The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-01-15
sHERIDAN,s REPORT.

AAO AO4iOWluS OllCldL uISDaLCu
from Gen. Sheridan was received
at Washington q few days ago:
Headquarters Military Division of
the Missouri-Hon. W. W. Belk-
nap, Secretary of War, Washing
ton, d. c.: l have the honor to
submit the following brief report
of affairs, as they occurred here in
the organization of the State
Legislature of Jan. 18th, 1876. l
was not in command of this mill
tary department till 8 o'clock at
night on the 4th inst, but / fully
endorse and am willing to be held
responsible, for the acts of the
military as the conservator of
public peace upon that day. Dur
ing the few days which l was in
the city prior to the 4th of jan
uary, the general topic of CONVEX
sation was the scenes of blood
shed that were liable to accgr on
that day, and repeatedly heard
threats of the assassination of the
Governor, and regrets expressed
that he was not killed on the 18th
of September last; also, threats of
the assassination Of the Republi-
can members of the House, in or
der to secure the election of a
Democratic Speaker. 1 also knew
of kidnapping by bandits Of Mr..
Cousin, one of the members elect
of the legislature. In order to
preserve peace and make the State
House safe for the peaceable as
sembling of the legislature, Gen.
Emory, upon a requisition of Gov.
Kellogg, stationed troops IN the
vicinity Of the building. Owing
to these precautions, the legisla-
ture assembled in the State
House without disturbance of the
peace. At II o'clock, VIM. vi
gers, clerk of the last House of
Representatives, proceeded to call
the roll as, according to law, he
vas empowered to do. One hun
dred and tEo legally returned
members answered to their pSpes,
OF this number 50 were Republi-
cans, and so Democrats. Before
entering the House, L. A. Wilt
had been selected JIM caucus as the
Democratic nominee Tor Speaker,
and Michael Hahn, IS the Repub-
lican nominee.
Yigers had not finished an
nouncing the result when one of
the members of Lafourche nomin-
ated L. A. Wilt for temporary
Speaker. Vigers promptly declar-
ed the motion ont of order at that
time, when some one put the aues-
ton, and, amid cheers on the
Democratic side of the Honse,
Wilt dashed onto the rostrum
and pushed Vigers aside, seized
the Speakers chair and gavel, and
declared himself Speaker, A pro-
test against this arbitrary and IN
lawful proceeding was promptly
made by members of the majority,
but Wilt paid no attention to
these protests, and On motion Of
some one from the Democratic |
side of the House, on Tiezerant |
was noninated and elected Clerk |
Of the House. Tiezerant at once
sprang forward and occupied the |
Clerks chair, amidst the widest |
over the whole House.
Mayor Wilt, then again on an
other nomination from the Demo
cratic side of the House, declared |
one Flood elected Sergeant at |
Arms, and ordered a certain num-
Der of assistants TO be q ppointed in
stantiy. A large number of men
throughout the hail, who had been
admitted on various pretexts, ouch
as reporters, members end specta-
tors, turned down the iapeis of
their coats, upon which were
pinned blue ribbon badges, on
which were printed, in gold let
ters, the words, ssAssisEant Ser
geant-at-Arms;" and the Assembly |.
vas Ia possession of . minority, |
and the White LeegRe Of Louisiana
had made good its thnsat Of esiz-
lng the House, many OF the assist
mt Sefgeants-at-Arms being well
known - captains OF White
League companies 10 this city.
Notwithstanding the snddenness
ofthis movement, the leading Re-