The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-04-11

KANSAS CITY. April 3.-The Ameri-
can protective association and the catho-
lies came together in a bloody conflict
at the polls in this city today. 1t cannot
be stated which side is responsible for
the affray as the partisans of each loud
" charged the other with being the full
cause Of all the trouble. More than 100
shots were exchanged between the COM
batants in less than that many seconds
and when the firing ceased the follow 'ng
named We're lying dead dying or in
jured on the pavement:
Killed:
NIKE CALLAHAN. city sidewalk in
Hpector. shot through right side.
Fatally injured
HARRY FOWLER. laborer. shot
through the back.
CON BROSNAHAN. contractor, shot
through the kidneys.
JERRY PATE, deputy constable, shot
In the face
Wounded:
Patrick Fleming shot in the left
shoulder.
John McGovern. laborer. shot through
the right arm.
The riot was the elimination of bitter
feeling which had been manifested by
action and words ever since the polls
opened this morning. The two antago-
nistic elements We're solidly divided in
their choice Of candidates for mayor.
The aggressive support that each side
gave 10 its candidate during one Of the
hottest campaigns ever known i'm this
city engendered strong sentiment Of
bigotry. 1t was. therefore. in no amiable
mood that the workers OF the respective
factions came together at the different
polling places throughout the city. and
that these workers came expecting
trouble TO occur before the day wore
away IS apparent from the number OF
deadly weapons that were drawn when
the first pistol shot was fired.
The Climax of the Day.
The riot that resulted so fatally was
the climax Of a series OF smaller riots
that took place at other points earlier
I'm the day between the same opposing
religious factions. This riot took place
on the Southwest boulevard. I'm the Fifth
ward, very close 10 police station No. 3,
and those who took part In IL had been
heated TO the fighting temper by reports
that had been hourly arriving at the sta
tion OF brawls at other polling places.
Only one hour before it was known that
John Cooley, a stonemason, was shot In
the back and forehead by William
Henry Walker at a voting place at the
corner OF Fifth and Campbell-sts. and
that the row was directly due 20 a de-
bate between the two men regarding the
principals Of the American protective
association, 10 which Cooley was violent
~ opposed. That Cooley was not in
stantly killed was due simply TO the fact
that the pistol used was a mere toy OF
22-calibre
The American protective association,
which supported Webster Davis, the re-
publican candidate for mayor. had their
own workers at the different polling
places, and they distributed in some pre-
Cincts their own tickets bearing their
candidates name and decorated with the
American flag.
Jim Pryor, a Fifth ward politician,
autagonistic TO the a. +. A, who sup
ported Frank Johnson, the labor and
factiOnal democratic candidate. was ac-
tive at the head Of fifty constables which
he got Justice Latshaw 10 appoint last
night. II was said by some that these
constables We're. many Of them. irrespon-
sible characters and were solely the
cause Of all the trouble. Consequently
there were loud threats OF mObbing
them before they got 10 headquarters
after the bloody riot was over. II Is
claimed that one Of PryOr's followers
fired the first shot That man was Mike
Callahan and he was dead man the
next moment.
The Battle begins.
Then the battle began. The deputy
constables at this polling booth and the
workers OF all the political factions
crowded together about one hundred
strong and every one Of them seemed
10 be armed. For a minute or two the
discharge OF weapons sounded like a
discharge Of musketry by a regiment
Hundreds Of citizens gathered at every
point of vantage to witness the battle
which however. was of short duration.
These On-lOOkers trembled with excite
ment. Many Of the residents along the
boulevard added to the general feeling
OF terror by leaning from their windows
shouting and gesticulating wildly.
In less than five minutes from the
time the first SHOT was fired. however
the blue coats from station No. 3 had
appeared upon the scene and Quilted the
disturbance With their first approach
the fighting political workers ceased hos
tlities and made quick effort 10 hide
their weapons.
Pryor's men are claiming that Gala
han was an innocent victim. They as
sert that IL was Jerry -. Pate. an A. +.
A. mar, who fred the first shot, and
that was the shot that killed Callahan.
Pate was serving as a constable, hav-
ing been appointed especially by West
port official 20 serve a warrant for The
arrest Of Jim Pryor. John Pryor. his son.
and Bert Pryor for an alleged felonious