The Springfield herald., 1904-09-02
FIRE AT SHERIFF
SHOTS FROM MINISTER'S HOUSE
One Of Two Union Miners Shoots at
Sheriffs Posse From Residence of
Rev. T. S. Leland at Victor.


Denver, Aug. ga News special
from Victor last night says:
Two shots were fired at Sheriff Bell
and four of his deputies tonight from
the residence of Rev. 7. S. Leland. No
one was hit. The shots came from one
of two union miners. who. 1t is al
legged. sought refuge there in anticipa-
ton of a visit from whitecappers. Sew
eral shotguns and rifles were found in
the house. The two men, Arthur
Parker and L. r. jerks, were arrested.
Mr.. Leland was attending church at the
time, but was taken into custody later.
AT 8 o'clock tonight Sheriff Bell,
Undersheriff Underwood and Deputy
Sheriffs Dittemore, Chase and Benton,
together, went to the house of Rev. T..
S. Leland on South Fourth street. The
object of the posses visit is not gen.
orally known, but it appears to be cer-
tain that Sheriff Bell wanted to learn
who was in the Leland residence. Rev.
Mr.. Leland, who is pastor of the Meth
odist Church in this city, has been
compelled to keep a number of armed
men at his place because of threats
made against him during the past four
or five weeks to deport him. He was not
at his home when the sheriff and his
posse went there tonight. He was at
the Methodist church. The final out
come of the sheriff's visit is that Ar
thur Parker and l.. r. jerks, two min
ers' union men, recently released on
bonds in Cripple Creek for alleged
completely in the riot in this city on
June 9th last, and Rev. Mr.. Leland have
been placed under arrest by Sheriff
Bell, and are now in the county Jail at
Cripple Creek.
The affair assumed a violent aspect
for short time at the home of Mr..
Leland. One of the two union men
found in the house-it is not known
positively which one-fred two shots,
but neither shot hit any of the officers.
One of the bullets went through the
windows of residence diagonally
across the street. Sheriff Bell and his
deputies. as soon as the first shot was
fired, scattered little and got behlnd
the protection of the granite powders
which lie within fifteen or twenty feet
from the front of the Leland home. No
shots were fired by the sheriff or his
force The story of the encounter, as
given by several of the deputy sherifs,
is as follows:
When Sheriff Bell and his men got
within twenty-five feet of the Leland
residence, which was not lighted, a
command from inside the house to halt
was heard. The posse at once obeyed
the order, and Sheriff Bell answered
back:
This is the sheriff and ibis depu-
ties
"One of the men inside the house re-
piled: You can't come in
"a deputy stated: Wait a minute,
hOys They know me here
Deputy Sheriff Chase was the officer
who made the remark, he claims, be
cause he has been at different times
guarding the pastors home with
others. Deputy Chase then asked: lis
Mr.. Leland at home"
A voice inside the house answered:
"He is at church"
"Is Mr.. Long there?' asked Deputy
Chase.
The answer came from the inside:
He is at church. also"
Sheriff Bell then SPOKE up and said:
81 want to know who is in there II
Mr.. Leland is not at home
A voice inside the house was then
heard to remark: Il know Bell. There
he stands. He is the man with the
black hat on"
THE shots were then delivered from
INSIDE tHe HUuSt. uty were III 'h
through the casing on either side OF
the front door, which is in the north
west corner of the residence. Imme-
diately after the shooting Sheriff Bell
demanded that whoever was in the
house must surrender. He made the
demand twice and at the second order
voice in the house replied: I'VE will
give up"
The sheriff and his deputies then
went into the house and found that the
men whom the were dealing with
were Arthur Parker and l.. X. jerks,
both union men now out on bonds.
The news of the trouble at Rev. Mr..
Lelands home reached the church
where he was presiding. Quite a
crowd gathered there. Rev Mr.. Le-
land was informed of the trouble and
he went to his home. He was then ar
rested by Sheriff Bell. Parker and
jerks were taken to Cripple Creek on
the $50 low-line electric car. Rev.
Mr.. Leland was taken on the low-line
car which next followed.