The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-17
THREE MEN FATALLY WOUNDED
Injured Men All Prominent Citizens Who Were Merely
Speetators-Publc Sentiment Strongly Deprecates
Shootng-OnlyO beyed Orders.

Albany, N. Y, May 16.-Three mer
fatally wounded and hundreds Of
others with broken heads and cut
faces, cars running merely as ~arsenals
with no patrons, the city under mar
tial rule, with it's citizens in a frenzy
of excitement and the city authorities
and leaders of the strikers trying to
get the railway company to come to
an amicable settlement was the sit
uation when darkness put an end to the
strife growing out of the street car
strike tonight.
Those fatally wounded are William
Walsh, merchant; Leroy Smith, a mer.
chant, both shot by national guards
men; and William Marshall, a non
union motorman, skull fractured. The
others most seriously injured are:
George Booze, citizen, cheek chopped
open by bayonet; William Rooney,
Gilbert Hall, a non-union motorman,
shot by the mob.
Bloodshed After Peace.
Bloodshed anne after a day of
peace. From early morning crowds
had melted away before bayonets and
totguns, cars had been operated
-nder heavy guards and there was an
impression that the spirit of turbu-
m was waning. There had been
some minor demonstrations, practical
~ innocent in their results, but not
a shot had been fired and as the day
passed the running of cars attracted
but little attention. The volley fired
on Broadway by a squad of Twenty
third infantrymen, in which Smith
and William Walsh, well known citi-
zens fell MORALLY wounded, changed
all that. 1t stirred anew the feeling
OF hatred as the exciting tidings
swept through the city and the guards
men were bitterly denounced. Meth.
er OF the men had been guilty of an
oHense, but were caught in a crowd.
some member Of which stoned the
guardsmen and by mischance were
hit.
Inc disturbance was not serious
n murder is the title applied by
lnfamed public sentiment to the
shooting. The guardsmen seer but
to have followed their duty as sol
diers, for they we're under orders to
shoot if assailed. The bright pros
pect OF a settlement of the strike has
not served to allay the growth of
vindictive feeling and if the present
situation continues acts of bitter re-
Venge and violence may be expected.
1t was on the last run of the SOL
dlers on cars that the tragedy of the
day occurred. Cars were on Broad
way moving northward and a con
stantly swelling crowd was gathered
ABOUT the Union depot. The first of
the Workday ok mad been released
by the whistles that sounded through
the manufacturing district and they
were pouring into the crowd, Near
olum street a truck blocked the
way OF a car, urged on by the crowd
the driver refused to move on as
speedily as desired. Someone in the
crowd was very noisy and there was
much confusion. The car finally
moved forward into the next block
n another stone was hurled at it.
= Three Men Wounded.
There was a sharp command. and as
the car slowed down, four shots were
fired from ii. Leroy Smith lounged
on the steps of mis- store, William
walsh, his business neighbor from
across the street, was his immediate
and Smith hung about near
1t was into this crowd that the
guardsmen fired at a range of less
lhan ~ feet. Smith and Walsh were
both shot in the abdomen and fell
where they stood. The third man,
Rooney, was slightly hurt by
glanclng bullet. Some of the guards
stepped from the car and reloaded
heir pieces. The startled crowd fell
back at the first shot and a moment
alter the guards sprang aboard the
ar and were rapidly wheeled from
he scene.
Smith and Walsh were hurried
way to hospitals for surgical care
nd the angry crowd swarmed in the
treet to curse and denounce the ]
{
Smith is a member of the shoe {
manufacturing firm of Smith & Her. ]
lex and a citizen of wealth, respecta- |
ility and prominent. He is q member
/ the Albany club and q whist expert {
/ national reputation. He is so
Of age and has a family. Walsh c
head OF q plumbing firm and well
nown In business circles. Neither
had any part other than ma snoc. Y