The morning call., 1894-09-12
HE DEFIED WAITE
And Yet Lives to Visit
California.
UPHELD THE GOVERNORS FOE
How Nepotism and Midnight
Raids Were Tried.
A PRETTY POLITICAL FIAsCO.
Charles Boettcher, One of CoIorado's
Penitentiary Commissioners,
Is in the City.
A PRETTY POLITICAL FIAsCo

To have dsied Governor Waite of Col
orado and to have continued to hold office
In spite of his aged Exec lency's gums, is
distinction held Dy but two men. One Of
:hem is Charles Boettcher of Denver,
whose name is on the Palace Hotel reg
lister. He is at present one of the Colorado
Penitentiary Commissioners and is now
touring California with his son.
Mr.. Boettcher is a Republican and his
appointment came from the Populist Gov
ernor through the provision o. law which
provides that OF the threePenitentary Com
misslOners one shall be member of poliii-
cal party different from that OF the execu-
| tive. Both Boettcher and Governor Waite
were In Leadville in the palmy days, the
one in the hardware business In a fair way,
the other vainly endeavoring to find clients
who would settle disputes in some other
way than by the bullet Those were the
days when he did not preach ''blood to the
horses bridles." Boettcher made a mil
lion or so in mines and hardware and
Waite crossed the range to Aspen. They
never met again till Waite was Governor
and wanted a Republican as the third
Penitentiary Commissioner. He thought
| of B ettcher's success in business and i'm
mediately nominated him.
Some time after Boettcher's appoint
ment, the Governor named Frank Nc
Lister, another leadvillte, as Warden of
the penitenliary, insisting, however, that
his son-ip-law, Harry Bruce, should be ap-
pointed deputy. McLstsr agreed and,
sure enough, a few days after he was in
81 laA ,ad ha - -, l.
for ths place. Bruce took possession at
once. He moved in, bag and baggage, and
was soon swelling around like poisoned
purp in the reflected glory of has august
father-in-law. He awed the guards and
put fear into the hearts of the convicts.
Then he tried his hand on McLster. He
made a demand the second day of his
term that his table be supplied from the
prison stores. The Warden shut down on
him, and Bruce laid the case before the
Governor. Bruce applied again for sup
plies and again was refused. Then he
began conspiring against his CHIEF, and the
next thing he knew McLister discharged
him some say kicked him-from the
pentsntiary.
This raised fine muddle and, figura-
| lively speaking, put the Governor in
hole. He couldn't fly far enoHgh in the
face of public opinion to request McLis-
ter's resignation for discharging Bruce, so
he waited a few weeks, trumped up
charge or two in his own mind, sat in
judgment on the charge and found that
McList-r had been guilty of malieasanee
in office. Straightway he appointed one
Sollmon j. Toy as Warden in the place of
McLIster, and the play began.
One stormy midnight, when all Canon
City was asleep and only the few lights on
the penitentisry towers aecentuated the
gloom, Toy and SoD-in-law Bruce climbed
off the train from Denver, stole silently up
TO one of the entrances TO the prison and,
at a signal TO one of the subsidized guards
within. entered. a few other guards who
had been fixed joined the party, and after
locking up the quarters so that MeLister'S
friends could not get out into the prison
yard they knocked at the door of the
warden's residence. When McLister ap-
peared they grabbed him. He was un-
armed. and they had an easy time putting
him outside the walls. Thair plan had
| worked we'll, and Bruce was jubiant But
he wasn't long.
Next day. after telegraphing friends for
advice, McLister appeared suddenly before
the walls of the penitentiary, announced
that if he were not admitted peaceably he
would storm tha place that night, ana re-
tired. The effect on Toy was electrical
He rushed for his grip at once and began
packing. Bruce tried to dissuade him, but
he wouldn't persuade, ana when he star ed
for the train that night Bruce went with
him. And they entered Denver that night
with the consciousness that McLister. the
hated one was in possession of the field
They say that blue stIeaks were not in
1t with the perfect storm of blisterinE
oaths The Governor swore W hen ne heard
of the retreat. He vowed all sorts of ac-
tiOD, but finally decided he would get the
Commissioners to trump up charges
against McLister. Mr. Boeltcher fatty
refused, said ths warden was all right and
he would stand by him if necessary. So
did one of the Populist Commissioners,
but Waits induced him to resign and has
not yet appointed a third. He has tried
threats. pulls and palaver with Boettcher.
but the latter stands firm as rock, aud
the Governor. who cannot get his sweet
will worked with him in the road aud
cannot discharge him except for mall
feasance in office. cannot find any. 1t is
tough on the old man, aud the only sure
point to him in his administration is the
failure of his explosions to blast these two
rocks from his course.
Meanwhile Mr.. Boettcher is taking
things easy in the glorious climate of Cali
fornia and lets Papa-in-Law Waite fight it
out with his enemies in Colorado.