The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-11-21
|. v. v. KILL FOUR
IN LEGION PARADE
DEADLY vOLLEY POURED FROM
ROOFS OVER HEADS OF PA
TRioTic CITIZENS
CROWD HANGS ONE OF BAND
Lights of City Are Cut off and Mob
Removes l. W. w. Secretary From
Jail and Hangs Him to Bridge
Building Wrecked by Crowd

Centralla, wash, NOV. 1Z.--F0ur
American legion men are dead; three
are wounded, one perhaps fatally
Britt Smith. secretary of the Centraiia
local of the !. w. W., is hanging dead
from the bridge over the Chehalis
river, and the /. w. w. hall is Quilted
as the result Of an /. w. w. attack
on an Armistice day parade conducted
by the American legion in this city
yesterday.
Five hours after the volleys were
fired from the l. w. w. headquarters
and adjoining buildings, mob cut off
the lights of the city, broke the Jail
door, snatched Smith from the jail
and rushed him in an automobile
through mud and wafer to the bridge
three quarters of mile from town.
The /. w. w. hall was fired by the
mob.
The dead are:
Warren Grimm, attorney, lieutenant
with the American forces In Siberia.
Arthur McElfresh, soldier in France
for IS months.
Ben Casagranda, Greek bootblack,
and soldier with the 91st division.
Dale Hubbard, former soldier
Britt Smith. hanged by the mob.
The wounded are:
John Earl Watt, ex-service man, per-
haps fatally wounded.
Emery Coleman, shot through the
leg, wound not serious.
Eugene Philger, Chehalis, ex-service
man, not serious.
The Armistice day parade passed
through crowded streets, led by Capt.
David Livingston. who served in
France with the 16lst infantry, the
Washington regiment. AS the head of
the line rounded into Tower avenue.
they marked time, awaiting the rear
of the line to catch up. Fully 100 men
were in line in platoon formation. The
last end of the line had just turned
on Tower avenue when the desultory
fire opened.
The shots seemed to come from sew
eral directions, but the onIookers be-
lieved the most of the shots were
fired from l. w. W. headquarters in
the old Roderick hotel and from the
Avalon hotel, across the street.
McElfresh fell first, shot through
he head. Grimm dropped an instant
alter and Casagranda put his hand to
lis stomach and groaned as spIteful
shot rang out.
The crowd was nor appalled, by the
shooting, but started Immediately for
he l. w. W., who We're scattering from
he different exits of the building.
- A.
working an automatic which
ahmed. He started On a run through
yard with "a crswd following.
Coleman was among those in the
cad. Smith was firing all the time.
lis gun working perfectly by this
ime. He appeared to have plenty OF
Coleman dropped with
shot through the leg and the crowd
ollowed. The fleeing /. w. w. secre-
airy was chased to the Skokokum
buck river, where he leaped down
he bank with Hubbard close behind
i'm. Seeing that he could not swim
he stream, Smith turned back and
ashed up the bank, where he was
by Hubbard Then Smith
red three times into Hubbard's body
moment later the gunman was over
oMered by Howard Barner. Without
eremony Smith was hauled to Jail,
'om which he was later taken by the
lob and hanged.
Bob Burrows, farmer, living near
lie bridge, is the best witness to tho
angling.
"The man was struggling between
he men who held him. said Burrows.
They worked without word. l saw
lem stop not far from the .Pnd of the
ridge nearest the. city and throw
'pe over the crossbeam. The body
ent over with thud and then a
lot was fired. Then more shots. H.
God distance away while perhaps
shots In all were fired close to the
,dy."
A bullet went through Smiths neck
ose to where the moose had torn a
lping hole in the flesh. Burrows said
at the crowd went away In their ma
lines without word.
Soldiers and sailors, all heavily 4
med, guarded the jail during the
ght. The II !. W. W. prisoners there
iced their cells nervously. Among
e prisoners was Elmer. Smith, at
rney for the l. w. w. crowd, who
IS arresteA In his office ny w. II.
-ayum. principal Of the high school.
q q crowd Of Boy Scouts.