Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-02-25
BATTERED DOWN THE DOORS
Republicans Smash the Portals
of the Kansas House.
Popuists and Republicans Have Another
Fracls, in Which the Independents
Are Worsted..The Governor
Calls Out the Militia.

TOPEKA, Kas., Feb. 1G.-A bloodless
but exciting battle took place between
the republican and populist houses at
the entrance to representative hall this
morning. The populists, who have had
possession of the hall in the afternoons,
adjourned yesterday morning until this
afternoon, and as has been the GUS
tom, the republicans expected TO
hold their regular morning session
today, but last night the populists
swore in large number of assistant
sergcants-at-arms. who were stationed
on guard, and the doors and entrances
to the hall were blocked this morning.
No one was admitted to the hall ex-
cepting populists and members of the
press, and they were required TO show
pass and run the gauntlet OF a dozen
guards The republicans were informed
of all these preparations to exclude
them from the hall and last night 100
men were sworn in as officers of the re-
publicans.
At the members of the republican
house with their officers started from
headquarters for the state house. The
march through the long corridors
leading to representative hall was un-
impeded The little column forced its
way through the guards stationed
at the foot Of the stairs
la the west wing and started up
the stairs On the first landing there
was a crowd of populist public officials
under command of Adjutant-General
Artz. They were armed and the adj
vancing republican crowd was met
with the muzzles of revolvers and
Winchesters. The djutant-gen eral
commanded them to halt, but
no stop was made and the
advance guard pushed into the
crowd of populists. Three or four Of
them succeeded in passing the door
keepers after brief struggle and get
ting into the hall, but the populists
succeeded in closing the doors and
barring them. The republicans on
the outside demanded admit
tance and when il was denied
them Speaker Douglass swung
large sledge hammer and began to
batter the heavy doors leading from
the cloak room. 1t took many blows
to beat a passageway through, but the
doors finally gave way and the republi-
:an legislators surged ia with loud
shout. The populists promptly re-
treated and now the republicans are in
] full possession of the hall.
Ever since the opening uf ;a2 session
The populists have had the committee
'oms. sergeant-at-arrns and chief
.erks rooms. These were all locked
md guarded from the inside. but after
Hhe house had been called TO order the
republicans hammered down the doors
nd took possession of them without
sncounterinR any resistance.
At 10 o'clock there were "A few popu.
lists in representative hall and the re.
publican house had settled down TO the
regular order OF business as
If nothing unusual had happened.
The assistant sergeants-at-aims,
each wearing bright red
ribbon, are promenading the aisles
and lobbies. The republicans ana pop
nlists are both swearing in officers as
fast as possible to bc in readiness for
any emergency.
With the repu blicans in possession Of
representative hall, the interest of the
populists centcred about the governors 5
office.
The Militia Called Out.