Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-02-23
KANSAS WAR AT AN END

TOPEKA, kas., Feb. 16.-The PopulistoI
have practically abandoned the faIS
Sheriff Wilkerson, Republican, anal
Col. Hughes, commandment of the mlitaI
forces, held a consultation with thaI
Republican leaders, the result "A
which was that all the armed forcos
excepting, of course, the Populist nro,
visional companies, placed themselveo
under the sheritrs command as peaca
officer of the county. The sheriff On
nounced that he proposed to tako
charge of the capitol and relieve it and
the Republican House of a state
OF siege. The sheriff camsdk
that under the present conditions
serious fracture of the peace was
threatened at the capitol. To preserve
the peace he said he must take posses,
sion of the state house. This action Al
course, raised the siege of the stata
house, and made it again public build.
ing, free ofaccess to the public, and en-.
trenched the Republicans firmly in the
position. The crisis raised by SherjHX
Wllkerson's action was so critical a one
and 80 filed with embarrassing
difficulties, that the Populists decided
not to meet it. At noon the governed
held a conference with the PoppEst
House members and various leaders Al
the party. The governor said thai
the militia could not be de-!
pended upon to carry out hid
orders; that the resistance Of
125 men composing the force a
deputy sergeants and 100 provisional s
troops (all that could be depended upor8
to stand loyal would be useless before
the sheritf's posse of 900 men. 1t wsI
decided to hire a hall down town foIz
the Populist House, and there
the meetings of the Populisd
House will be held until the
difficulties ore settled. This action ID
looked upon by some as "blufa' but
is generally regarded as the logical out,
come OF the sheritfs action in support.
ing the Republican position.
At 1880 o'clock Sheriff Wilkerson
summoned a posse to preserve thd
peace in pursuance of the above plan
appeared in the lobby of the Copeland
House and read proclamation STATING
that he believed the peace of Jackson
County was about to be broken, and al
peace officer of this county he com,
manded that all citizens come I'd
his aid IN preserving peace.
He opened an office in thd
reading room of the hotel; within hal
hour 200 men had signed document
pledging themselves to support him
Two other recruiting stations were
opened at IL o'clock and LOCO men
had been sworn in by noon.
The matter of arming the posse pre-
scented serious difficulties. 1t was de-
cided that it would be dangerous
to place firearms in the hands
of so many armed men, and
the sheriff hit upon arming his men
with base ball bats. A thousand bst
were not to he had. but half that NUM-
Der were obtained. The other 500 men
were armed with heavy sticks.
At II o'clock the governor sent
message to the House stating that hid
would give the members just fifteen
minutes to vacate the hall, warning
them that failure to yacate would
force him to eject them al
the point of the bayonet. Thd
Republicans received the message with
derisive laughter, and took no acton
upon it. They at once doubled thell
guards in the corridors and all the door
Of the House, and waited expectant
to receive the attack. At the end 0!
fifteen minutes no soldiers appeared tq
enforce the governors threat Az
hour passed and still no troops aps
peared, and then the Republicans set
tied down to routine business
noon a wagonload of provisions wa
delivered to the Republicans, AM
Speaker Douglass stated that the HouS'
was now provisloned for two days.
At2 o'clock f. J. Close, Gov. Level
ing's private secretary, appeared IN 1n
Assembly hall, and after q brief az %
dress, expressing the, hope .nA
the trouble might be adjusite
amicably, read the following proposltl o.
from the governor: The governor
fers, in the interest of peace and har
mony, to withdraw the state militia, al
not allow the Republican House q
its employees to be interfered VIII
by the Populists, provided that all pro
ceedings that have been commenced
the Republicans, arising from the arr ~
of Ben c. Rich, be dropped; thsl u
Populist members and employs
be not disturbed by arrest \,
officials or otherwise, and VI
sheriff of Shawnee County discEafs
his deputies and does not interiors
try to Interfere with the acts OF the TX
ulists and state officials, including m,,
tia; this agreement to continue IN co ,;n
Gil till the close of the present ses0''
of the legislature.
A VICTORY FOR CAPRlVI.
Successful with the German Army DIE
Committee.