An Armed Posse Meets a Railroad Camp Riot

Early this morning Roadmaster Ole Bakke, in charge of the construction work on the Idaho & Washington Northern extension at Ruby, had difficulty with a gang of Bulgarians, which resulted in a small-sized riot.

There were about 56 Bulgarians in the gang and they had been working at surfacing the past few days. This morning, when loading up their outfit to go to work, some of them climbed onto the cars and refused to assist in loading. Mr. Bakke ordered the interpreter to put the men to work, which that individual refused to do, and Bakke discharged him. The interpreter called to the men and the whole bunch piled onto Ole, with threats to kill him, and in the melee he was handed several blows on the head, bruising his right ear.

The work train pulled out for Usk, with Mr. Bakke on the engine and the Bulgarians loaded onto flat cars. When Usk was reached they refused to allow Mr. Bakke to go further, and compelled him to seek refuge in the depot, threatening to kill him if he came out.

A hurry call was sent to Newport for help and a freight engine and caboose sent here from Dalkena to take down a posse of 24 men under command of Constable Mills. The posse was armed with all kinds of firearms and the caboose bristled with deadly weapons as it pulled into the Usk station. The Bulgarians were lined up on the depot platform, making no disturbance, but keeping their eye on the roadmaster. They submitted to being placed under arrest and searched without making any resistance.

The whole bunch of 56 was brought to Newport on the 1:50 passenger and taken to the City Hall, where they are held under armed guard. Justice Long gave them an opportunity to plead guilty to assault and battery and pay a fine of $1 and costs, which would amount to about $7 per man, but they retained Attorney Jones to defend them and will fight the case. They claim that the men who were not at work at the time the fracas started were sick and that they have a grievance against the railroad company, in that they were not provided with proper camp quarters. The interpreter claims that Mr. Bakke struck the first blow and has sworn out a warrant against him for assault and battery.

Attorney Rochford, of Colville, has been appointed by Prosecuting Attorney Kirkpatrick to represent the state in the hearing, which will be held this evening after the arrival of Mr. Rochford on the 7:10 train. In the meantime the guarding and feeding of the bunch of men is bothering the local authorities. There is not enough money in the party to pay a fine of even $1 and costs, and what to do with them may become a serious problem.