The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-04-28

breaking in. Nearly every train from,
the west had number of recruits for
Coxey on board, and the officers have no
authority to arrest or feed them.
This is the exact situation at Forsyth,
and nothing sensational has yet nor is
liable in the future to happen.
An interview was had with Chief
Deputy Marshal NJ. j. Haley OF Helena,
who is well known in Montana, especi-
, ally as a timber agent under General
| Sparks famous regime, and he claimed
that the accounts Of the Billings fight
in the Helena Independent and that ac-
credited to A. p. hart were not correct
Mr.. Haley then gave his version Of the
affair, substantially as follows:
At Butte 10 men we're sworn in as
\ posse cOH,itdtus: ! was ordered to take
! them on special train east and over
I take, and il possible. capture the Coxey
train; | made three attempts to do so
/ between Greycliffe and Park City: / got
on the engine twice, pulled my revolver
/ and ordered the engineer and fireman to
leave the train. but they would not leave;
/ the third time three deputies got on the
engine, but there were so many of the
. Coxeyites that they could accomplish
nothing: at every attempt ! had depu-
ties armed with rifles around the train,
but they were ordered not to fire under
any circumstances; | had no intention
to shoot, and never shot my revolver:
had orders TO prevent the Coxeys from
getting new engine at Billings; our
Iis.l "A 4
about a third Of a mile from the Coxey
train; i took 10 men-s or 10 Of whom
had rifles and went up to Coxey train,
instructing them not to fire shot; we
went up the left hand side OF their train.
through a bowling mob. and when
reached the engine ] ordered the engi
neer and fireman off. as had done three
or four times before: then the crowd be-
gan closing in from both sides OF the
train; and attacked us; could not tell
whether it was the Coxey or Billings
people who commenced the assault: at
first 1t was a sort OF fist fight; ] never
drew my gun; two men grabbed hold OF
me. and began dragging me back toward
the tender. but | got away from them;
while ] was struggling with these men
the shots were fired: / do not know who
began the firing: | think most Of the
shots were fired in the air; the people
pack very thick, and unless they we're
more would have been hurt; the depu.
ties did not fire all the shots: saw a
stranger getting off the tender with a
gun in his hand. and another stranger
passed me carrying revolver; my posse
lost five guns in the fight; we were sew.
eral minutes in getting back to our car
the mob did not follow us at all.
In concluding Mr.. Haley said that he
appreciated the fact that he was on the
unpopular side of the controversy, bu,
he had already served long appren
ticeship IN that line, and had come tc
the conclusion that TO be popular Off
Ger one must fail to do his duty Re
ferring to the bitter feeling among the
prisoners against him and their com
plants Of shortage Of provisions, Mr.
Haley said that he was just getting il
shape 10 attend to their needs. He haC
during the day taken them two wagor
loads, including coffee. bread. sugar. ba
con. potatoes etc. and would endeayol
to have them properly fed He had alsc
supplied them with both smoking anC
chewing tobacco, and he had been ac
corded royal reception; in fact. th'
men were beginning to look upon him a,
a sort Of good samaritan.