Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-02-17
THE FIGHT At TOPEKA
Temporary Truce Between the
Belligerents, But Blood
May Flow To-day.
GOV. LEWELLINo OFFERS TO COM
PROMISE WITHTHE REPUBLICANS.


Obey the Governor-Tbe Besieged Sup
Piled with Food.
Topeka, Kan, Feb. 1.-THE only
thing needed to make war in Kansas is
fighting. The conditions Of war are all
present. Opposed bodies of armed men,
something to fight about, and the dispo-
sition to fight are all evident, but the war
does not open.
Bellicose preparations were carried on
briskly by both sides all day yesterday,
but the Governor, by offering to compro-
mise the difficulties which are keeping
the two houses apart, tapered the crisis
off into a very tame-armed truce.
The proposition for a compromise was
offered to the Republican house at p.
m. by the Governors private secretary,
Ben Close, who stated that the Governor
proposed it as a last resort to avert blood
shed.
If the Republican House declined to ac-
cept it, then the Governor would be
forced to drive the Republicans out of the
House at the point of the bayonet, and,
he added, "Their blood be on your heads -
This threat has been made so often that
the Republicans received it with Jeers.
They received the proposition, however,
and it at once became the subject of
earnest consideration. After debating it
for three hours the Republicans finally
amended it to suit their own ideas and
returned it to the Governor, the commit
tee charged with that duty being in
structed to inform the Governor that the
blood of innocent men slain by reason of
his refusal to accept the amendments
would be on his head.
The committee had been out but q few
moments when it returned and an
nounced that it had performed it's duty,
that the Governor desired time to con-
slider the amended proposition and would
give the committee his answer to-day.
He proposed that in the meantime an
armed truce should be established and
neither side should make any hostile
move before noon; that the Republicans
should be allowed to come and go as they
pleased. This struck the Republicans
favorably and they agreed to it willingly.
The whole City of Topeka, on it's face,
appears to be under martial law.
The capitol on all sides is surrounded
with soldiers and citizens. At every ap-
proach to the building a picket line is
maintained No one is allowed inside
without a pass signed by the Governor
| and countersigned by the Adjutant Gen
eral.
Legislators without passes stand no
better chance of getting through the lines
| than the multitude aof the anxious and
| curious who pack the streets.
In struggling lines the State militia
parade the streets from their quarters to
| the capitol square.
Battery A of the First Regiment from
Wichita, forty-two strong, under the
command of Captain Metcalf, was put on
duty at the principal approach to the
| capitol. They have with them a Calling
gun and plentiful supply of ammuni-
| tion. Battery of Topeka, eighteen men,
under the command of Lieutenant Par
| ker, guards the State arsenal on the
| square.
Business is depressed, and there are
more school children about the streets
| near the State buildings than in the
| school houses. Men walk in groups. A
| lone pedestrian is a rare sight.
| Many old men have brought out their
| flint locks in anticipation of graver de-
velopments and are seen frequently in the
crowds.
The troops are composed Of a decided
/ majority of Republicans, and are, to say
the least, lukewarm in the performance
of their duties. The example set for
| them by Col. Hughes, who refuses to
obey the Governors orders to eject the
| Republicans from Representative Hall,
has had decidedly demoralizing effect.
The Adjutant General Issued an order
| that no provisions should be allowed to
| be taken into the hall by any means
whatever. Friends from the outside
| took we'll filled baskets of provisions to
| the capitol and the guards on duty
| allowed them to be drawn into the halls
| by means of ropes.
The Wichita Battery even went so far
as to allow their Gatling gun to be placed
in position in no condition for use An
examination of the piece shows that a
very essential party of It's mechanism
had been removed rendering it entirely
| useless
Capt Metcalf, of the Battery, appeared
to be greatly surprised when that fact
was brought to his notice, and bringing
his company into line he questioned each
man individually as to his knowledge of
the occurrence. Each one denied all
knowledge of the gun being disabled and
the piece now stands in position appar-
emily a dangerous implement of war but
| in reality a useless piece
| The outlook yesterday was a bellig-
erent one. The refusal of Col. Hughes to
obey the Governors order baked the
Populist programme. The Governor
would make no statement as to his plans
for the day, but it was believed they in
cluded an order to the provisional troops
to eject the Republicans. Should that
attempt be made, it was fully known that
it would be met with armed resistance on
the part of the Republicans.
Col Hughes, although not officially in.
formed of the plan to forcibly eject TIE
Republicans, learned it's details and ap-
prised the Republicans of them, giving
them to understand at the same time
that they had nothing to fear from him
A little later he was summoned to the
Governors office where the plan was laid
before him and he was ordered to carry
it out.
The colonel informed the Governor ir
forcible language that he was on duty t.
maintain the peace and not to break it.
The Republican House, he said, WAS the
legally constituted House OF the State OF
Kansas, and he did not propose to inter
fere with it in the transaction of its
| business.
The Governor made reply that the col
onel would obey the order or would be re
| lieved from his command.
The colonel rctorted that when the
Governor relieved him of his command
his regiment would relieve itself from
duty aud would disband on the spot.