be shed. Rifles and cartridges were coming
in by a secret route and there would be
trouble that night. William Black, a union
man, remarked about dusk that the fun
was soon to commence. Black then had a
talk with Thomas O'Brisn. Later on he
saw union men stationed behind White q
Bender's store. The witness orawled under
a platform and watched the movements of
the union men. After a short time he went
to Superintendent Moynahan's house, told
him danger threatened the non-union men.
and then the superintendent began to pre-
pare for defense. At three a. m. Mr.. Kin
ney came to the Gem mill and said he
thought trouble was at hand. At daybreak
the witness slipped back into the tow of
Gem. lie went to his room and looked
from q window. He saw G. M. Dallas, of
the Butte Miners union. with a shotgun on
his shoulder. Thomas Whalsn and Others
and Charles Irimble together. and ono of
them fired q shot. One Of them said: IT
aimed Vt the nose OF the son of 4 b, and
PHI bot l did not miss it two inohes."
Early next morning he heard shots fred
near the Frisoo mill, and he could see puffs
of smoke arising from behind the rocks and
brush. The shots seemed to be fred at the
Frisco mill. Then the shooting became
general. This was about dnvbreak on the
morning of July II. The witness started 10
run to the Gem mill. but he was told bv a
cook not to go, for the reason that fifty
union men we're hidden at Daxon's saloon.
He saw a Gem mill guard coming from She
mill. The guard was warned by somsons
to 90 back. just then a shot was fired and
the guard. Bean. fell dead. Tho witness
went to Mrs. Shipley's room, in her store, !
and sawed a hole in she floor in order thai |
no might, If necessary, escape. He crawlsd
beneath the floor, a trunk was pushed over
the hole, and he wriRgled along until he |
had reached the sidewalk. lie head IN
known union men oursiug their ritles for |
their poor shooting qualities. He heard
someone make a remark about a traitor
and burning the latter at the stake. He
was beneath the door when the Frisco mill
WAS blown Mp.
After the Frisco mill had been blown mn
Mrs. Shipley told him he had better run Tor |
his life. He crawlsd under Sears place and
saw the mob stop at his tSsrinpo's) houss. |
He crawlsd under H~arrington's saloon, and
q momsn later hS ran to the Gem mill and
Joined the non-union force there. A short |
time after this the Com mill hands vsss
~ EalEEeH EVtA&E42E