Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-25
RAlDED BIG LIQUOR HOUSE
POLICE DEFEND PROPERTY AND
SHOOT ONE MAN-LED BY
A PREACHER.
SMASHED LOTS OF BEER KEGS.
Organized Raid Where It Was Not
Expected-Many Shots On
Both Sides.

Topeka, Kan, Feb 25.-J. w. adams
lies at a hospital lowering between life
DEATH He was shot during a raid on
North Topeka wholesale liquor house.
At midnight a crowd Of citizens, heav-
lily armed with revolvers, sledge ham,
mers, crowbars and battering ram,
broke into a wholesale liquor house GS
Cash Curtis on West Curtis street be-
tween Kansas avenue and Jackson street
and smashed the beer casks found there.
Three policemen drove the crowd back.
Both the policemen and the citizens fired
their revolvars and j. w. Adams. a car
penter was shot twice in the breast. He
was taken in a hack to Riverside hospi-
tai where he lies in a precarious condi-
ton.
DR.. NJ. r. Mitchell and Rev r. W.
Emerson We're arrested. Rev Elmer
son was taken to the police station where
he was booked under the charge of re-
sistng an officer His left hand was cut
and bleeding. He was allowed to go
upon his own recognizance. DR. Mitchell
took the injured man TO the hospital and
was allowed to stay and administer to
him without giving bond.
The three policemen Patrolmen Dow
ney and Boyles and Private Watchman
Connors claim that Adams was shot by
his own crowd while he was retreeating
I from the place where the liquors We're
smashed. and Adams says he was shot
by policeman. CHIEF Downey says he
! did not arrive at the scene of the trouble
until it about over. Officer Royes, who
! carries a Colts A calib~e, claims that
the two shots he fred were in the afr
and that he did no. aim al anyone. Dr.
Mitchell and DR.. Chas w. Hammond
who cared for Adams at the hospital.
says that he was shot with 80 or 50
ca 'ibre revolver.
The crowd which dil the smashing
met on West Curtis street about three
blocks from theb joint. The numbers
vary from thirty to sixty. At a few mo-
ments past II o'clock the crowd moved
on Curtis street to Jackson street. The
Wholesale liquor house is a small frame
, building at the rear of Curtis home
! which faces on Curtis str ct. The crowd
turned south on Jackson street and cross
! ed the rear of the lots between the street
and the liquor house. A half dozen men
seized the log and used it as battering
! ram. The door gave way and the crowd
rushed in. At the first rush the lantern
! which the crowd carried was eXtinguish-
! ed and the work was done in the dark
Three men stood on the inside and
! passed the cases and kegs of beer to
! the men in the doorway, who threw
them into the yard to be smashed. The
! crowd used heavy sledges, axes, ma
| sons hammers and crowbars. The own
| ers of the place made no resistance.
Patroman Boyles and Waterman Con-
nors We're called from the Union Pacific
depot, two blocks away and were the
! t1,.N
| yard from Curtis street and drove the
crowd back. Before the officers arrived
thirty cases and two kegs of beer haa
been smashed and the debris was scat
| tered over the yard. When the officers
! arrived the crowd fell back to a ditch
near Jackson street. where the leaders
! succeeded in rallying the forces. While
| the crowd was being driven back, 20 op
| 80 shots We're fired. When the crowd re-
! treated TO jackson street the officers
were near the building, and Adams was
| between the officers and the crowd.
| When he was shot he fell by pile Of
wood When the crowd found that one
of the members haa been shot, they
| dispersed.
Chief Stahl was summoned. but did
! not arrive there until the crowd had
| left He said:
, The other raids have been expected
and l have had the officers posted. but
that was a complete curprise. We had
| no idea that it was gong to take place.
My information is that nearly all the
| Joints on the south side have been sup
! piled for the last three or four days
from this Curtis street storage. and lit
tie II any has come from Moeser'S."
| "When Connors and l arrived said
| Patrolman Boyles. "the, crowd yelled,
Mob 'em.' Hang en- Burn EN-.
arrested DIR. Mitchell and Rev. F. w.
| Emerson They seemed to be the lead
ers. When I got there. they stopped
| carrying out the beer. DR.. Mitchell was
! giving orders. All the crowd had white
| handkerchiefs tied over their faces, but
DIR Mitchells and Rev. Emerson's hand
ixerchiefs came off. / went to where
| Shey We're throwing out the stuff and
told them to stop. The crowd fail back
toward Jackson street and the shooting
,oommenced / shot twice in the air.
Adams was running toward the crowd
when he was shot. He had a sledge
and steel bar in his hands. He did
! mot say a word when he FELL
Watchman Connors' story is corrob-
Grafton of that of Officer Boyle's.
| when we got into the yard Emerson