The herald., 1898-09-08
POLITICAL BATTLE
FOUGHT NOT WITH BALLOTS
BUT WITH BULLETS
COLORADO SILyfRITfS
STRUGGLE FOR POSSESSION OF A
THEATER
- .'',
OEPosED STATE CHAIRMAN
OEposEO STATE CHAIRMAN
Hires ., Gang Of Toughs to Take
Torcible Possession Of the
Convention Hall

Convention Hall
Associated Press Special Wire.
COLORADO SPRINGS, COL. Sept. T.
A pitched battle occurred In this city at
daybreak today between the warning fac
tions Of the Silver Republican party OF
this state, in which one man was killed
and three wounded. The dead man is
Charles 8. Harris. an ex-employe, at Den
yer, of the Denver Gulf road. The wound
ed were spirited away by their friends and
their identity has not been definitely es,ab-
hshed- 1t Is said that man named Palm
er was shot in the cheek, but not seriously
Injured. Another man had his hand shot
nearly off, and another got flesh wounds In
the arm.
The fight was waged over the possession
Of the opera house in which the Silver Re
publican state convention is to meet tomor-
row. An armed guard, representing the
Teller-Blood faction, was In possession. Ex-
State Chairman Broad. who had been de-
posed by National Chairman Towne, sent
an armed force to drive the guard out OF
the opera house. After a scrimmage, In
which many shots were fired, the Teller.
ties fled in dtsmay. Harris and the men
who were wounded are supposed to have
been members Of the attacking force.
Chairman Blood. A. NJ. Stevenson and
other leading Silver Republicans openly
charge Sheriff Boynton OF this county and
Internal Revenue Collector Frank How
bert Of Denver with leading the attack.
Sheriff Boynton states that he, Mr.. How
bert and Chief Of Police Gathffght did not
go to the opera house until the battle be-
gan, and then only to take possession OF
the place. Five men were arrested in the
opera house and one. .itc1s claimed by the
police, had, smoking Winchester in his
hands. The prisoners are Walter Russell
A. IT. Monge. all Of Cripple Creek. They
are charged with the murder OF Harris
and informations were filed In the district
court against them. M .sa.
A guard Of twenty men, under Boynton
and Gathright, Hold the opera house, ana
the Teller people are refused admission.
In a published statement Chairman Blood
intimated that I. N. Stevens, vice-chair-
man Of the National Silver party during
the last presidential campaign, and others
arranged with gang Of thugs to come
from Denver and assist in capturing the
theater. Mr.. Stevens brands this state
ment as absolutely false" and says he
knows nothing about the opera house at
fair.
Proceedings Begin
At o'clock this morning the wolcott-
Stevens faction applied to Judge Lunt for
a writ Of mandamus compelling Chairman
Blood, who was then in possession of the
opera house, to turn the building over to
ex-Chairman Broad. The writ was refused
AT 410 this morning." said ex-Mayor
Plumb, twenty-five of US were inside the
opera house. Suddenly a fusilade Of shots
was fired through both the front doors and
the side doors. Then in second the doors
were burst open and in rushed from rs tc
100 men.
There was constant firing in all parts
OF the hall, we replying as best we could
saw one man fall, shot through the lungs
They carried him to the balcony and laid
him down. He died in a few minutes af.
terward. Another man was injured
I'VE were forced out Of the building
Sheriff Boynton and Chief Gathr.ght were
ir the front rank"
The police and sheriff's officers claim that
the attack was made entirely by mer
brought by the Wolcott-Stevens faction
from Denver. They say they only rushed
In after the attack began. It is a peculiar
fact. however, that they were all on hand
An attack was made upon the building from
front and back.
Sheriff Boynton and Chief Gathright took
| ~ hA
thorough search. The sheriff said they dis.
covered whole arsenal in the building
The officers seized six Winchesters and ten
revolvers. James M. Howe, Walter Rus.
sell. J. X. Lang and A. c. Smith were ar.
rested.
The sliding doors which form the en-.
trance to the auditorium show the effect.
Of the shooting. The right hand door as
the room is entered is perforated with the
bullets from Winchester, and a ball also
lodged in the left door. Both were fired
from the inside Of the room and are about
as high as. a mans head from, the floor.
Today's clash between the factions was
precipitated by action of National Chair
man Towne in removing Richard Broad
from the craftsmanship Of the State Com
mittee on the ground of. disloyalty to the
Silver Republican party and the cause II
stands for. It being alleged that he had
Joined In a conspiracy with the friend. OF
Senator Wolcott to defeat the proposed fu--
SION with the Democrats and Populists.
Sheriff Boynton allowed the men who
participated in the riot to leave the city
early this morning unmolested. A major
ity Of the mob which attacked the theater
went to Denver by the first train. After
battering In the doors. seventy-five men
rushed into the building shooting revolvers
and the ceiling Is full Of bullet holes. The
attacking party shot into the air with the
hope Of frightening the guards into sub
mission. The guards were scattered In
groups about the auditorium where they
could best command the entrances, and
they returned the fire. Those who partic-
ipated intimate that no less than $50 shots
were fired In the opera house within few
minutes. The smoke was-so dense In q mo-
ment that the shots were flrtd at random.
The attsokins party Anally reached the