New-York tribune., 1894-03-16
DENVER IN a TURMOIL.
THE REGULARS ORDERED OUT
GOVERNOR WAITE DANGEROUSLY NEAR
TO HAVING BLOOD TO THE
BRIDLES."
BLOODY CONFLICT BETWEEN STATE AND
CITY FORCES ONLY PREVENTED BY
GENERAL MCOOK WITH TROOPS
FROM FORT LOGAN.

imminent many times during the day. Fortu
nately the common citizen was calm and coll
ected. and the prompt action Of leading men
/ in leaving their business and appearing in solid
| bodies to beg for time To- consider the situation
! carefully caused a delay that probably prevented
/ bOodshed rioting and the killing Of Governor
Waite In all probability. had a shot been fired
/ a mob would have quickly formed that would
/ have captured the Governor before official as
| sistancc could have rescued him. At o'clock
! the Intelligence that the Governor had called
upon General McCook to preserve the peace set
tied all fears of a contest between the militia
and the police. the latter backed by as fearless
! a lot Of deputies sworn in by the Sheriff as
| could be possibly gathered together
"Soapy" smiths crowd of sports" had been
sworn in deputies. and they were placed at
| the Hall to await orders From o'clock until
/ long after darl, a dense mass OF humanity was
I packed in front OF the CITY Hall and upon the
/ streets adjacent They cheercd and chaffcd ana
! joked yet did not hesitate To- express indignation
at the situation. On touWeehth-st. lhc ~
! Regiment Of the Colorado National Guard stood
| thanking the Chaifce Light Artillery, consisting
of four Gatling guns with caissons hllei with
/ solid shot. grape and canister and Gatling
/ ammunition. Their position commanded the en-
tire front Of the Hall and at one time the Inllltl
| was under motion to attack the Hall when the
/ arrival Of Secretary LorcrZ with a message from
! the Governor stayed the attack. This was lor
| a half-hour's delay to permit another conference
/ looking toward 4 peaceful settlement FROM
/ that time on. until the United states troops were
called out. the most intense anxiety prevailed.
| BUsINDss SUSPENDED And THE CITY FULL OF
HrMoEs.
! All sorts Of rumors noated about. The Sheriff
! issued an order 10 arrest the militia and take
T their arms away. \ friend of the deposed mem
bcrs Of the Fire and Police Board went out Of
/ the city Hall to apply fox a warrant to arrest
! the Governor. Committees Of the most in'iu-
/ eniial citizens were arguing with the b.aii' win
the militia. with tho Cover aud win the po-
/ lice bu nothing was accomplished. Ihe 'rDN-
cruor declared he would order the militia 10 fic
upon the Guy Hall regardless oi thc ti"wds 9I
l spectators. and the Polio" Board WITHIN aS sol
} idly maintained it's position to resist attack.
I The poiicc stood with guns in hand ready 10
/ chorp,. If necessary and chief Of Police stone
/ said ~ would di" before he would surrender
I Meanwhile business was practically suspended
and the crowds H. ,hered on cv"ry corner ana up
/ on the tops Of adjacent buildings.
/ Soon after O'Clock this evening chief of Pouce
/ Stone received a telephone message from Gen
/ ,ral McCpok. stating that he had ordered troops
/ from Fort Logan to protect me cnlei aIt "I'
him In preserving order. Soon after 7. VI. Pat"I-
/ son asked on behalf 4 the Governor for com
/ mittee of arbitration. but tn" CITY Han people
/ declined thu Offer saying that they made a SIM
| uar uncr cq rlv ia the day and II had been re-
! fused Then the Attorney-General, for the Gov
/ ernor r1adc "A similar request ana IL WIS d'so
declined.
|
Il was not until this morning that the people
realized the extent OF the trouble, and the d.
termination ~ Governor Waite to have his
y.av. regardless OF courts. Wi,n they read in
! IN. morning papers that hc had ordered on; the
militia they were loath to believe. even then.
| THAI any trouble of serious nature would
| arise But as the day passed the fears oi all
| brgan 10 risr. ts ea"ly "a O'Clock this morn
lng m. curious spectators began To assemble
+ around the CIiy Hall building and 10y ii
I O'Clock Larmer and Fourteenth stS Tor a plo,h
! IN each direction. w"f" literally lirk'l. ~
| 10 O'Clock two wagOn-ioads Of bre'ch-loadlng
/ shotguns ana ammunition Were unload"i NJ
/ police heado uartcrs In the CNN Han The DE-
partmcnt now equipped with shotgun ana
/ two a. cilibre Colts reyolNers FOR each man, IN
! addition To- the regulation club. y quantity ot
| dynamite cartridges was also stored IN The ponce
vaults in readiness for an emergency.
We will hold the City Hall against all at
| tacks from th' outside, II IL takes dynamite 10
! do IT," was the expression of Chlcf Of Police
stone I'VE have ll0 men on duty. ana they
will be here rs long as they are needed II
| the Governor wants blood To the brides We
will give 1t to him. but he cannot have the city
/ Han"
by noon the crowd about the armory
nearly or quite as great as that assembled at
the city Hall. and when the militiamen began 10
! arrive they found IL difficult 10 max" their way
10 headquarters. The militia started from the
arrnory promptly at o'clock Adtutant-GenerL
| Tarsncy was in command. assisted 10y Brgadier-
| General Brooks. At 3:lJ y. IN. General BROOKS.
! accompanied by four aides-de-camp. rod" up to
the city Hall and stated that the Governors
orders must BE- obeyed.
Governor Wait" remained I'm his private rooms
AT the Douglass all day. and admitted no one
but his closest friends until "A committee of citi-
Zens from the Chamber II Commerce called upon
him Late In the day. Tho result was a failure TO
/ get him To consent To- anything.
Il shall order the militia To fire. he reiterated.
THE people may assaSsinatc me If they will,
| but | propose To have my way
This was the situation when General McCook
asserted his position and prepared to preserve
| the peace.
ORIGIN or THE TROUBLE
The history OF the trouble dates back some
weeks and was delayed because the Governor
preferred to walt until the extra session was
ended before he acted. Some years ago the citi-
zens of Denver asked the Legislature To give
them a new charter that would take the police.
! fire and public works departments out Of the
hands Of the municipality and put II in the hands
| Of the boards oniccrcd by appointments made by
| the Governor. II believed that this would
result in removing the matter from the corruption
/ of politics. Governor Waite had shown desire
TO make these departments subserve his pohtlcaf
/ ambitions and has tried 10 make all of them
, political boards filled with Popuist followers.
The Board of Fire and Police has been changed
| repeatedly to suit his whims. Two resisted but
! the Governor won his case before the Supreme
! Court which declared that he could remove for
| cause When he demanded the removal of Messrs
Martin and orr of the Police and Fire Board. re-
| Gently. they refused To go until the courts should
so decide. Governor Waite. relying upon the de
csion of the Supreme Court In the llrst case, dd
! not ask of the courts how TO proceed He de-
| cared that the members had violated their trust
! by placing special policemen at gambling houses
! contrary to law. and he appointed two new mem
bers The deposel members applied to the Dis
trict Court and obtained temporary injunction
to restrain the Governor, the Mayor ana the
new members from taking possession OF the office
! az the Police and Fire Board by force This was
objected to, but after arguments mad been heard
Judge Graham declined 10 remove the injunction.
Then after several days delberation the Cover
| nor decided To ignore the injunction. and 50
issued last night his order to the militia
In the excitement around the city Hall. a
man named Ilyles fell from MS perch on storm
| door entrance To the Hall. striking head first
| upon the pavement fracturing his skull. He will
die
The troops, six hundred strong. arrived at the
! Union Depot at S:l5 O'Clock by q special train
from Fort Logan. The militia were sent back
| to the armory at g. and at 9:Jo O'Clock General
| McCnok ordered the troops TO blVOuac at the