The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-30
Mr.. M0YHAHAN's ESCAPE.
The Superintendent Of the Gem
Mine Relates His Exciting
s58 Experience
He Was Behind the Breastworks
When the Hot Fight Took
Plaos.
Swimming I n the River and Hiding In
tbs kwasnps--An Experience un-
desirable TO Repeat

ITEM mIue, located apQub tnTeS MiIeo NV"
Wallace, in the CIoeur d'Alsne e~ouutry, has
removed with his family to this city and ia
residing at 2ib Fifth street. rays the Port
land OFsgonisn. Owing 10 the late IN
pleasantness At thu mines, Mr.. Mcyhahan
found II advisable TO leave the country tenn
p0rnrily. bnt II was more ont of sonsidsra-
tion for his wife and children that no left
than Otherwise. Ths severe strain that
they have been subjected to since the var
between tina mins-ownsrs and union minsfs
Wa inauquratad has had = depressing e.
feet, and they we're brought to this CITY that
they might recuperats while the diticulty
10 being settled. 81,
Mr.. Moyhahan congratulated himself
upon being = most fortunate man. and he
has good reasons 10 do 10. He had in
CURED thu enlnity of the union men. and
they were determined to kill him. Sew
eral attempts we're made. but he ran the
gauntlet aud came out without personal
Injury.
~ knew trouble was coming aaverAl days
before the battle began" said he TO q re-
porter yesterday, and made Preparations
accordingly. We built fortiaoations OF
cordwood, and they we're the means OF saw
ing many lives. sunday, the l0th inst, !
remained on the mins grounds all day mi
nearly all night. retired early IN shs
morning for a little rest, and about i've
O'Clock was awakened by , shot being tired,
/ realized that an attack was being made,
and after instructing members of my fam
ily to 20 into the kitchen aud lie down on
the floor, 30 that the bullets would pass
over them, ! started to go out. Just a. !
closed the door l heard another shot fred,
and saw one OF oar w%atohmen, named Bean.
fall dead. pierced by a bullet. I FASTENED
to the wood fortifcAtion, which was
about thirty feet from my house. 10 cross
ing a small ~trestle, some n called to
me to halt, but l kept right ON. lmmsdi-
Ately 1--WE or six shots were fred and bullets
whistled all around me. ] succeeded in
getting behind the woodpile without being
harmed. Then the firing became general.
We had about sixty-eight miners and SHOW
elers hi about q dozen ~watchmen. But
this was no force to battle with the hun
dreds Of desperate strikers. While thu
shooting was going on ! heard = slight
Frisco mine had been blown up.
1.-THE scene that followed was an exciting
one. The explosion and discharge OF fire
arms on all aides gave n an idea Of what
= battle field il.
"Whlls this was going On a man named
Costes came in from the Frisco mine and
said that he had been fred st about a hun
dred times. His e1oitement spread confu-
sion among our men. and five or six de-
serted. / started after them. and while
gone the union men hoisted a flag of truce.
When l got back Frank Higgins, one OF the
union men, told me to take our men of.
and the miners union would protect ~. I
finally decided that it woaid be best to com
ply. and we turned all arms over to q dep
uty United States marshal. Then We we're
ordered to get all our baggage aboard .
train. This We did, and went to Wallace,
Next day We were commanded to leave
that place. As it meant death to remain,
proposed TO await the arrival Of the SOL
diers. But there was a determination to
drive Us completely out of the country,
and when | learned that a mob
Of 300 union men was coming to Mission, I
went with a man named Peterson down to
of the steamer on which the soldiers were
expected. This was about 10 o'clock the
following Tuesday evening. While walk.
ing along the bank of the river We heard q
shot, but paid no attention to 1t. Further
on more shots were fired. and then | knew
to make for the brush, aud away We ran.
We became separated. and Peterson vas
captured. But he was not the man they
wanted. They demanded TO know where !
was. but as Peterson could not tell them,
they began a search again.
| heard them coming and plunged into
the river, swimming out to q swamp q short
distance away. While hiding there | heard
men tramping through tho marshes, and
fearing that they would surround me, took
TO the river again and swan to the shore.
IT was a cold bath, but preferable to the
cold lead the mob proposed to give me.
arriving On the bank | laid CLOSE for awhile.
then began TO look for a boat. | walked
saveral miles before ! found one. APP
propriated it and rowed twenty miles down
she river, when ! stopped at = house and
took breakfast. then took the boat again
and reached the mouth of the river shat
afternoon. Going up six miles on the lake,
l went ashore and tried to flag q steamer
several times. hut failed. However, that
night the steamer Corwip came along and
Cceur d'Alene City. From there 1 took a
team and drove to Spokane, whore was at
Last safe from my bloodthirsty pursusrs.
Il got my family together there and came
to Portland.
II do not anticipate any more trouble,
bet will not return there until my folks are
over their scare.
Mine was q hard experience and ono
that | do not cats about going through
again. Several times my life was not worth
a cent, and was indeed fortunate in even
tually making my escape.
Il think it is probable that q military
post will be established at Wallace. A
strong effort is being made to bring this
around. It would prevent oil suoh terrible
affairs in the future"