St. Paul daily globe., 1893-02-17
Negotiations for a Compp0-
mise Establish an Armed
Truce.
Commanders Of Troops Re-
fuse to Drive the Repub-
lieanS Out.
Armed Populists Arrive to
Carry Out the Governors
Orders.

thing needed to make war in Kansas is
fighting. The conditions of war are all
present. Opposed bodies of armed men,
something to fight about and the dispO-
stion to fight are all evident: but the
war does not open. Bellicose prepare
tions were carried on briskly by both
sides all day, but the governor, by offer
ing to compromise the difficulties which
are keeping the two houses apart,
tapered the crisis off into a very
tame armed truce. The PROPOSE
tion for a compromise was offered
to the Republican house at 2 p. m.
by the governors private secretary,
Ben Close, who stated that the gov
ernor proposed it as last resort to avert
bloodshed. If the Republican house
declined to accept it, then the governor
would be forced to drive the Republic
ans at the point of the bayonet out of
the house, and he added: Their bloc d
be on your heads" This oath mad been
made so often that the Republicans re-
ceived it with jeers. They received
the proposition, however, and it at once
became the subject of earnest consid-
Grafton. After debating it for three
hours the Republicans finally
Amended 1t to Suit
their own ideas and returned it to the
governor, the committee charged with
that duty being instructed to inform
the governor that the blood of innocent
men slain by reason of his refusal to
accept the amendments would be on his
head.
The committee had been out but a
few moments, when it returned and an
nounceG that it had performed its duty;
that the governor desired time to con-
slider the amended proposition, and
would give the committee his answer
tomorrow morning at o'clock. He
proposed that in the meantime an
armed truce should be established and
neither side should make any hostile
move before that hour; that the Repub-
licans should be allowed to come and go
as they pleased. This struck the Re
publicans favorably and they agreed to
it willingly.
The whole city of Topeka, on its face,
appeared during the day to be under
martial law. Blue-coated troops were
marching and counter-marching through
the broad avenues OF the city; men
wearing fluttering yellow badges, bear
ing the inscription Dep. SheriffS'' and
armed with guns and clubs were visible
everywhere hurrying to an fro.
= Cannon Were Being Dragged
through the streets and here and there
a company of militia or squad Of
deputy sheriffs could be seen drilling.
Hundreds of civilians arrived during
the day from all over the state. Many
carried guns in cases, a few carried
them under their OvercOats, but more
marched boldly from their stations to
their hotels with rifle OF shotgun
flung over their shoulders.
the sensation of the day was the dis
loyalty of the state troops to their com
mander-in-chief. 1t was, of course,
upon that that the governor and his
fellow Populists depend to carry the
day. The governor had planned the
disIodging of the Republicans from rep
resentative hall at the point of the bay
onet. In fact, he twice ordered Col
Hughes, commandant Of the forces, to
attack the Republican stronghold. The
colonel declined to obey the orders
and was relieved of his command.
Then the governor took personal
command of the troops. He ordered
that no provisions be allowed to pass
the lines. His order was disregarded,
and provisions were taken into the Re-
publicanS forthwith, without the slight
est attempts to keep them out on the
part of the guards. Then Lieut.. Col.
Barker, of the Third regiment, was
given command of the troops, but still
the governors orders were disobeyed in
slight particulars. Finally Brig. Gen. Het-
finger, whose appointment had just been
confirmed by the senate, arrived from
Wichita and
Took Command
of the forces. While making no public
statement to that effect, Gen. Hettinger
gave it out to be understood that the
Republicans had nothing to fear from
him. 1t was not until th Ell that the
governor became impressed with the
fact that he could not rely upon the
militia to aid the Populists. This
caused him great uneaSneSS Of
mind, and all the leaders were
summoned to give counsel. The result
of the conference was the compromise
proposition offered to the Republican
house; this, too, in face of the fact of
the declaration to the house that the
governor had done with compromises,
and that the only alternative left to the
Republicans was unconditional sur
render.
The Republicans hit upon plan this
p,Orp1pn RI ctrnOrthQD THAR ,NoCitio,,
and that was to bring to the aid the
authority of the sheriff of the county.
backed by a posse of at least 1000 men.
The sheriff issued his proclamation,
summoning posse at 10 o'clock. By
noon 1000 men had been sworn i'll. Not
caring to take the risk of arming re,
cruits with firearms, the sheriff decide q
to arm them with clubs.
All Sorts of Clubs
were pressed into uSe-clubS made from
broom handles, clubs made from feather
busters with the feathers pulled out
clubs made from chair legs and table
legs and clubs made from broomstickS,
Still, not enough clubs could be implo-
vised to arm the entire posse, and the
sheriff finally bought all the base ball
bats in town and placed them
in the hands OF those unarmed.
1t was the first object of
the sheriff to take possession
of the capitol and make the troops mem
bers of his posse. That plan was aban-
doned as unnecessary and dangerous.
and the sheriff decided to take no ac-
ton with his posse until fracture of
the peace should actually occur. He