Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-17
HOWLED LIKE DERvISHES.

Knives and Pistols FIourished in the H0us
ton Democratic Convention-Maddened
Delegates Fight for Possession OF the
Platform-The Party Split in Twain.
HOUSTON, Ten, Aug. 12-The Dem
ocracy is rent in twain, and q double-bar.
relied convention is the result The same
scenes which were enacted in this city four
years ago, during the Stewart Hutchinson
campaign, occurred to-day. 1t was q fore
gone conclusion that if the Hogg people,
who had about two-thirds of the instructed
delegates, attempted to control the conven-
tion, as they had perfect right to do, the
Clark people would bolt They had agreed
upon this line of policy at their secret eau
cuses, and to-day they carried it out, the
convention never completing or even going
into temporary organization.
The Clark faction assert that knowing
the danger of deadlock to the success of
Governor Hogg the Chairman was to arbi-
trsrily run the machine, and his attempt to
do this brought on the trouble. Chairman
Finley announced that the first thing was
the election of a temporary chairman. j.
T. Shepard was nominated by the Hogg
people and Jonathan Lane by the Clark
faction. Chairman Finley ordered the
Secretary to call the roll by counties and q
mighty yell of opposition went up. In
numbers the Clark people had them.
For the 200 votes they had, 5000 men
were there to cast them, and the conven-
tion, instead of being body of constituted
delegates, was in the hands of the multi
tude Ex-senator Mattock moved that tho
vote on election of chairman be taken viva
yoce Chairman Fineley ruled this out of
order, and then the storm of indignation
broke out afresh Hundreds of delegates
were on their feet wildly gesticulating for
recognition, while the thousands in the hall
were bowling like Dervishes.
Bedlam reigned supreme. Through the
din of voices Mattock appealed from the
decision of the Chair with stoical indiffer-
ence. Finley refused to entertain the ap-
peal, and ordered the Secretary to proceed
with the roll call. Many Clark county men
refused to vote, and the call by counties
showed that Shepherd was overwhelmingly
elected Just as the result was being an
nounced, ex-senator Mattock jumped on q
chair and declared that the minority had
been stifed and bulldozed The Chair had,
he said, violated all parliamentary law and
custom, and he asked all those who favored
the election of Lane for Temporary Chair
man to signify by saying "Aye." The Clark
delegates and the spectators united and Q
mighty shout went up, and Mattock de-
clared him elected.
Then q mighty rush was made for the
platform to secure half of it. The scene
which then ensued is indescribable. Men
in angry passion were surging, pushing and
pulling at the tables and chairs, and all the
time yelling and cursing. Several fights
were going on in the audience aud pistols
NM hi
ished For several minutes it looked as
though bloody scene Of carnage would be
enacted
In the mad stampede one man was hurled
q distance of 80 feet on the heads OF some of
the crowd below. At last semblance of
order was worked out of the chaos and each
side took half of the platform and hall,
Shepherd presiding over the Hogg Conven-
tion and Lane the Clark.