Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-07
POLITICS AND BLOOD!
Fatal Clash Between the Two Wings
of the Colorado Silver Repub-
licans Today,
CHARLES ]. HARRIS KILLED
The Broad Faction Tries Intellectually to
Capture the Colorado Springs Opera
House from the Sprague Faction
The Police Hold the Fort.

Colorado Springs, Colo, Sept. THE
political war between the two factions
of the Silver Republican party resulted
this morning in the death of Charles j.
Harris, of Denver.
It,was the result of an attempt by the
Broad faction to capture the opera
house which was guarded by the
Sprague faction. AT 4 O'Clock a rush
was made by 75 or 100 Broad men from
both the front and rear of the building.
The Sprague men, who held possession
in repelling the attack, fired volley
into their assailants. and Harris fell
with a bullet through his abdomen and
soon died. Another man was wounded.
Todays clash between the factions
was preceded by the action of National
Chairman Towne in removing Richard
Broad from the chairmanship of the
state committee on the ground of dis
loyalty to the Silver Republican party
and the cause it stands for, it being
alleged that he joined in conspiracy
with the friends of Senator Wolcott to
defeat the proposed fusion with the
Democrats and Popnlists. Charles S.
Sprague, representing the Teller and
Townc delegates, obtained possession
of the opera house, in which the con
vention is to meet tomorrow, and re-
fused to surrender it at the demand of
ex-Chairman Broad.
Sheriff Boynton and Chief Gathright
took control of the opera house and
seized six Winchester rifles and ten re-
volvers. James A. Howe. Walter Rus
sell, james J. Long and A. {. Smith,
the party in the hall. were arrested.
At o'clock the Wolcott- Broad faction
applied to Judge Lunt for "A writ of
mandamus compelling Chairman Blood
who was appointed by National Chair
man Towne to succeed Chairman Broad
removed, to turn the building over.to eX-
Chairman Broad. The writ was refused
''At 4:10 this morning. said eX-Mayor
Plumb, I'VE were inside the opera house,
% of us. Suddenly fusilade of shots
was fired through both front and side
doors. Then in a second the doors were
burst open and in rushed Is to 100 men.
There was constant firing in all parts of
the hall, we replying as best we could.
We were forced out OF the building.
Sheriff Boynton and Chief Police Gath
right were in the front ranks of the at
tacking party
The police and sheritf's officers claim
the attack was made entirely by men
brought from Denver. They say they
only rushed in after the attack began.
Chairman Blood has issued a statement
in which he says Fex-Chairman Broad,
/. N. Stevens and Dewitt G. Webber
arranged with gang of thugs to come
from Denver and cooperate with Sheriff
Boynton and the police of Colorado
Springs in seizing convention hall and
turning it over to the antiTeller faction
so they might organize and control the
convention tomorrow EX-Chairman
Broad, who denies the authority of
Towne to remove him. justities the tax
ing forcible possession of the hall on
the ground that the manager violated
his lease in allowing others to take
possession.
The men who participated in the fight
say that fully $50 shots were fired,
mostly in the air when the attacking
party reached the center of the building
the guards retreated to the street. The
thugs from Denver took the first train
to that city. being allowed to go un-
mOlpStpu