Omaha daily bee., 1898-09-08
FATAL POLITICAL QUARREL
Rivalry Among Silver Factions Leads to a
Pitched Battle.
ONE OF THt PARTICIPANTS FATALLY SHOT
Trouble Grows out of Contest for Pos
session of Hall where Con-
yention Was to Have
Been Held.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo, 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 4 o'clock a rush was made by
severty-ive or a hundred OF the Broad men
from both front and rear OF the building.
and the Sprague men, who held possession,
in repelling the attack fired a voley into
their assailants.
Harris fell with a bullet through the
abdomen and is past medical aid. The
shooting occurred Just outside the opera
house door. Several arrests have been made
The man who fired the shot which struck
Harris is undoubtedly in custody. but his
name cannot now be ascertained. The
tragedy results from the action OF National
Chairman Towne in removing Richard
Broad from the chairmanship Of the state
/ committee on the ground of "disloyslty
to the silver republican party and the cause
I it stands for" it being alleged that he had
joined in conspiracy with friends of
/ Senator Wolcott to defeat the proposed
fusion with democrats and populists.
Charles S. Sprague, representing the
! Teller and Towne delegates, obtained pos
session OF the opera house in which the
convention is TO meet tomorrow and re-
fused to surrender it at the demand Of ex-
Chairman Broad. Mr.. Sprague is editor Of
the Colorado Springs Evening Telegraph,
sheriff Now in Possession.
Harris died soon after he was shot An
other man was struck in the cheek by the
same bullet that killed Harris. Sheriff
Boynton and Chief Gatright took control
| nd a5a thOrOuph
search. The sheriff said they discovered
whole arsenal in the building. The officers
seized six rifles and ten revovers. The
opera house is now in possession OF the
police, deputy sheriffs and adherents OF ex-
Chairman Broad No one is allowed 10 APP
proaCh the doors.
James A. Howsee Walter Russell. ]. j..
Lange and A. c. Smith Of the party in the
hall were arrested.
The sliding doors which form the entrance
to the auditorium show the effects OF the
shooting. The right hand door as the room
is entered is perforated with the bullets from
rife, 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 man S
head from the door
| At l o'clock this morning the Wolcott-
Broad faction applied 10 Judge Lunt for a
writ OF mandamus compelling Chairman
Sprague who was appointed by National
Chairman Towne to succeed Chairman
Broad, removed, TO turn the building over
to Broad. The writ was refused.
AT o'clock this morning" said ex
Mayor Plumb, we were inside the opera
house. There were twenty-five OF US. Sud
denly fusilade Of shots was fired through
both the front and side doors. Then in
second the doors were burst open and ii
T. -
was constant firing from all parts OF tn,
| room, we replying as best we could. ! saw
5 one man fall. shot through the lungs. The!
carried him to the balcony and laid hin
down He died few minutes afterward
q Another man was injured. We were torcet
= out OF the building. Sheriff Boynton an
= Chief Of Police Gatright were in the from
, ranks OF the attacking party"
o The police and sheriff's officers assert tha
the attack was made entirely by mel
: brought from Denver. They say they onl
!. rushed in after the attack began. 1t is
= peculiar fact, however, that they were al
! on hand.
Chairman Sprague has issued statemen
in which he says that eX-Chairman Broad
!. y. Stevens and Dewitt C. Weber ar
q ranged with a gang Of thugs to come from
Denver and cooperate with Sheriff W. S
. Boynton and the police OF Colorado Spring
e in seizing the convention hall and turnin
1t over TO the anti-Teler faction so tina
= they might organize and control the conven
e ton tomorrow.
DENVER, Sept. 7.-Chares Harris VIII
y was fatally shot this morning in the figh
; between factions OF the silver republica
~, party at Colorado Springs for possession @
? the hall in which the state convention is t
d be held tomorrow, came 10 Denver five year
d ago from Omaha, where he formerly held tn
Office OF deputy United States marshal H
It is a carpenter by trade about 80 years
J. age, and has a wife and two children. Fo
y a time he was a member Of the Denver fir
depar, ment.
Mr., Blood says that the armed force viii"
No entered the opera house was headed b
d Sheriff W. s. Boynton and Frank Howber
Of collector OF internal revenue, and polCeme
N in uniform, and that four or five Of the me
who were in possession OF the hall wer
s arrested without any warrant or process
>. law whatever and thrown into jail ES
>. Chairman Broad says he was justified
il taxing forcible possession Of the opera hous
under a lease made with him on Augu!