The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-04
A STORM OF bullets.
Catholics and A. P. A. Men
Fight at Kansas City.
ONE MAN INSTANTLY KILLED
While Others win Die From Injuries
Rcceived-At This Time IL is Difficult
TO Place the Responsibility of the
Riot.
Bu The Assoeialel Pres.

KANSAS CITY. April 4--The American
Protective association and the Catholics
came together in bloody conflict at the
polls in this city yesterday. II cannot be
stated which side II responsible for the
aifray, as the partisans OF each loudly
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 following
named were lying dead, dying or injured
on the pavement:
Killed: NJ. r. Callahan, shot through
the right side.
Fatally injured: Harry Fowler. shot
throught the back; Con Brosnahan, shot
through the kidney; Jerry Patte, shot in
the face.
Wounded: Patrick Fleming, shot in
the left shoulder; John McGoyern, 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 in the morning. The two antago-
nistic elements were solidly divided in
their choice Of candidates for mayor.
The aggressive support that each side
gave to its candidates during one of the
hottest campaigns ever known in this
city engendered strong sentiment Of
bigotry.
IL was, therefore, In no amiable mood
that the workers of the respective factions
came together Mt the different polling
places throughout the city, and that these
workers expected trouble is apparent
from the number Of deadly weapons that
n \ q ft.t,
The riot that resulted so fatally was the
climax of series of smaller riots that
took place at other points earlier in the
day between the same opposing religious
factions.
Brawls Were Numerous.
This riot took place on the southwest
boulevard in ward s, very close TO police
headquarters and those who took part in
il had seen heated to the fighting tenn
per by reports that had been hourly ar
irving at the station of brawls at other
polling places.
Only one hour before, it was known that
John Cooley was shot in the back and
forehead by William II. Walker at a
voting place. and that Cooley was vio-
lently opposed to the A. u. A. That
Cooley was not instantly killed was due
mere toy of % calibre.
The A. p. A., which supported Webster
Davis, the Republican candidate for
meyor, had their own workers at the
different polling places, and they dis
tributed in some precincts their own
tickets bearing their candidates name
aud decorated with the American nag.
Jim Pryor Fifth ward politician, an
tagonistic TO the A. p. A, who supported
Frank Johnston, the labor and factional
Democratic candidate, was active at the
head OF 50 constables, which he got Justice
Latshaw TO appoint Monday night. 1t
was said by some that many of these
constables were irresponsible characters,
and were solely the cause of the BILE.
Consequently there were loud threats of
mobbing them before they got TO head
quarters after the bloody riot was over.
All Had Shooters.
II is claimed that one Of Pryor's follow
era fired the first shot. The victim was Mike
Callahan, and he was dead man the
next moment. Then the battle began.
The deputy const ables at this polling
booth and the workers of all political
factions crowded together in solid masses,
fully 100 strong. and every one of them
seemed to be armed.
For mile or two the discharge OF
weapons sounded like discharge Of mus
kerry by "a regiment. Hundreds OF citi-
zens gathered at every point of vantage
to witness the battle. which, however,
was of short duration. These onlookers
trembled with excitement. Many of the
residents along the boulevard added TO
the general feeling of terror by leaning
from their windows, shouting and ges-
ticulating wildly.
In less than five minutes from the time
the first shot was fired, however, the blue
coats from station 3 had appeared Upon
the scene, and quieted the disturbance.
With their first approach the fighting
political workers ceased hostilities, and
made quick effort to hide their weapons