The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-02-17
MADISON SOUTH DAKoTA FRIDAY, FEBRUARY II, 1898

ordered Colonel Hughes. the officer in !
command OF the military force, to
charge representative hall and clear il
of its occupants and for a third time
The Colonel Refused TO Obey.
He said that so long as he was in COM
mand he would act only as peace Of
fcer and under no circumstances would
he oppose the authority of the legally
organized house OF representatives. He
said also that Ii the governor wished to
remove him, that his regiment would
promptly disband and volunteer as dep
uties to the sheriff. Most of the COM
panies in Colonel Hughes regiment have
headquarters in the immediate vicinity
of Topeka and constitute the majority
of the force now on the ground. With
out Colonel Hughes and his following
the governors military force amounts
to very little.
Three Provisional Companies
organized of enthusiastic Populists
form the most numerous element in the
threatened revolution. Amy attempt on
their part to show authority is resented
on all sides and they have been relieved
from duty by Colonel Huses.
AS soon as he is removed, which is ex-
pected at any moment, they will again
60 on as guards, and when they do the
feeling against them is SO intense that
BIoodshed Will Certainly Follow.
A company of artillery has arrived
from Wichita under command of Cap
tain Metcalf. 1t brought a Gatling gun
with it. Before arriving some one took
occasion to remove a portion of the
machinery connected with it, making it
powerless The gun was, however,
placed In position on state house square
and the officers and men of the company
having it in charge professed to be
ignorant of the fact that it could not
fire shot. Picket lines extend entirely
around the state house grounds, and in
no case is any one permitted to, GO
through without pass signed by the
governor. Every incoming train
Brings Bodies OF Armed Men.
Some are uniformed militia responding
to the call OF the governor, and others
are Republicans coming here to defend
what they believe to be the constitu-
tional rights of the Republican majority
OF the house. The city is crowded with
people. All about state house square
immense cOncourses have assembled,
watching the blue-coated guards pacing
mp and down their lines. Militiamen
and citizens are on the best of terms,
and while the former appear to be in
the service of the Peoples party gov
ernor, they are mostly Republicans, and
openly say that they will never fire a
shot in representative hall or use vio-
lence in any way against the Republi-
can members of the house.
The Governors Ultimatum.
AT II o'clock Governor Lewelling
sent notice to the Republican house
that unless they vacated the hall within
fifteen minutes he would clear it by
force. The only attention paid to the
order by the Republicans was to place
additional guards at the doors and nerve
themselves to resist the promised as
sault. The governor aft noon had
failed to carry out his threat IA wagon
load Of provisions, enough to keep the
occupants OF the house supplied for
twenty-four hours, drove up to
the west wing of the entrance of
the state house about noon. The cap
tain in command OF the company on
guard there relieved his men from
guard duty as the wagon arrived and
everything it contained was carried into
the hall without hindrance. Assoon as
this was acc aplishel the soldiers
again went on duty.
The Governor Takes Command.
At 10o'clock Governor Lewelling dis
missed Colonel Hughes and took per-
sonal charge of all the military forces.
He has, however, given no orders to the
men, to move, and says that he will APP
point no successor to Colonel Hughes.
The colonel is now deputy sheriff and
will assist that officer during the after
| noon when he assumes charge of
the state house grounds. All of the dep
| uties were ordered to report at o'clock
sharp, armed and ready for immediate
duty.
When the Lawrence train arrived
with its force of Populists the sheriff
found that they were not armed, and