The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1934-05-04
SHERIFF FORCES
SALE OF COMBINE

CONTINUED from Front Page) "
He first told the committee that
the lawyer would be on the wire
within ten minutes. Immediately
thereafter he shouted: Get your
guns, boys, get your guns" With
his armed force he tried to rush
the farmers and sweep them off
their feet while the committee was
still waiting for the phone call to
come thru.
The first one to start shooting 4.
was Murray, the under-sheriff.
Shaking and trembling all over he
pressed the trigger of his sawed
off shotgun shooting over the
heads of the crowd. When he saw
that the shot did not have the eff
feet he evidently had expected, he
maddered and hit the fellow next
to him, Simon Swanson, in the face
with the gun.
Farmers Keep Their Heads
Right then and there, there
would have occurred a bloody fight
and some people would have been
wounded and killed, if the farm
ers would not have been able to
control themselves. But they rec
ognized the desperate attempt of
this man Murray to provoke blood
shed and they kept, their heads;
but they did not give up one inch
of ground. They were enraged
through the unnecessary display OF
guns and the wild action of Muir
ray, but at the same time they
pitied these poor fellows who with
shooting irons in their hands were
shaking in their boots.
To some people it seemed as II
the under-sheriff was putting on a
show, as if he tried to impress
upon the Mainstreeters what a
heroic sheriff he would make. I'm
fortunately, his dignity was slight
| ly hurt when he had to pick up his
heroic self out of the dirt later on.
Several shots rang out and one
went off in the sheriff's office
where a nervous deputy pulled the
trigger by mistake, when Sheriff
Madsen and his aides climbed on
top of the combine. At this time,
with the help of several Plenty
wood business firms, the fire hose
were turned on the farmers.
Use Sulphuric Acid
And the farmers were not only
to be drenched with water but sui
phuric acid and by-carbonate soda
mixed with water was used to dis
perse the crowd. However, the
pressure of the water lasted only
a short while. Suddenly on sew
eral places the hose spran" leaks
and deputies, fiuemen and some
spectators got equally drenched
with chemicals and water.
One farmer who rot some OF the
water into his eye had to seek the
care of a physician. But when old
man Jonasen was knocked in the
face by Lard S. Olson and blood
was streaming down his shirt
front, several of the firemen and
gun thugs became acquainted with
the fists of the farmers.
Murray and one of the firemen
sommersaulted off the truck, be-
longing to the farmers; the no.
torious L. S. Olson, who had in
jured Chris Jonasen, also went
: down into the dirt. There were
several others who were quite i'm.
pressed by the callous fists of the
farmers.
Sell Combine
By this time the sheriff got all
ready to put through the sale. He
commanded Murray to read the
conditions of the sale. The under
sheriff with his gun cooked and
swinging it around, sputtered out
, the words as fast as he could.
81 am bid 5000. First, second
and third; sold to the RumelN
. Company" he said without giving
anybody chance to put in an Of
fer. The sale did not last a minut,
and it seemed that Sheriff Madsel
was awfully glad that it was over
He had sold a combine without tn,
motor and the front truck.
Then, apparently he was not S,
sure what to do next; he scenes
to have no idea how to make
! goodlooking retreat so he remaineC
F high up on top of the machine
nursing his gun, very impress
i've monument.
If that man ever was Inundated
; he was Inundated then. The farm
ers told him plenty. "Vote TO
Sheriff Madsen! Just look at hir
and then vote for him at the mex
election again; the Sheriff o
Sheridan countyp several of them
who had helped to put him into
s office at the last election, shoute,
Q ironically. IN
f Listens to Lectures
Long before the sheriff quietl
disappeared he had to listen to
q good many. lectures. Mrs. Grac
Q Henderson, standing en- the trucl
explained to the farmers and spec
: tators: "I am ashamed to have