Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-10
USED
HIS BIG GUN
COVERED CAPTAIN BRANNAGAN
WITH IT AND ARRESTED
PAIGE BECAUSE HE PRO-
TESTED.

Charges were preferred against officer
O'Meara yesterday afternoon by Alder
mar Paige and Captain B~rannagan. 1t
seems that when Rrannagan went to the
city corral to check up the mems time he
was arrested by O'Meara. who evidently
thought Of the war record of the captain
when he did so, as, the captain and sew
eral others assert, he covered him with a
big revolver without any apparent rea-
son. Alderman Paige was present and
protested against the gun play, as wholly
unnecessary, whereupon O'Meara arrest
ed the alderman for resisting an officer"
Paige then escorted Captain B~rannagan
to the Jail, but no charge was preferred
against him, and late yesterday after
noon Alderman Paige filed charges
against O'Meara, Of conduct unbeconing
an officer.
Captain Brannagan filed the following
statement Of his case in the office of the
city clerk last night.
Butte, Mont, May 9, 1S99.-To the
Honorable City Council of the City of
Butte: Gentlemen-On the list day of
May, 1899, l rendered my resignation as
street commissioner Of the city of Butte
and at the meeting of the city council,
held on the same evening, my resigna-
ton was refused. This was construed
by me as a direction by the city council
to continue in the discharge of my
duties as street commissioner until l
was regularly superseded by the APP
pointment Of a successor. l continued
in the performance of the duties Of
street commissioner without interfer-
ence until Monday morning last. when
Mr.. Mccarthy, mayor of the city, came
to the city stockade with ]. j. Cotter.
Mr.. Mccarthy stated to me that Mr..
Cotter had come to take my place. I
declined to surrender the place to MIR.
Cotter,and so informed the mayor, as
my bondsmen were lab for my official
acts and the preservation Of the city
property in my hands. Mr.. Mccarthy
then directed the men employed by me
to quit work and to obey no one but Mr..
Cotter. He then went away, but re-
turned III a short time and demanded
the keys, and again told the men to
leave off work, and told me that my SER
vices We're no longer required. After this
I sent out the men to work as usual
Shortly after. while l was experimenting
the employees OF the streets, some ont
locked the entrance to the stockade witt
new locks, the old locks being takel
away. l took off these locks and entered
Later in the day other locks were put on
:. About 6 O'Clock I went to the stockad
and found Police Officer O'Meara ant
MY. Cotter in possession. They inform
ed me they would lock and take charg'
of the property and ordered me away. OF
my refusal to leave Mr.. OMeara too
hold of me in a rough manner am
: pointed a pistol at ME, stating that
was under arrest. AftN being a~rreste,
I was taken to the city Jail, when l wa
! released.
. II have been minute in the recital o
= these successive steps, as I desire the cit,
council to take such action as its judg
Q ment dictates. If l nave done anythinj
= unlawful, I claim no exemption from pun
ishment, while, on the other hand. if
i, wrong has been done to me, it is a direc
= attack on the city government and I sub
= NIT the above statement in the confden
belief that the city council, While vindi
:, eating my rights, will uphold its own au
u thority. Yours very truly,
JOHN BRANNAGAN,
Street Commissioner"