Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1893-02-16
The Legislature,

ernor for his signature, and it began
to look as though the supreme court
would at last pass upon the legality
Of the organization, On Tuesday the
republicans passed the following:
Whereas, One Ben Q, Rich has for
u number of days last past and dur
ing the present session Of this, the
house of representatives, and in the
presence Of said house continuously
interrupted the regular proceedings
Of the house by loud and boisterous
language and unlawful and unseemly
noises without legal excuse or justif-
cation therefor, and without claim or
pretence that the same was part of
Or connected with the proceedings Of
the house of representatives and such
conduct has been aud is still beng
INDUCED and persisted in by SAID Ben
Q. Rich in open, malicious and will
full defiance and disregard of the
rules and authority of the house Of
representatives; and
Whereas, Such conduct has greatly
interrupted and interfered with the
transaction of public business Of this
house and has impeded and still i'm
pedes necessary Legislation in the in
terest Of the people of the state of
Kansas, thereby bringing the author
lty and dignity Of the house Of repre-
sentatiyes into disrespect; therefore
be it
Resolved, That by such action and
conduct the said Ben q. Rich has
been and is guilty of contempt Of this
house and the speaker is hereby au-
thorized and directed to cause said
Ben Q. Rich to be forthwith arrested
by the sergeant alarms and brought
before the bar of the house to show
cause, if any he have, why he should
not be punished for such contempt
and that said Ben G. Rich be- held IN
custody by said sergeant-at. arms sub
iect to the further orders of the house
Of representatives.
The republicans promptly adopted
the resolution and Speaker Douglass
directed the sergeant at arms to go in
search of Rich.
He, it seems, had received a hint of
what was going to happen and had
left the hall, and the sergeant-at- arms
started out to look for him.
At LOS the republican house sud
denly weakened and without waiting
for the assistant sergeants alarms to
appear with Rich, adjourned till We'd
nesday morning at 8 o'clock.
The sergeants. alarms succeeded in
finding Rich in the parlor Of the Dut-
ton hotel. read their warrant to him
and demanded that he accompany
them. John w. Breldenthal, Fred
Bailey and others interfered IN behalf
of Rich and Immediately there was a
great crowd Of people in the hotel.
After a brief struggle the crowd
moved out upon the street and with
Rich in custody Of both republicans
and Populists, the crowd moved up
the avenue.
At the corner of Ninth and Kansas
avenue the republicans tried to run
Rich over to the Copeland hotel, the
republican headquarters, and a war
like scene followed. In the struggle
Representative Ryan knocked one Of
the republican sergeants-at-arms
down and Immediately got astride of
HIM, while John W. Breidenthal had
to use force to get rid Of republican
who was trying to pull him away
from Rich Other men exchanged
blows, but nobody was seriously hurt.
In the end the Popullsts got their
man away and took him to the COVER
nor's office, from where, few min
utes later, he was triumphantIy es-
corted into the hall of the house of
representatives, his wife holding one
arm and Representative Wordsworth
Of Atchisou, the other His appear
ance in the hall was greeted with
cheers and clapplDg Of hands.
When Rich appeared it was not
quite time for the PopHiist house to
meet but Speaker Dunsmore raped
for order and made a short speech,
saying: "Ihe republicans have be-
gun this thing and we will now carry
1t out. We by passing bills have Of
ferel an opportunity for the republi-
can friends to bring this trouble to a
settlement in the courts, but notwith-
standing their frequent claims to the
contrary they choose rather to win af-
ter the methods Of prize fighters. We
have just shown them that we are rs
good scrappers as We are organizers,
Laughter They think this con
troversy will be settled during this