The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1895-05-16

All were masked ana 0ach man carried a
winchester rifle with supply OF ammu-
milton.
1t became known in Combination tEat
the mob had been organized, and an effort
was made to telegraph the news to Phil
ipsburg, but the wires had been cut and
communication other than bv coul rier
was impossible. One man was discovered
making his way here and he was detained
on the road until the mob had arrived in
town in safety, and without anyone be-
ing aware Of the procedure.
Considering the short space of time in
which they had to outline their method
OF attack and management throughout
they displayed great seneralshlp. AS
above stated, their members were SO
stationed about the town that every
movement by residents could be surveyed
and checked. They were extremely
orderly and made their demand for Nc
Closkey at the Jail in a gentlcmanly but
determined manner, and it did not take
the Colorado sheriff very long to make
up his mind to release the prisoner.
When McCloskey had joined the ranks
OF the mob they marched down Broad
way, at the same time firing volley of
shots in the air which was presumably
the signal to the picket forces to disband.
Aside from the signal volley of shots
fired by the mob, they disappeared as
quietly as they came, and it is safe to
say not one OF those talzlng part Is known
to any outsider.
The whole transaction, after the mob
reached town, was performed in very
few minutes, and few people would have
known what was Transporting until all
was over but for the efforts of Under
Sheriff Argall in deputizing citizens to
his assistance. He gave the alarm IN
various saloons and at the opera house,
where about 400 people were assembled
at the play of "Ihe Two Old Cronies."
There was mad rush for the exit in the
opera house, as most people had under
stood the alarm to be that of fire, but as
soon as the truth was known most all
resumed their seats and renamed till
the play was finished.
It is the presumption that had the
officer in charge of McCloskev shown
any respect for the law or given them
any satisfactory explanation why he was
held the mob would not have been
formed. AS it was, however, the i'm
prlsoned man was given no chance
whatever to gain his liberty IA a legal
way, and that the officer d1sregarded the
law may be seen from the following
quotation from Section ia, Fifth Divis-
ion, Compiled Statutes of Montana,
page 623, which reads: "All public Of
ticials-sheriffs, coloners, jailers, con-
stables, or other officers or persons
having in custody any person committed,
imprisoned, or restrained of his liberty,
for any legal cause whatever, shall ad
NIT any practicing attorney -at-law in
this state whom such person restrained
OF his liberty may desire to see or con-
suit, to see and consult such person so
imprisoned, alone, and in private, at the
Jail or other place of custody. Any
officer violating this provision shall for
felt and pay to the person SO aggrieved
one hundred dollars"
1t is supposed that the deputy sheriff
Wou "a not show the papers for holding
McCloskey because he did not have
them; it is supposed that he simply had
a warrant from the El Paso county
sheriff calling for the arrest, and that
warrant was no good whatever in this
state without requisition papers from
the governor of Montana. The deputy
sheriff undoubtedly knew this, and he
also knew that he had no right to hold
the prisoner, and his only hope was to
RAILROAD" HIS MAN
out Of the state, and while this com
munity is as quick as any on earth to
resent the unlawful transgression of law,
our people are not very harshly con
demning the action of the men who
walked off with McCloskey, more es-
pecially when it is known that they
exhausted every honorable means to
accomplish their object through legal
measures.
1t is not denied by McCloskey's SYM
pathizers that he took part IN the
Cripple Creek riots, in which the labor
ing element of that place were pitted
against the hirellngs of capitalists under
'he guise of deputy sheritfs. 1t may be
or it may not be that McCloskey fired
,he shot that ended the life of ono of
hose on the opposite side, but that is
1ot known. During the same riot it is
noted that several miners were killed by
he opposing forces, but nothing is
hOupht Of that uh11a on tho ,thar b,,l