A God in Ruins - Leon Uris [116]
Unloading and setting up a picket looks as though it were an illustration from the Army manual. Twenty state troopers and CBI detectives enter exhibition hall and move the night watchmen aside.
“Now hear this,” Butterworth said to the empty ballroom. “This facility is hereby seized under Colorado statute six-oh-four-A as a clear and present danger to public safety, and other crimes.”
Chapter 30
Breaking Story Breaking Story Breaking Story
“We take you now to our Denver affiliate. Don, are you there?”
“Yes, this is Don Fender, CNN, Denver. In the late hours of last night and the early hours of this morning, Colorado state troopers and the Colorado National Guard carried out a lightning raid intercepting a gun-running scheme. A second task force seized the Colorado convention center where the national AMERIGUN conclave was being held.”
“Can you tell us—”
“The operation apparently depended on secrecy and speed. Details are very slow coming in…”
Breaking Story Breaking Story Breaking Story
“…interrupt this program to bring you a breaking story from Denver.”
“This is Anita McGlore, MSNBC, Denver. The cock has crowed and Denver citizens are waking up this morning to the electrifying news of a major gun bust and the closure of the AMERIGUN convention. Governor Quinn Patrick O’Connell has scheduled a news conference for one o’clock this afternoon, Rocky Mountain time. It will be held at the historic Brown Palace Hotel.”
Rocky Mountain NewsGOVERNOR QUINN PADLOCKS ARMS SHOW
Denver PostMAJOR ARMS CACHE RAIDED
USA TodayTWO KILLED IN ARMS RAID. A PAIR OF BROTHERS, IDENTIFIED AS DRIVERS, DIE IN SHOOTOUT
New York Times (See story inside, section A, page 31)
A truckload of assault weapons was captured by the Colorado State Patrol and a small unit of the Colorado National Guard. Two drivers were killed in the operation and several hundred guns recovered.
New York PostGUN MUGGERS MUGGED
The “historic” Brown Palace buzzed with anticipation. Its atrium lobby soared nine stories to a glass roof which held an American flag four stories long.
By one o’clock some sixty print journalists and a dozen camera crews had assembled, each with their own rumors.
Deadly silence. One could hear people parting as Governor O’Connell made his way to the rostrum. A smattering of applause. A half dozen journalists came to their feet cheering. Now, sustained applause as Quinn fooled with the microphone.
“First, I want to sing you all a little song,” Quinn opened. “I’ve never been involved in a press conference of this magnitude, and it’s a little frightening. Half of you I don’t know, so please give your name and organization. We okay with that? Thank you.”
Breaking News Breaking News Breaking News
“…switch you now to a press conference at the historic Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver.”
Announcer in a whisper: “…that is Governor O’Connell at the rostrum. The three people sitting at his left are identified as Adjutant General Butterworth, commander of the Colorado National Guard, Colonel Yancey Hawke, chief of the Colorado troopers, and Dr. Dawn Mock, head of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, a well-known figure in law enforcement circles.”
Quinn held up and waved a sheet of paper. “You all have received a rap sheet like this. It brings us up to an hour ago, noon. Questions?”
“Vernon Creech, Rocky.”
“Hi, Vern, I thought you’d never ask.”
“Governor,” Creech went on, “the rap sheet says your initial tip was anonymous. Are you saying, sir, that it wasn’t someone in the federal government or that you didn’t have assistance of the FBI or BATF?”
“First, we aren’t going to blow our sources. Second, the operation is still going on, and third, we might want to use the same sources again in the future. It was my belief that the entire AMERIGUN invasion of Denver was meant to be as intimidation, a warning about future anti-gun legislation. If any of you listened to the rhetoric at the convention, you’ll understand my drift.