The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-01-08
CRAWFORD IS NEAR
FIST FIGHT WITH
STATE TREASURER
This And Roundup
With Byrne Causes
a Sensation.
BRINGS CHARGES
Senator Accused Byrne Adj
mlnistration of Selling Out
to Homestake.

Pierre, S. D.-A wordv alteration
between United States Senator Coe T.,
Crawford and State Treasurer A. w.
Ewert, in the lobby of the ST.
Charles hotel Saturday night, going
almost as far as blows, and another
clash between Crawford and Gov.
Byrne in the latter's office, furnished
the really big sensation OF the meet.
ing OF the various state proposal COM
mittees here. While report unloubt-
eddy exaggerated the seriousness OF
truth in them TO cause a lot OF coi..-
ment among the hundreds OF politi-
cial characters gathered at Pierre,
The trouble all came about as a re-
suit OF the writing of letters by Sen
ator Crawford to some South Dakota
republican leaders, bringing the
charge hat the Byrne administration
had sold out" to the Homestake
mine interests. This, as nearly as
can be learned, was the outGrowth of
the action OF the majority faction in
Lawrence county, which endorsed
Burke for Senator and Byrne for gov
ernor. Crawford accepted this as
pretty good evidence of a deal, where
by he was to have been eliminated.
Crawford's Ire was Up.
When he arrived in Pierre, Senat-
or Crawford was evidently ready to
go to the mat with the state ad.
ministration crowd. 1t has been an
open secret for some time that Bvrne
Is not as much enamored of Craw-
ford as he was at one time. Crawford
was ready with threats to EXPOSE
the whole affair" and to "turn ON the
light"
The encounter between Ewert and,
Crawford was noisy i'm the extreme.
but was called off when it seemed in
e%vltable that the quarrel would end
IN a INST light. Crawford bad undoubt-
edly seen references to IA visit made
by Ewert to the Black Hills shortly
before the meeting of the Lawrence
county committee and Crawford lett
no doubt OF the fact that he was will
ing to associate Ewert's visit with
the action OF that county in endors-
ing Burke and Byrne and leaving
Crawford out of it altogether.
GOV. .Byrne refused to make a pub
nc statement today about his inter-
view with Crawford. He stated that
1t was entirely private, no others he
ing present, and that he did not know
how any word of it could have been
made public.
1t was learned. however, that Craw
ford was asked by Bvrne for an az.
PLANTATION of his charges that the
Byrne administration had sold ont
10 the Homestake mining interests.
Byrne's Rcioinder.
IF your charge against me, sir, is
true, then should be impeached i'm
~mediately," is said to have been
byrne's declaration to the Senator.
Just what evidence was brought
to the Senator's attention bv Bvrne
is not known, but it was conspicuous
today that Senator Crawford wac de-
claring that he was entirely in the
wrong In his charge against Byrne.
1t Is known here that Byrne has
received many letters and messages
IN the last two months urging him to
become a candidate for the United
states Senate. However Byrne has re-
FUSED to consider such a thing and
mas declared that so far as he was
concerned the county mass onven
tlons early in December settled the
majority nomination of Crawford for
Senator and himself for governor.
Further, it is asserted i'm Byrne's
oehalf that he knew nothing about
the reasons for the action of Law.
renee county in endorsing him and
Burke. 1t is declared by MANY, how
ever, that the object of Lawrence
county was solely to secure for judge
itlce the majority nomination for
congress in the Third district. 1t has
been the plan of campaign by his fol-
lowers to attempt to eliminate the
TWO factions and thus to assure the
nomination of Rice, or at least his
acceptance by the majority side.