Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-01-05
THRILLS, TRAGEDY
IN ROLLER RINK
EARLY DAY AMUSEMENT HALL IN
MILES CITY SCENE OF EX-
CITING INCIDENTS
High Point of Passing Drama Came
When fastener Unable to Weather
the Liquor of Cattle Country Me-
tropolis Killed His Brother.
By D. J. o'MALLEY ON KID,

~ S' " NAhALL1 tN-N KID
Among the almost forgotten
tragedies that occurred in Miles
City during the SOS, was the kill
ing of AL Smith, the roller skater
by his brother, Frank Smith. Dur,
ing the SOS the United States was
IN the throes of the roller skating
craze, and Miles City, though but
a small frontier town, was bitten
pretty hard by the roller skating
pug. In 1884, Perkins Russell 2
SSnieeepman, built a skating rink in Miles
Cty The skating surface nea sIlreS
~ by $50 feet and there was a STAGE
OF ample size and fitted with TIE
scenery Of a first class theater.
Mlies City was a good show town
az ana "a many of the troupes held the
stage for week at a time and showad
" sooa houses each night. Among the
nlost prominent showing there as re.
~ laet nIt,F BY the writer, were George
Putnam a nddaMkHiS iEpea ian, plays; Katie
dramatic dramatic artists. R. G. GBob5 Ineersoil
known known as The Infidel," lectlired On
Inc Mistakes of Moses" John Me-
G lure. afterwards a noted theatrical
manager at Butte, appeared in mono
stage at different times. Vic
=, Many political speakers spoke tn
N! ne voters from the stage at the rink
me writer remembers listening to siich
nota6ie political speakers as Wilbur
tCol. Sanders, Thomas H. TOM
H Hon j, martin "a I'm McGinnis, W. A. Clark,
aockies), and others, lambast eac5
the rink 0'oiia'eS al
It was from this stage that Colonel,
sanders and Tom Carter made use of
noiiticsI S,s mat have gone on in the
SAID at one time when extollinp the
virtues OF candidate that "He shone
out on the political horizon of Mon
lana IKE diamond on a dirty shirt
Colonel Sanders in one of his tir.d.s
against the democratic party said
there: Remember, my friends, I do
not say that every democrat is a horse
thlef, but I do say and in all truth.
tulness; that I never knew, or saw a
morse thief who wasn't democrat
put on at the rink. Artists came from
az over the United States to Miles
City. Trick and fancy skaters. male
and female, singly, in pairs, and as
many as TOUR In one combination gave
exhibltions OF their prowess on the
1SSe wo6OAAo, DIS JULIET SKATES were
called by the Indians. A roller skatine
horse and one-legged man skater
were among the varied attractions Of
fered to the public. The latter used a
crutch fitted with wheels to assist him
in his gyrations.
One exhibitor who did clog dancing
on skates stayed week and when he
LETT he took with him one Of Miles
Citys eligible young ladies in an elope-
ment.
Miles City boosted two speedy skat-
ers, Ed Goettlich and Dominick White
They skated number Of races against
outsiders and lost very few. Goettlicf
defeated the North Dakota 1O-mile
champion (whose name caEnot be re-
called. White ran away from the
Butte ftve-mtle man (whose name was
| Walker) defeating him by. one-eighth
OF . mile In a five-mile race. Local
| contests were staged and for q Ions
time Rllssels roller rink was the busiest
place IN town. When the stage wa
not IN use the rink floor was filled
night.
In the early part Of September, 1885
Two vel dressed men got off the N. p
| passenger train at Miles City, and 90
ing TO the Inter Ocean hotel (after.
ward the MacQueen) registered q A
smith ana Prank Smith from Chicago