The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-17
RUNNING FIGHT WITH MOE

Az VAN ANlO tO1lSlL OFCI LuC
Traction company strike that Cover
nor Odell has given up his proposed
trip to the state institutions which he
had undertaken and has returned to
the executive Mansion.
Over 1000 armed soldiers are now
within ,le city limits more are coming
and $500 are in readiness to move to
Troy when Governor Odell so orders.
The streets are thronged with excit-
ed men. women and children and an
otherwise quiet day terminated in
bloodshed. A dramatic element was
added to today's features by the sud-
den death of General Hoffman.
AS long as the Traction
does not attempt to move cars or bring
in non-union men the crowds on the
street remain good natured, except
for haunting the soldiers and police.
but the instant an attempt is made to
work on the lines or bring non-union
men in the crowd becomes frenzied
and bloodshed results. Citizens sabre
slashed, %non-union men with broken
limbs and bloody faces, women and
children trampled under foot, soldiers
manned with flying missiles and lead
ers in the crowd beaten with muskets
were some of h results of the day.
The mob and militia closed in COM
bat late this afternoon, but by acct
dent, or fortune, there were no serious
casualties. 1t was the intention of
non-unlon men to take the place Of
striking employees that produced vio-
lence.
About rs non-union men reached the
Union depot shortly before 6 o'clock
and their delivery at the Quail street
barn, a mile and a half away was made
with a dash under a cavalry escort
with mob resistnce in almost every
block. Frenzied men swrmed through
the police line, surged around the fast
moving cavalry and fought to get at
the coWed non-union men inside the
circle OF galloping horses. The rays
OF the setting sun gave CLINT to busy
sabres, but the long blades welded
by f~orbearing hands descended in no
serious blows. Several OF the mob
were knocked down by cornered cav
alryh1en, but the record does not vet
show a single fatality.
In passing through the streets few
or the n%on-uniOn men escaped flying
bricks n stones thai were hurled at
them, but less than a dozen were badly
hurt. The courage of nearly a dozen
OF them failed them in the opening
squirt through the crowds and they
sprang from the wagons that carried
to the grounds and were lost
in the crowds.
Edward M. Hoffman, of Elmira. adj
Jutant general of the national guard
and chief of the governors staff. died
suddenly today in this city. He was
IN consultation with Major General
hoe, commander of the national guard
concerning the disposition of troops
called into service to quell the distur-
bance incident to the street. railway
employees strike, when he was over
come by faintness. He was assisted
to his room but died before a physi.
clan could be called. General Hoffman
was about so years of age.
The ride of the non-union men
through the city vas the dramatic
spectacle of the day. At 5 o'clock the
Third signal corps mounted and armed
as cavalrymen formed a hollow square
around the non-union men who had
Just arrived at the depot. Five thous-
ana men tagged at their heels and
damned around them and thousands
more damned the intersecting streets.
Fifty policemen formed a Gordon
around the waiting dragons and tried
force the crowd back. The street
was cleared, but a mass of humanity
the sidewalk held firm and could
not be moved. Broken alley that s
alongside the depot was the
stage of operations. Into it were {
1rlVen four %1at-topped open trucks. I
The crowd recognized them as the
vihicles that had carried the I
arst batch of strike breakers and 1
greeted them with groans. Suddenly s
ne side door of the depot was thrown I
n up the alleyway toward the 7
waiting teams marched the non-union
men. Once they were all on board the
irlvers brought their teams out into t
street, the cavalry closed in around
and the race was on. High up e
n a window on the top floor of the i
3oradway building a wildly excited c
nan barked out imprecations on the
leads OF the luckless fellows below t
I'm and 10000 men took up the hue d
nd cry. The police threw themselves
cross the street in a solid nhoio,v