The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
Between Two Factions of Col
OradO Silver Republicans.
Results In the Death of Charles
Harris of Denver.
VOLLEY WAS FIRED
By the Crowd In Possession of
the Opera House.
To Repel Those Who Were Try
ing to Gain Admittance.

Colorado Springs, Col, Sept. THE
political war between the two factions
of the silver Republican party resulted
this morning in the death of Charles
Harris of Denver
1t was the result of an attempt by
the Broad faction to capture the opera
house which was guarded by the
Sprague faction
At o'clock a rush was made by Is CT
20 of the Broad men, from both front
and rear of the building and the Spra cue
men who held possession in repeIiine
the attack fired volley into their as
sailants
Harris fell with bullet through the
abdomen and is past medical aid
The shooting occurred just outside
the opera house door, Several arrests
nave been made. The man who fired
the shot which struck Harris is un-
doubtedly in custody but his name can
not now be ascertained.
The tragedy results from the action
of National Chairman Towne in remOv-
ing Richard Broad from the chairman
ship of the state committee on the
ground of ''disloyalty to the silver Re
publican party and the cause it stands
Tor, 1t being alleged that he had join
ed in conspiracy with friends of Sen
ator WOlcott to defeat the proposed fu-
sion with Democrats and Populists.
Charles S. Sprague, representing the
Teller and TOwne delegates obtained
possession of the opera house in which
the convention is to meet tomorrow and
refused to surrender it at the demand
of eX-Chairman Broad Mr. Sprague is
editor of the Colorado Springs Evening
Telegraph.
Who Harris Is.
Denver, Sept. 7-CharIes Harris who
was fatally shot this morning in the
fight between factions of the Silver Re
publican party at Colorado Springs for
possession of the hall in which the state
convention is to be held tomorrow.
came to Denver five years ago from
Omaha where he formerly held the of
fee of deputy United States marshal
He is carpenter by trade. about 80
years old and has a wife and two chill
dren. For time he was a member of
the Denver fire department.
Arrests are Made.
Harris died soon after he was shot
Another man was struck in the cheek
by the same bullet that killed Harris
Sheriff Boynton and Chief Gathright
took control of the opera house and
made a thorough search. The sheriff
said they discovered a whole arsenal in
the building. The officers seized six
Winchester rifles and ten revoIvers.
The opera house is now in possession
of the police, deputy SheriffS and ad-
herents of ex-Chairman Broad. No one
is allowed to approach the doors.
James A. HOWsee, Walter Russell, J.
]. Lang and A. c. Smith of the party
in the hall were arrested.
The sliding doors which form the en-
trance to the auditorium show the
effects of the shooting. The right hand
door as the room is entered is perfor-
ated with the bullets from a Winches-
ter 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
At 1 o'clock this morning the WoIcott-
Broad faction applied to Judge Lunt
for a writ of mandamus compelling
Chairman Blood who was appointed by
"a fn G11nrpa6
Chairman Broad, removed and 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. There were % of US. Suddenly
a fusiIlade of shots was fired through
both the front and side doors. Then
in a second the doors were burst open
and in rushed from 75 to 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
a few minutes afterward. Another man
was injured.
I'VE were forced out of the building.
Sheriff Boynton and Chief of Police
Gathright were in the front ranks of
the attacking party.
The police and sheriff's officers claim
that the attack was made entirely by
men brought from Denver. They say
they only rushed in after the attack
began. It is a peculiar fact, however
that they were all on hand.
Chairman Blood has issued state
uent in which he says that ex-Chair-
man Broad and 1. N.Stevens and Dewitt
c. Webber arranged with gang or
thugs to come from Denver and CO.
operate with Sheriff w. S. Boynton and
the police of Colorado Springs in selz-
ing the convention hall and turning Il
over to the antf-Teller faction so that
they may organize and control the con-
vention tomorrow.