The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-29
RIOT AT THE BARBECUE
MOB'S WILD BATTLE FOR FOOD AT
THE STOCK GROWERS FEAST.
Disgraceful scenes at Denver, in
UnruIy People Took Part.

DENVER, Jan. 2S-The feast of the Ma
tional Stock Growers at the stock yards
yesterday was a disgraceful rabble and
stampede. Fifty thousand people went to
the feast At least twenty thousand,
greedy and inpatient sought to capture the
viands. A most disgraceful scene followed.
That hundreds were not killed seems mar
velous. Soldiers and policemen, who should
have preserved order, were among the first
in the rush for the food and beer which
had been provided in immense quantities
When they were oulstripned by the hood
lum element they were poweIless. They
were swept aside like chaff before the wind
Men, women and children were knocked
down and ira implied under foot. Wounded
men screamed and fought; women shrieked
in fear; children, torn from their parents
sides, cried piteously. Above all was the
| hoarse roar of the mob yelling for food and
beer. The shouts and commands of the po-
lice and cavarymen We're drowned by the
| yelling mob.
The arrangements for the feast were adj
mirably planned but vlely executed. 1t
| was the intention that the 15O0 delegates to
| the National Stock Growers convention
| should be the first taken to the grounds and
| Toasted. Then the invited ones were to be
| similarly treated. One hundred walters. en-
| listed from among the fashionable young
/ men OF the city, Were 10 90 the nOnOrS.
a mob of hoodlums took possession of the
| first train They swarmed the cars,
cupied the seats and every available stand
| ing place. Some clambered on the roofs of
| the cars Others piled on the engine,
crowded into the cab. hung on to the run
| ming board and covered the pilot. AT the
grounds busy cooks were preparing the
| feast. Long tables groaned under the
weight of roasted buffalo, elk antelope,
quail, opossum and other game, as well as
| beef, pork and mutton in large quantities.
When the first train arrived at the
grounds there We're on board eighty MEM
bers of the Denver City Troop, an organi-
cation, like the walters. made up of the
aristocracy of the city. With drawn sabers
| these fellows rushed pel NELL in front of
| the mob from the train TO the tables Their
uniforms gave them sufficient authority to
| get behind the tables and instead of as
slstlhs IN preserving order these worthies
proceeded to gorge themselves. The police
| had done likewise, and when the first grand
onslaught came. there was order sys-
! tenn on either side of the tables. Then when
/ the gates We're thrown open several thou
sand spectators who had gathered outside
rushed in with the rabble from the coaches.
/ They stood around the tables yelling and
! hooting and roaring for bear meat and beer.
| The police used their clubs freely, and the
ca:vairymen labbed hundreds of Offenders
with their sabers, reaching over the heads
| of those in front and attempting to lessen
the crush from the rear.
Meanwhile the crowd was becoming great
| er and greater. So great was the rush for
| beer that cups were held over the heads
| OF women in the front rows and in filling
skin Negroes and Chinese jostled the
| DANES of fashion and there a babel
OF tongues, from each of which the most
violent and vile language sprung.
| Then came the critical moment Some
man sprang over table and filled a tin
can from one of the barrels of beer. In
stantly there was a rush and a crash. The
people scrambled for the buffalo. elk, noun
tain sheep and bear meats. The negroes
tramps and hoodlums attacked the beer
and resisting them all were the coOred
cooks, who with great flesh hooks repealed
the invaders for short time.
When the mob attacked the Kitchen the
negroes used these weapons to defend the
food. Shovels full of glowing charcoal en-
bers were thrown into the faces of the at
lacking party. but to avail. The police
had been trodden and pushed aside in the
general rush over the tables. The cavalry
men We're scattered and in the hands of the
enemy Many had their sabers taken away
and broken across beer barrels Quarters
of buffalo We're grabbed up and thrown
around. Saddles of elk were taken by the
score and torn 10 bits or trampled in the
mud. Roasts and steaks We're likewise
wasted. Bread, of which there was pile
fifty feet long, four feet wide and six feet
high. was trampled under foot into the
It was all over in fifteen minutes. and
the boasted big barbecue. advertised for
turned into 4 disgrace for the city. The
blame probably is on the management for
It's lnadequate preparations and for the in
sufficient police regulations There is no
starvation in Denver that would cause the
disgraceful scene, but human nature which
Is al the same the world over, and which
mad been SIX or seven hours without food,
asserted itself and that tells the story
a mans body was found in one of the
alleys of the stock yards this afternoon and
brought 70 the Central station. He has not
been identified, and wounds lead the police
to believe it Il murder. No other serious
casualties except scores of dubbed heads
IRE reported. Many persons. however We're
injured more or less in the scramble, but
not seriously.