Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-08

Things were breaking at the Man
chester dance hall, seven miles west OF
Great Falls, early Sunday morning
beer bottles, window glass. mirrors and
furniture-and out of the wreckage
were landed five fellows in the county
Jail and n in the hospital. 1t was
a dance hall riot deluxe which featured
a soft drink dispenser and a dance hall
proprietor and seven or eight youths
who craved excitment-and got it.
Those arrested on a charge Of dis
orderly conduct gave their on
Ford, Fred Anderson. George Reed
Arthur Doctor and Earle Williams, all
of Great Falls. Investigation showed
that those giving the names of Fred
Anderson, Arthur Doctor and Earle
Williams, were Matt Bross, Fred
Springer and Arthur Peterson. George
Bross, also in the group that disturbed
the calm gayety of the dance hall, was
taken to the hosuital where 10 stitches
were required to sew up a cash in his
head. He is said to have stopped a
beer bottle that knocked him tempo
rarily out of the argument.
Attempts to Remove Youth
The fight started when the Great
Falls lads motored to Manchester and
attempted to enter the dance hall. w.
E. Kennedy. who was in charge of the
dance hall, ordered them from the hall.
He told Sheriff Bob Gordon after
wards that the boys were drunk and
that it wasn't his policy to admit stag
parties under any condition as they
were usually the nucleus of trouble.
1t is reported that when Bill Reneau,
the soft drink dispenser, began forcibly
to emove one of the boys in the stag
party the fracas was on in earnest.
Those who witnessed the battle say
that it rivaled a barroom riot of the
old days. Guests at the dance went
through doors. sneaked under chairs
crawled through windows and gave the
crowd plenty of room. The soft drink
dispenser fought well, say those who
were brave enough to watch the fight
No telephone available, Kennedy took
dispatch a friend in a car for the
sheriff. Sheriff Gordon and Deputy
Fred Huotari crawled out of the blank
cts and hit a hard pace for the battle
field.
Had "Cieaned Out" Place
About a mile from the Manchester
dance hall they met Kennedy walking
toward Great Falls. The gang from
the Smelter City had cleaned out the
place and were holding the keys to the
hall when he left. Kennedy said. He
was bruised. battered and weak from
fighting. but he was in good condition
in comparison to Reneau, who lay on
the floor with battle scars all over
him.
Gordon and HuotaIi wasted no time
They had been in bed only Is minutes
and were tired out from a "%stilll' raid
at Belt a short time previous to the
riot call. and were in the mood for
grabbing alleged bad men. They ar
rested the ~victors of the dance hall
brawl with little trouble and brought
them into the county Jail. Two youths
in the party. according to the sheriff,
Cy La Due and Billy Woods, were not
present when the officers made the
haul at the dance pavilion. They had
disappeared during the fight. some of
the boys told Sheriff Gordon.
Many Visitors at Dance
1t was a happy party until opposition
forces started taking possession of the
place, Kennedy said. There was a
moon that made the night fine for
driving and a big crowd from Great
Falls attended the dance. A few min