Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1894 — DENVER UNDER ARMS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DENVER UNDER ARMS

TROOPS CALLED OUT BY GOV. WAITE. Entire Police and Fire Department, Aided by Deputy- Sheriff*. Refuse to Surrender —Neither Side Dares to Shoot—Be volt Against an Injunction. Surround the City Sall. Thursday wn an exciting day in Denver, t ram 2 o'clock in the afternoon until 9 o'clock in the evening the First Regiment, Colorado National Guards, the Chaffee Light Artillery, and the Signal Corps were drawn up in front of the City Hall. A big brass “Napoleon” and two Gatling guns were trained upon the building, and the order to fire was momentarily expected. The people of Denver awoke Thursday morning to find then selves under martial law. The Governor of Colorado had late Wednesday evening summoned the State troops mentioned above to assemble at their a mory, Twenty-sixth and Curtis streets, at 10 o’clock a. m. Thursday. The Governor’s oiders did not, bl course, specify what the troops were wanted for, and the venerable, but pugnacious. executive refused flatly to ta'k, but of course the whole town knew. This critical situation was brought about by the determination of Gov. Waite to oust the two members of the fire and police board, Jack-

son Orr and D. J. Martin, whom he removed'for protecting gambling houses, and place in office their successors, S. D. Barnes and Dennis Mullins. Messrs. Orr and Martin, having obtained from the District Gourt an injunction restraining Gov. Waite from forcibly removing them, were determined to resist to the utmost. Prepare for Battle. The order for the troops to move was given at 2 o'clock. All the men were attired in fatigue uniform, and the artillerymen looked especially warlike in their slouch hats and tightly fitting suits. There was an average of twenty men to a gun, and each of these weapons of death had four horses attached to it. At the city hall the whole police department was rapidly collected and prepared to defend the old fire and police board. In addition several hundred of the toughest citizens, many of whom have records as man killers, were sworn in as deputies by Sheriff Burchinall and placed in the city hall as a re-enforcement of the police department. Each deputy was armed with two six-shooters and instructed to use them in case of necessity. The police were armed with shotguns in addition to their clubs and revolvers. Chief Pearse of the fire department made early arrangements to assist in the battle, and his mode of warfare, while of a peculiar nature, was decided upoh as the first method oi action for the defense of the city halt Lines of hose were arranged throughout the building ready to be attached to the Are hydrants in order to greet the advance guard of the opposing forces with streams of water, to be given additional force by the use of the steam engines in the central station. Should the streams of water prove unavailing in protecting the hall from the invading forces the men wera so stationed as to open fire from behind the walls of the city building. The militia were drawn up in line of battle. The Gatling guns were turned on the city hall. The police force was drawn up on the main floor of the city hall, armed with rifles and shotguns, ready for action.

A Truce Arranged. The Chamber of Commerce took a hand in the overtures for peace and made several propositions to the Governor and the rival Police Board. Finally the Governor agreed to withdraw the troops and leave the old board in possession for a few days, if they would agree to submit the case at once to the Supreme Court on its merits. This proposition was promptly refused by Messrs. Orr and Martin, the de facto board.' Bloodshed now seemed inevitable. The American flag was at this point displayed out of the window of the Board of Trade. The crowd outside cbeeffed wildly. “They won’t dare fire on the flag,” somebody shouted. More cheering. Suddenly an order from the Governor came, stopping all hostilities for two hours. The reason soon became plain. Gov. Waite had been communicating with the War Department at Washington, and had secured orders for the regulars at Fort Logan to proceed tc Denver and assist in keeping the peace. They arrived by special train at 8:15 p. m.. and, went into camp 600 strong on the UniOrf depot platform, awaiting orders from Brig;~Gen. MoCook, commanding the Department of the Colorado. Gen. McCook had a conference with _ the Governor, and then. about 9 p m., the force of State militia that bad been stationed around the City Hall received marching orders. went to the armory, and there disbanded, subject to call, the men going to their homes. The Governor; was afraid that if firing was begun in the darkness some non-combatants might be shot and a general riot be precipitated. Friday morning a conference was held and Governor Waite agreed to submit his altercation with the police board to the Supreme Court and to abide by the decision. This determination ended the prospect of bloodshed which for two days kept Denver in a fever es excitement. The regular troops, under General McCook, were moved uptown to temporary quarters in the afternoon. During the day General McCook received instructions from the Secretary of War authorizing him to use the United States troops only for the protection of the Government’s property unless it was represented to him by the Governor of the State that the authorities were unable to suppress the insurrection. A dispatch says the troops have rations for eleven days and General McCook says they will remain until peace is assured.

GOVERNOR WAITE.