Distinctly Montana Magazine

www.DistinctlyMontana.com 31 www.blacktieskis.com | 406-995-3372 | bigsky@blacktieskis.com Aspen/Snowmass • Banff • BIG SKY/MOONLIGHT Boone, NC NEW! • Breckenridge/Keystone Crested Butte • Jackson Hole • Mammoth North Lake Tahoe • Park City/Deer Valley South Lake Tahoe • Steamboat • Telluride Vail • Whistler • Whitefish, MT NEW! • Winter Park NORTH AMERICA'S LARGEST SKI AND SNOWBOARD RENTAL DELIVERY SERVICE USE COUPON CODE DISTMT22 AND RECEIVE 20% OFF ALL SEASON LONG! BEST BEST SKI RENTAL SKI RENTAL COMPANY COMPANY N O R T H A M E R I C A' S L A R G E S T N O R T H A M E R I C A' S L A R G E S T IN-ROOM FITTING SLOPE-SIDE SERVICE COMPLIMENTARY RETURN But Hogan arrived in Billings to the biggest crowd of support- ers yet. Some 500 people surrounded the train with, according to author Dave Walter, "400 pounds of beef, 250 loaves of bread, and 400 pounds of potatoes" for the Coxeyites. But Haley had caught up as well, going before the assembled crowd and de- manding their surrender. One of Haley's deputies fired his rifle —we don't know whether there was provocation or no—and the crowd erupted into bedlam. Another thirty or so rounds were fired, striking a few of the Coxeyites. One errant shot killed an innocent Billings tin worker named Charles Hardy. The crowd responded by taking the men's rifles and smashing them against the train tracks while Haley and his men attempted to retreat to the safety of their train. Hogan told the crowd not to pursue the lawmen—further violence wouldn't do any good. Billings officials, for their part, held ten of the deputized "scum" for the wrongful death of Hardy. That night, they finally stopped Hogan's train. The same judge who had issued the injunction against the hijackers now peti- tioned President Grover Cleveland to use federal power to stop the Coxeyites. Cleveland consented, calling up troops from Fort Keogh to move to Forsyth and stop the men by any means neces- sary. Hogan's train had arrived at Forsyth earlier to resupply and rest. Hogan, no doubt considering the bloodshed that had erupt- ed at the Billings station, telegraphed the authorities that he and his "army" had no intention of resisting if met by troops. After receiving that communique, Northern Pacific superin- tendent telegraphed the Forsyth yard to see if the train was still there. It was. Six companies of the Twenty-Second U.S. Infantry loaded onto a Northern Pacific special and sped to Forsyth. True to his word, Hogan surrendered to the real Army on April 26. Hundreds of his followers were rounded up, even as many others jumped off of the train and scattered for whatever cover they could find. An inventory of their effects noted that there were only three firearms among all the men, and the only one that worked was a mere .22 caliber. One state newspaper stated that, among the men, "forty-three copies of the Bible were found. The Army didn't seem to be composed of such desperate characters after all." HOGAN TOLD THE CROWD NOT TO PURSUE THE LAWMEN— FURTHER VIOLENCE WOULDN'T DO ANY GOOD.

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