The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-21
II. SEEMS A MYSTERY
Louis Flagler Was Sandbagged
by Masked Men.
TAKEN FROM HIS WORK
All Kinds of Rumors Afloat Is Said to
Have Been Deputy in the Chi
cago Riots or at Homestead.
He Is Marked Man.

Mystery which as yet seems utterly
impenetrable surrounds an affair that
occurred Tuesday night. A gang of
men went to the Butte & Boston smell
ter and took out Louis Flagler, a labor
er, who had been employed there a
short time. After taking him away
from the smelter he was assaulted, sup
posedly sandbagged. That is about all
that is known of the affair. The mo-
tive seems to be a great mystery,
though it may be cleared up when
Flagler RECEIVERS his faculties. and prob
ably will be if he chooses to talk.
Flagler was at work at the calcine
furnaces with a fellow laborer when
a gang of six or seven men, all masked
and heavily armed. came in between the
furnaces, turning out the electric lights
as they came. They walked up to the
two men, and pointing their guns at
Flagler, told him to throw up his hands,
that they wanted him. Flagler com
piled and the men handcuffed him and
led him away, not even allowing him
time to get his coat and hat. One of
the smeltermen who witnessed the pro-
ceedings followed the party till he saw
the gang leading F'lagler out across the
tailings dump to the south, and then
turned back.
The next that is known is that Flag
Ter turned up at the home of Richard
Hoover in Gardner avenue about
o'clock in the morning. Flagler lives
with a sister, a Mrs Morrison, who
formerly lived in the house occupied
by Hoover Flagler was SO dazed that
he apparently only knew enough to
find his way to the former residence of
his sister. Hoover, knowing him, took
him home. DR.. Freund, who was sum-
moned. found Flagler bleeding at the
nose and suffering from confusion.
Flagler remained in a dazed condition
all day yesterday and was aunable to
| give any account of what occurred
| after he left the smelter. When ques-
| toned as to the possible motive of his
| assailants. he appeared unable to re-
| ply intelligibly. though it appeared
| that he could tell more than he cared
| to-.
| Flagler being either unable or unwill-
| ing to talk. there is only conjecture to
| account for his treatment. 1t is not
| generally believed the Mill and Smelt-
| ermen's union had hand in the af-
| fair. for the reason that Flagler had
| only worked at the smelter since Aug.
| and the union is very liberal with new
| men and gives them time to get on
| their feet before insisting on their join
! ing the union besides Flagler had ex-
| pressed his intention of joining the
! union as soon as he was able. Still an
other reason is that the union, when
| it desires. to stop non-union man
| from working. is not in the habit of
sending it's representatives masked and
| armed. .-a. ,5.sa. a. .
The only conclusion that any one
! has thus far been able to draw as to
| the motive for the treatment of Flag
1 Ter is based on a number of rumors that
were afoat among the smeltermen yes
| terday, that is that he must have been
| opposed to unions in some big strike
| and was a marked man. One of these
| rumors was to the effect that Flagler
| was deputy sheriff in the Homestead
troubles in Pennsylvania. Another had
| it that he was a deputy at Chicago
| during the A r. L. strike and had
| killed a couple of men and had beer
followed even since. Still another ru'
NOR said that he was a deputy mar
shall in the recent Occur d'Alene trou
| bles. Whether there is any foundation
| for any of the rumors is not known
| and probably will not be unless Flag
Ter is willing to talk when he recov
| ers.
DIR. Freund stated last evening tina
from Flagler's symptoms he was o
the opinion that the man was sandbag
ged and that while he still suffered
from the effects of the conclusion h
did not regard his condition as dan
| gerous.