Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-05-24

der heavy guards and there was al
impression that the spirit Of tur~
bulence was waning. There had been
come minor demonstrations, particu'
larly in North Albany, but not shot
had been fred, and as the day passed
the running of cars attracted but lit
tie attention. The volley fred OH
Broadway by a squad of Twenty
third infantrymen, in which Leroy
Smith and William Walsh, we'll known
citizens, fell mortally wounded
changed all that. It stirred anew the
feeling of hatred as the exciting It'd
ings swept through the city and the
guardsmen were bitterly denounced.
Neither Of the men had been guilty OF
an offense, but were caught in
crowd, some member of which had
stoned the guardsmen. and
BY Mischance Were Hit.
The disturbance was not serious
one and murder" is the title applied
by infamed public sentiment to the
shooting. The guardsmen seem but
to have followed their duty as SOL
diers, for they were under orders to
shoot if assaulted. The bright pros
pect of settlement of the strike has
not served to allay the growth of vim
dictive feeling and If the present sit
uation continues acts Of bitter re-
venge and violence may be expected.
IT. was on the last run of the soldiers
on the cars that the tragedy of the
day occurred. Near Columbia stree:
truck blocked the way of a car and
urged on by the crowd the driver re-
fused to move on as speedily as de-
sired. The crowd wcs very noisy and
there was much confusion. The car
finally moved forward into the next
block and a stone was hurled at it.
There was sharp command and as
the car slowed down four shots were
fired from it. Leroy Smith was
Longing on the steps of his store;
William Walsh, his business neighbor
from across the street, was his imme-
date companion, and a small crowd
hung about near them. 1t was into
this crowd that the guardsmen fired
at a range of less than 20 feet. Smith
and Walsh were both shot in the alb
domen and fell where they stood. A
third man, William Rooney, was
slightly hurt by glancing bullet.
Some Of the guards stepped from the
car and reloaded their pieces. The
Startled crowd fell back at the first
shot and moment later the guards
sprang aboard the car and were rap
idly wheeled from the scene. Smith
and Walsh
Were Hurried Away to Hospitals
for surgical care, and an angry crowd
swarmed in the street to curse and de-
nounce the guardsmen. Smith is
member Of the shoe, manufacturing
firm of Smith & Herrick and citizen
of wealth, responsibility and promi-
nence. He is so years Of age and has
family. Walsh is the head Of &
plumbing firm. and well known in
business circles. Neither man had
any part other than as spectators: in
the demonstration thLt provoked the
shooting. The remainder of the cars
made the run to- North Albany and
back without trouble, and when they
reached Quail street barn were housed
for the night. When the cars were all
in the guards In the street were re-
called. ,.-,% .~5'.*.: ~, sr2>
William Walsh died after being
taken to the hospital. Robert Smith.
the other man shot, is Slightly. i'm:
proved. The shooting Of Smith and
Walsh had q very depressing eject
upon the members Of the Twenty
third regiment and when stones were
hurled at the pickets in and around
Quail street barn they. did not IRE.
Two privates were hit and hurt. but
they did not care to take a chance by
firing. t was held BY the officers and
men that the general order "a fire
was entirely justified, but there was
general regret at the consequence Of
the vo1ley. s,:s5 .s.r ,.s4z.E$ ., VI. f :..5
Ia the morning there will BE over
5000 guardsmen in. and around Al
bany 81 81 sz H. / ;,ss .. :
= il =, *