The record-union., 1894-04-04
spec,al to the RECoRp-UN1oN.

Special to the RECORD-UNION.
KANSAS CITY (Mo.), April 3.-The
American Protective Association and the
Catholics came together in a bloody con-
fict at the polls to-day. 1t cannot be
stated which side is responsible for the
atfray, as each side charges the other with
being the full cause of all the trouble.
More than 200 shots were exchanged be-
tween the combatants in less than that
many seconds, and when the firing
ceased, the following were found lying
dead, dying or lying injured on the pave
ment:
Killed-Mike Callahan, City Sidewalk
Inspector, shot through the side; Harry
Fowler, laborer, shot through the back;
Con. B. Rosnahn, a contractor, shot
through the kidneys; Jerry Pate. Dep
uty Constable, shot in the face.
Seriously wounded-Patrick Fleming,
shot in left shoulder; John McGovern,
labOrer, shot through right arm.
The riot was the elimination of bitter
feeling which has been manifested by
action and words ever since The polls
opened in the morning. The two antag-
OllSllC Sl6ul6ulS W6IS SOtlllly Qlk1O0O
III their choice of candidates for Mayor.
The aggressive support that each side
gave to its candidate during one OF the
hottest campaigns eyer known in this
city, engendered strong sentiment OF
bigotry. 1t was therefore in no amIcable
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 passed is
apparent from the number of deadly
weapons that were in the riot when The
first shot was fired.
The riot which resulted so seriously
was the climax of a series of smaller riots
that took place'at other points earlier in
the day between the same opposing re-
ligious factions. This riot took place on
the Southwest boulevard, very close to
Police Station No. 3, and those who took
part in it had been heated to a fighting
temper by reports that had been hourly
arriving at the station of brawls at other
polling places. Only an hour before it
was known that John Geolev, stone
mason, was shot in the back and forehead
by William Henry Walker at voting
pace at the corner of Fifth and Campbell
streets, and that the row was directly due
to fiery debate between the two men
regarding the principles of the American
Protective Association, to which Geolev
was violently opposed. That Geolev was
not instantly killed was due simply to
the fact that the pistol used was a mere
toy OF 22-caliber.
The American Protective Association,
which supported Webster Davis the Re-
publican candidate for Mayor, had their
own workers at the different p ling
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,
antagonistic to the American Protective
Association, who supported Frank john
son, the labor union and Democratic
candidate, was active at the head of fifty
Constables, which he got Justice Latshaw
to appoint last night. 1t is said that the
Constables were, many of them, ire
sponsible characters, and were solely the
cause of all the trouble. Consequently
there were loud threats of mobbing them
before they were got to headquarters
after the bloody riot was over. 1t is
claimed that one OF Pryor's followers
fired the first shot; that one was Mike
Callahan and he was killed the next mo-
ment.
Then the battle began. The Deputy
Constables at this polling booth and the
workers of all the political factions
crowded together in a solid mass about
one hundred strong, and every one of
them seemed to be armed. For minute
or two the discharge OF weapons sounded
like a volley of musketry by 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 wild eX-
element Many of the residents along
the boulevard added to the general feel
ing OF terror by leaning from their win
dows, shouting and gestlculating wildly.
In less than five minutes from the time
the first shot was fired, however, the blue
coats from Station No. had appeared on
the scene and quieted the disturbance.
With their first approach the lighting
workers ceased hostilities and made a
oulck effort to hide their weapons.
Pryor's men are claiming that Callahan
wasan innocent victim. They assert that
it was Jerry Pate, an American Protect
i've Association man, who fired the first
shot. and that was the shot chat caused
Callahan's death. Pate was serving as a
Constable, having been appointed by a
Westport Justice TO serve warrant for
the arrest of John Pryor, Jim Pryor, his
son. and Bert Pryor for al alleged feloni-
Gus assault on citizen earlier IN the day,
He and Callahan met. had some words.
and either one or the other fired the shot
that commenced the conflict. Pryor's S
side of the story gets some color from the
fact that Harry Arthur. who Is, however,
one of Pryor's followers, says he himself
is the man that shot Pate in the face.
According to his story, he was stand
ing on the bridge that crosses .. X.
Creek, close to the scene of the riot, when
Jerry Pate and another man came on tie
other end of the bridge in a buggy, with
four men running behind him. When
Pate reached the spot where Arthur was
standing he jumped out of his buggy
with a gun in his hand, and, grabbing
hold of Harry McGovern, said: Here's
one of the men we are after. Eve got a
warrant for your arrest"
az went up to Pate and said, You can
not take him. Jim Todd stepped out,
too. and said, No, you can't take me
either Pm a Deputy Constable, and
you've got to CO. said Pate and, turning
to the man in the buggy, said: Read
that warrant Just then Mike Callahan
came running toward us from the north
end of the bridge. He ran up to Pate
and asked him what right he had to carry
a pistol. and demanded to see his permit.
Then the two men exchanged angry
words. and then Pate aimed at Callahan
and fred. Callahan returned the shot,
and then and the rest of US began tO
shoot. / shot Pate"
While the riot was in progress. It Is
said that members of the American Pro-
tectiye Association telephoned to
Armourdale and Argentine, strongholds
of that order, for relnfOrcementS OF l.OOC
armed men, and the assurance was given
them that the men would shortly be on
tbe way. Members of the American Pro
tectiye Association in this city anc
L. u hot f~r1rh n