The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-17
FIVE MEN WERE KILLED
And Two Others Were Seriously
Wounded.
IN AN ELECTION FIGHT
A Warm Mayoralty Contest at Hot
Springs, Ark, Leads to Murder.
Posse Ordered Out-N No Further
Trouble Anticipated.

Hot Springs, Ark, March ia
shooting occurred here at $50 o'clock
this afternoon, which resulted in the
death of five men and the serious
wounding of two others, one Of whom
is not expected to live.
The killed are:
THOMAS TOLER, chief of police.
j. e. HART, city detective.
THOMAS f. GOSLEE, police ser
geant.
JOHN WILLIAMS, son of Sheriff
Williams.
LOUIS HINKLE, driver of brewery
wagon.
Ed Spears was shot in the neck and
may die. The shooting was the result
of feeling growing out of the mayQralty
contest which was under way here.
The sheriff was a warm supporter of
the regular democratic nominee, while
Toler, Hart and Goslee We're supporters
of the opposition candidate. Feeling
ran high and early in the afternoon
shots were exchanged in front of the
city hall between the sheriff and his
son, John, on one side, and Sergeant
Goslee on the other, but no one was
injured. After this both parties deter
mined to have it out. Toler, Hart and
Goslee were together walking south on
Central avenue at about half past 5
o'clock, when they met Sheriff Will
Jams and his two sons John and Coffey,
and Ed Spears, a deputy sheriff, in
front of Lemp's beer depot. The quar-
rel was renewed. No one can tell who
fired the first shot, but in a moment
there was a general fusilade, in which
40 or SO shots were exchanged. When
it was over, Tolar Hart, Goslee and
Hinkle. a non-combatant were dead
and John Williams mortally wounded
He died about an hour later. Louis
Hinkle attempted to separate the COM
batants at the commencement and was
shot in the head and died instantly.
The mayor, Immediately after the
shooting, appointed Judge l.. d. Beld-
ing chief of police. who had a posse of
deputies sworn in at once. There is
little factional feeling outside of those
engaged in the shooting. Order was
easily restored and the city is now
quiet. The sheriff and his SON, Coffey,
are under arrest and no further trouble
is anticipated. The mayor said, in an
interview at 9 o'clock tonight that the
whole affair grew out of the intense
feeling on the mayoralty contest
II have ordered all saloons in the
city closed and everything is as quiet
as usual, and there will be no further
trouble"
Sheriff Williams, in an interview at
his home at 10 o'clock tonight, said
there was an attempt made to assas-
sinate him this afternoon by a police
man on account of his friendship for
| Bedding, the populist candidate for
mayor. Williams claims he was not
armed, but that as Goslee attempted to
assassinate him, friend of his grabbed
the pistol and handed the sheriff an
| other one. Goslee started to run and
| Williams fred several shots without
effect. This occurred about O'Clock
| in the afternoon. About o'clock the
trouble broke out again, beginning with
| the deliberate assassination of his son
who was shot in the back of the head
and killed instantly by the policeman
who attempted to take his life. Will
| Jams says he was not present until the
| shooting had ceased. He then found
his son, the chief of police, Detective
Hart and two policemen, including the
! one that had made an attempt to xii
him, had been killed, and one either
| had been seriously wounded.