Omaha daily bee., 1893-10-22
SCHEMING TO BEAT BEMlS
DisgruntIed Ward Politicians Hold a Secret
Conference with DR., Mercer.
FLASHES OF A DARK LANTERN SESSION
Similar to the Did Twenty iehters'-Au
Participants Swear s~ecrccy-The Doc
tor VIII Pose ms n Petition
Candidate Tor Mayor.

"winin'," but unlike Barkis, the doctor has
placed himself in the hands Of his friends
and has assured them that he is anxious to
submit to the leg-pulling act, providing they
are willing TO take hold and pull his leg, and
they are.
Last night, behind bolts and bars, the
nucleus of another ''Twenty-eight" club twas
formed in this city, having for its object the
defeat of Hon. George Z. Bemis for mayor,
with DIR. Samuel ID. Mercer furnishing the
money to. carry out the plans Of the unholy
alliance.
During the day couriers were securing the
city, notifying the sad-eyed republicans
that their presence was desired at the
Mercer hotel during the evening, as business
of great Importance would be transacted by
those who were invited.
Carameis OF Fiattery.
As soon as the sun went down DR.. Mercer
hied himself to his hotel aud there waited
the coming Of the throng, but he did not
have to wait long, for a few minutes later
w. j. Broatch, a man who drank wine and
broke bread with Hon. George w. Lininger
four years ago and then went out and be-
trayed HIM. appeared upon the scene, and
with a winning smile informed the doctor,
who has the mayoralIty bee Duzzing in his
OOnneb. LHdb all was wen anu tudt y was
the desire of all tho "God and morality" peo-
pie of the city that lie should stand as their
candidate for mayor.
1t was apparent that the doctor felt fiat
tered for he talked of crops and the need Of
rain, now and then changing the subject and
getting over on to the side Of poll
tics. A little later Henry EhrenpforJ, a
man who has been known as a notorious rail-
road lobbiest, sauntered into the Office and
shook the DOCTORS hand with one of those
give-me-five shakes, which Henry alone
knows how to shake. Not knowing so very
much about politics down in Henry's ward,
the doctor was slow to catch on to the point,
but he discovered it later when the smooth
Henry told him that he carried about 500
German and Bohemian votes in his vest
pocket.
Napoleon OF Finance Wal There.
At this time Ernest STUNT, the man who
served as treasurer of the republican city
central committee and refused 10 turn over
the committee cash to his successor, bolted
in and stepping up to where Mercer and
Ehrenpfort stood talking, remarked as soon
as he caught the drift Of the conversation,
thai anything that Henry said "went'' in
the south end OF the city. He also init
mated that Henry had assessed the Union
Pacific property a couple of times, and that
he had great influence in that direction in
the way of driving whole herds of votes up
to the polls on election day. These boasts
of STUNT and Ehrenpfort continued until DIR.
Mercer vas almost convinced that he was
elected, and he might have been convinced
of that fact had not Jim Kyuer, a member OF
the republican central committee from the
Fifth ward. hobbled in and exhibited a great
political sore that has been filled with gan.
CREME ever since ne failed to get a nomina.
tion for most any Office at the republican
convention, which was held a few days ago.
Jim told the doctor that he was not elected
by n long shot, ana that he would not be
until the last vote was cast on election day
An Imposing Array.
Right at this point 1t became apparent
that the invitations to attend the meeting
had been bearing fruit, for a lot Of dis
the hotel. Among the number there were
such prominent republicans as A. II. Sauer
Joe Redman. Phil Winters, W.. H. Allen
principal Of the Dodge school; Jake Couns
man, A. j. Van Alstine, an alleged man who
not long ago was fined $50 and costs for tam
pering with a jury; Sandy Knight
Sam. Macleod, the superintendent Of
school buildings, whose peculiar vol
severe manner, and n dozen other republican
of the same ilk, together with Walt Kelley
and Buck, " the colored man who does JAM
tor work down ut the government building
There was n season of hand shaking, after
which Mercer invited his guests into the
( dining room, saying that there it was warn
and secluslve.
All of those prominent republicans were
warm enough, but seclusion was just what
they were hunting, and, quickly accepting
tho invitation, they bolted into the room,
nearly knocking down n half dozen waiter
girls who kept close vigilance over the
ataAAna and tho unaf AZ thu a rprtxv pn n,o
inside they felt better. though some of the
men louged for q chance to fill their tank:
Mt tho expense OF the doctor, but that chance
they did not get, for the man Of physics tolC
them that he was not ready to uncork nj:
wine, nor was he ready to pull his purse
until the time arrived when there was some
thing tangible in sight.
Sausr's Biting Sarcasm.
A. J. Sauer suggested that the meeting
was not II feast but was for the transaction
of business Of the most sacred nature anc
that il was proposed to formulate a plar
that would save the city from a worse fat,
than that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Severa
OF tho men caught the idea and then by
unanimous vote, Phil Winter was elected
chairman, with Schoolmaster Allen acting
as secretary. The next thing on the pro
gram was TO clear the room of interlopers
holt the doors, pull down the blinds and turf
the gas TO the lowest possible burning point
That having been done, Billy Broatch stateC
that the object OF the meeting was to formu
late "a club that would have for its object tn,
political anLihilation Of Bemls.
'.yhat's not the object interposed Vai
Alstine, the man who was convicted o
tampering with IA jury, THE object Of thi
meeting, as l understand it, is to nominat
Oh. Mercer"
THAT'S sou interjected Ehrenpfort, ian,
It'll also to down Rosowater aud show hin
that no cannot dictate politics"
'If that's II, Pm with you TO n finish. AM
don't you forget it for n minute" exclaime,
Ernest STUNT, as he pounded his heel int
tho marble of the floor and laughed u heay,
laugh.
The chairman suggested that the meetin,
wus drifting away from the real point at issu
and that il was for tho members To decid
whether or not they should so out into tn
byways and hedges to beat Bomis,
Mtnro's Manhood.
Upon hearing this George Il, Munro, VIII
had been inveigled to the dining room by tn
understanding that the gathering meant tn
discussion of ways and means for the promo
ton of tho interests Of the republican part,
remarked that these present were not hi
kind OF people, and that he guessed h
would 20.
MIR. Munro was informed that II he woul
Join the club he would be helped in a politics
-, AaI fb.sH MA