members appointed by the governor had complete financial control over the police, fire, and excise departments. Governor Waite tried to overturn the corruption in Denver in 1894 by removing police and fire commissioners that he thought were shielding gamblers and prostitutes. The officials refused to leave their positions and were quickly joined by others who felt their jobs were threatened. They barricaded themselves in City Hall, and the state militia were sent to remove them. Federal troops were called in from nearby Fort Logan to intervene and quell the civil strife. Eventually Governor Waite agreed to withdraw the militia and allow the state Supreme Court to decide the case. The court ruled that the governor had authority to replace the commissioners, but he was reprimanded for bringing in the militia, in what became known as the "City Hall War". He was defeated for reelection in 1894, but continued to be active in the Populist movement until his death in 1901. Death and legacy Waite died on November 27, 1901 while preparing Thanksgiving dinner at his home in Aspen. His house on West Francis Street in Aspen has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Footnotes Further reading David B. Griffiths, "Far-Western Populist Thought: A Comparative Study of John R. Rogers and Davis H. Waite," Pacific Northwest Quarterly, vol. 60, no. 4 (Oct. 1969), pp. 183–192. In JSTOR. External links 1825 births 1901 deaths Governors of Colorado Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Members of the Kansas House of Representatives Politicians from Jamestown, New York People from Aspen, Colorado Colorado Democrats Colorado Populists People's Party state governors of the United States American newspaper executives Wisconsin Republicans Colorado Republicans New York (state) Republicans Kansas Republicans Journalists from New York (state) Knights of Labor people 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople