The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-02-17
RECALLS DAYS OF
CAPITOL FIGHT
WHEN JOHN NJ. QUINN, EDITOR.
COAxED MINERS no VOTE
FOR HELENA
Battle Ground Was Butte; How
Quinn Was Kept Advised Of the
Inside Councils of the Anaconda
Committee and How Marcus DAILY
Discovered the Leak.
By Frank TrainOr


By Frank TrainOr
The last big fight over the loca-
ton of the state capitol in Montana
developed many interesting, and
sometimes amusing, features in the
various towns of the state. But
there was one incident of that men,
orable campaign, the story of which
has never been told, and it cOntri-
buted in no mean degree to the sue
cess of Helena in winning the much
coveted prize.
Silver Bow county was the battle
ground of the campaign and Butte
was seething caldron of frenzied
humanity. That day was counted lost
whose setting sun had not provided
a whole series of sensations for one
or both of the opposing sides. John
NJ. Quinn was the editorial writer
of the Butte Miner, which had es-
poused the cause of Helena, and
Quinn. luridly, verbally, adjectivally
and virulently "lambasted" his OPP
ponents. Even Quinn's foes later adj
mitted that Quinn's hot-air blasts
aided largely in inducing the miners
employed by the Anaconda Company
to throw their support to Helena.
But much of the effectiveness of
Quinn's campaign thunder was due
to the fact that during the progress
of the campaign he was in full pos
session of the enemy's plans. This
Information not only aided Quinn but
also the members of the Helena COM
mittee. who were able to forestall
or checkmate the operations of the
opposition. And the discovery of
the leak" was made by Marcus DAILY
himself, but not until it was too
late to undo the mischief.
4 Human Dictaphone
The Anaconda committee head
quarters were in a store room on the
ground floor of the Beaver block. At
the rear of this store room was an
air-well having a transom on the
ground floor and an opening on the
second floor. A young man named
Hunter, a friend of Quinn's, rented
a room on the second or hotel floor,
this room having large opening on
the air-well. When the committee
meetings were being held Hunter
lowered himself from the opening in
his room to point opposite the tran
som on the ground floor. There, un-
observed, he not only heard every
word uttered but was able to recog-
nize the speaker. After the meeting
Hunter reported what he had heard
to Quinn. Some of this Information
was passed on to the Helena COM
mittee but enough was published in
the Miner each morning to show that
there was big leak somewhere.
The members of the committee
were astounded to find themselves
so accurately reported. Each men,
Der began to suspect the other of
babbling secrets, or worse still, of
being spy in the camp, and much
bad blood was engendered. Strenu-
Gus efforts were made to run down
closely watched from the time they
left the committee room until they
entered their homes. A score of de-
tectives trailed suspects throughout
the city. But still the Miner contin>
ued to accurately report the proceed
ings. The lack of harmony among
the members began 10 De nOtlccdOI6
and did not tend to help the cause.
There was something of a panic, too.
for their plans were thwarted at
every turn.
DAILY Discovers Leak
One evening Marcus DAILY entered
the committee room to attend an i'm.
. portant meeting. CHANGING about the
room his eyes fell on the open tran
som of the air-well. Turning to the
members of the committee, in thai
notable sarcastic drawl of his, hi
said:
Say, you fellows" pointing to tn,
transom, that's where Quinn gets al
his news. Close that transom, ant
keep it closed.'
!, Hunter, at his listening post, heart
!. the unmistakable voice and hastil,
!, clambered back to safety. The Minel
, next morning was silent about tn,
meeting and no more authentic re
! ports of committee meetings appear
ed. But the mischief had alread,