The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-06
ELECTION FIGHT.
Deputy Sheriffs and Police
Battle In Denver.
One Man Dead and FiveSeri0usIy
Wounded.
TROUBLE BEGAN EARLY
Fifteen Hundred Deputies and
1000 Policemen
BEGAN EARLY
Had Been Sworn In by Rival
Political Factions.

Denver, Nov. e.-John G. Branford.
colored, special deputy sheriff, dead
Charles It. Carpenter, policeman, shot
in the leg and arm, dangerously hurt:
Hamps0n Jackson, colOred, special
deputy sheriff, skull fractured and arm
broken, may die.
Charles Greene, special policeman,
shot IN the back. seriously hurt.
Stewart Harvey, colored deputy sher-
if, shot in the shoulder.
Richard Hardman colored, deputy
sheriff, shot in the left arm.
Before a ballot was cast in Denver to-
day the trouble between the police de-
partment and the sherif's office which
had been predicted had begun and one
man dead and five seriously wounded
was the result. Fifteen hundred special
policemen had been sworn in for the day
and about coo special deputy sheriffS
At o'clock Special Policemen Charles
F. Carpenter and Greene were sent to
Twenty second and Laramie streets to
supervise the opening of the polls In
district H. precinct four. Several special
deputies were present. Orders had been
issued by the fire and police board to
refuse to recognize the authority OF
these deputies and arrest anyone who
in any way interfered with the police.
Under these instructions officer Carpen-
ter ordered the deputies to retire to 100
feet from the polls. Hampson jackson,
cOlOred, resisted and, drawing a reVol-
yer, began shooting. One bullet struck
Carpenters arm and a second his foot.
Policeman Greene came to the rescue of
head and arm, fracturlng his skull and
breaking his arm The blow broke the
heavy oak club the officer carried.
Shooting by the deputies became gem
eral, while the special police, who were
armed only with clubs. were at a dis
advantage At this moment City De-
tectiye Ed Carberry ran up and opened
fire with his revolver. killing Deputy
Sheriff John c. Branford, coIored, with
the first shot A score of shots were
fired by the deputies and Detective Car
berry and Deputies Stewart Harvey and
Richard Hardman, both colored, were
shot, the former in the right shoulder
and the latter in the left arm. 1t is not
known whose bullets wounded them.
Special Policeman Greene was shot in
the back. None Of these is fatally
wounded
Branford the man killed, is said by
the police to have a very unsavory rec
ord having served time in the pen1-
tertiary. He is said to have killed
man some time ago.
The feeling created by the affair of
this morning is intense.
Yesterday Judge Hallet Of the United
States district court issued an order for
bidding the United States marshal to
appoint any deputy marshals to serve at
the polls, but the charge is made by the
police department that large number
of deputy sheriffs were sworn in and
armed at his Office. Said Police Com
missioner Robert W. Speer today.
-Four hundred negroes, many Of them
with long records for desperate deeds,
were sworn in as deputy sheriRs in the
office of United States Marshal Bailey
in the federal building and given badges
and pistols. The special officers appoint
ed by our board were unarmed except
with clubs and ordered not to use vio-
lence except in extreme cases"
The trouble is the outgrowth of the
bitter campaign in Denver and the state,
which involves not only the national and
state tickets but the election of a United
States senator to succeed Senator VOL
colt
The police department is controlled by
the Democrats and Sheriff Robert Jones,
who was elected as a Democrat, but
who is said now to favor the Republi-
cans, al the request of the Honest Elec-
ton league composed, it is charged, ex
clusively of Republicans, has issued
very large number of deputy sheriff COM
missions to men named by the league.
Yesterday the board Of county com
rnissioners, in disregard of an order of
Judge Butler of the district court, re-
voked the commissions given by Sheriff
Jones, and although the court promptly
took action against the commissioners
for contempt the fire and police boards,
acting on the advice of leading attor
neys, decided to disregard the authority
of the deputies.
Governor Thomas has ordered troop G,
Colora do cavalry, to be in readiness to
be called and they are now at the ar
rnDrv