The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-10-28
A GREAT SPEECH.
The Greatest Mr.. COnkling
Has Made in Many
Years.
SPEECH OF THE DISTINGUISHED
SENATOR IN NEW YORK
Before an Enthusiastic Audi
ence Of Ten Thousand
People.
Twenty-Five Thousand Others
Unable to Gain Adj
mittancc.

NEW YORK, Sept. 1.-THE meeting nj
the Academy of Music this evening to
hear the address of Roscoe Conkling
was III immense gathering. The hall
was packed and the galleries were filed.
There We're 900 people on the stage,
and $4,000 people in the streets We're
unable to gain admittance. The
speaking was advertised to commence
ut 80 o'clock. but Mr.. Conkling did
not appear until o'clock. The doors
of the Academy of Music were thrown
open at o'clock. A large number of
policemen had been stationed in front
of the building in Irving Place to con
troll the crowd and assist in the
collection of tickets. There were ut
this honr at least $4,000 people wait
ing 10 rush III. As soon as the doors
were open the scramble commenced.
THE CRUSH WAS TERRIFIC.
The police were borne down by the
weight of the crowd, and were COM
pletely powerless. The doorkeepers
were entirely unable to collect the
tickets and were pushed aside or
trampcd on. They were glad to save
themselves from bodily harm by getting
themselves out of the way, and allow
ing the mass of humanity to rush by.
They might as well have tried to stop
Il herd of bullalocs on western
prairie when in full flight. People
were carried from the street into the
hall without touching their feet to the
ground. The immense building was
filed from roof to basement Ill fifteen
minutes, and those outside struggled
yainly to get through the doors, until
it seemed us if tie walls would burst.
Meu shouted and cursed, women
screamed, the police alternately men
accd the mob with their clubs and
expostulated with them. A scene was
enacted which it is impossible ade-
qulteIy to describe, and the like of
which will not occur again i'll this city.
Once inside,
THE UTMOST GOOD HUMOR
prevailed. A voice in the auditorium
struck up "JOhn Browns Body" and
it was Immediately joined by II
il Thousand other voices in the audience,
which sang the verse through. The
singing was excellent, and the effect
prodigious, arousing enthusiastic cheers
on the part OF the waiting multitude.
After brief interval, America
was sung by the same chorus of thou-
sand voices. Then followed the Star
Spangled Banner" About this time
some patriot discovered Gov. Cornell
ina private box with some of the ladies
of his family. He was greeted with
three rousing cheers, and would not be
lett alone until he arose and bowed his
acknowledgement to the audience.
Then some one proposed three cheers
for Grant, which brought the whole
audience To their feet i'll response to
the call. The cheers were given with
will.
For few minutes the audience had
nothing to occupy it's attention. Then
gentleman i'll the par iuet arose and
appealed 10 the galiantry OF those near
him on behalf of a lady who wanted IL
seat. After considerable delay,
during which the attention of the
audience had been attracted that way,
a colored citizen arose and politely
gave his seat TO the lady. The i'm
mense audience recognized the gracious
act, and broke into II prolonged shout
OF approval.
ENTER SENATOR CoNKLING.
Promptly at o'clock Mr.. Conkling,
accompanied by Hamilton Fish and
several other prominent gentlemen, APP
peared on the side entrance of the plat
form. Instantly every man and woman
in the building arose to their feet, and
swinging hats and handkerchiefs in the
air, shouted until the building trembled.
MIR. Conkling walked upon the platform