The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-02-21
IN A FATAL PAYDAY ROW
Owen Walsh Killed by Policeman Jim
Dryer.
1T WAS A FREE-FOR-ALL
The officer Undertook to Put an
End to a Dlsgraceful Brawi
When He Was Brutality
Attacked

| night. Owen Walsh was shot by officer
| James Dywer and almost instantly killed.
| From the stories told by eye witnesses TO
| the affair there can be no doubt that tho
| shooting was accidental, but 1t is almost
| equally certain that the officer would have
been justified in using his gun IN almost
any manner he saw fit, in self protection.
| When the trouble started Dryer was act
| ing more as a peacemaker than his official
| capacity, and, as is the general rule in
saloon brawls, everybody jumped onto
| the peacemaker.
| Harringtan's saloon is on the corner OF
| Main and Quartz streets, and just about
| IL o'clock Bill Dryer and Owen Walsh
| became engaged in a rough and tumble
| fight ia the back part of the room and
! almost directly opposite door opening
on Quartz street which was partly open.
| Officer Dryer was standing across the
street and when he heard the row he
| walked over to the saloon, thinking that
perhaps his services might be required.
| Tho story of what happened after that, as
it is told by Phil Harrington. Mike Hol-
| land and other eye-witnesses Is about az
| follows:
Just as the officer reached the door,
| Phil Harrington picked Bill DIVER up and
| carried him into one of the back rooms
| ana lOckCu tue uOOT Oh ulllls w HiHi
started after them and the officer caught
him by the shoulder and held him back,
telling him that the fight was over and
that he had better quiet down and behave
| himself.
Walsh offered no great resistance and
| the officer then walked in among the
| crowd of excited, and partly intoxicated
men. and attempted to restore order. lie
| advised them To go home. The officer
was good-natured about 1t, and was as
cool and collected as usual. a moment
| later Walsh grew very abusive ana
| angrily told Dryer that he had no right to
| come into the saloon unless he was sent
| for.
"You must be fool" laughingly re-
piled Dwyer. Walsh continued his abuse,
and finally applied most opproblous cpl
tibet to the officer. Dryer then walked to-
ward him with the evident intention of
| placing him under arrest, and as he came
within reach Walsh struck HIM over the
eye with some sharp instrument, which
inflicted deep cut that bled profusely.
| Walsh and three or four of his friends
then rushed upon the officer and forced
him back to the bar and one OF them
| caught him around the neck and pro-
ceeded to choke him. They refused to
desist when warned to do SO and when
the officer saw that he must protect him
self he pulled his revolver. As he did so
Phil Harrington rushed TO his assistance
4
HIM to let go and leave the house. Har-
rington exclaimed that the officer had a
| perfect right IN the house. but he was the
only man who went to Dwyer $ assistance.
As the officer pulled his gun Walsh
| seized his hand and forced il back over
his right shoulder. While the men were
struggling for possession of the gun Dryer
| fired shot upwards, apparently IN the
hope of frightening his assaIlants. The
bullet buried itself harmlessly in the stair
= l.. Al. l.. -. 4 q
feet upon all the men except Walsh, who
chung to the officers right hand with both
of his and continued to abuse and threaten
him.
After the first shot the proprietor went
TO the front door and blow a police whis-
tie to summon help, and about every one
else in the saloon sought place of safety
with the result that there does not seem
TO be any one who saw the second and
fatal shot fired.
Dryer and Walsh continued to struggle
for possession of the revolver, and a few
seconds later the second shot rang out
and Walsh fell to the floor crying, "lm
shot,
In less than q minute Officers Hogan
and Kelly and Marshal McNichols ar
rived and medical assistance was quickly
| summoned. DIR. Gum had heard the first
shot and he arrived in few minutes,
quickly followed by DIR. Tremblay. They
were unable to render any assistance,
however, rs Walsh was breathing his last
when DIR. Gum arrived. He did not live
more than 10 or l. minutes after the shot
was fired.
An examination showed that the bullet
had entered his right breast about two
inches below the nipple and an inch in
side of it. Dryers revolver was "A Al cali
Der Colts and the bullet tore a big hole
in the body.
After the shooting Dryer walked di.
rectly to his room in the Bennett block,
where the cut over his eye was dressed by
, DIR. Gum. He then took a hack to the
county Jail and gave himself up.
| Coroner Richards arrived soon after the
shooting and took charge of the body.
Walsh was a single man, about 30 years
old, and was working at the High Ore No.
:. He is generally spoken of as having
been very quiet young fellow when he
was sober. This was pay day, however.
and he and some friends had celebrated
the event 10y drinking considerably.
Walsh had lived in Butte for several
years and has three brothers here, Mike,
James and Richard. His parents live in
Michigan.
Officer Dwyer was seen at the county
jail by a STANDARD reporter soon after
the shooting and he gave the following
story of the affair:
About IL o'clock 1 was standing on
Quartz street opposite Harrington S
saloon. The door OF the saloon was open
and could sec that there was quite a
crowd inside. heard Harrington call
out, None of that, none of that and
walked over TO the door. As ! got there
Harrington started 10 carry a man bacl,
TO one OF the rooms in the rear. Walsh
started after him and ! caught hold OF
him and told HIM To stop. Walsh and two
or three other men then jumped on me and
| rushed me over to the bar and tore
the buttons off my coat. They asked me
what / was doing there aud | told them Il
was none of their business. They were
going To throw me out when Harrington
came back and told them that he could
have policeman in the house II he
wanted TO. Walsh then asked me TO have
a drink. but ] refused and started 10 walk
away. lie called me a and
went to arrest him.
They then jumped on me again and one
Of them hit me over the eve. but could not
see what lac hit inc with. / told them
they we're going too lar and pulled my
1 pistol 10 protect myself with. W4I-n