The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-16
SITUATION AT NIGHT.
The Prospects OF Battle in the Morning
Are Good

The Prospects OF q Battle in the Morning
Are Good.
| TOPEKA. Feb, 15.-At 10 o'clock Gov,
Lewelling appeared at the door of the
house and asked admittanee. He was per-
| mitted to enter. and as he made his appear.
ance the members rose out of respect. He
made an impressive speech. II came" he
| said, mot rs the governor of tho state to
| order you from the hall I come to you as
man, and l entrsat you, as citizens OF
Kansas and men of honor, to surrender to
the legal authority of the stat Q to vacate
| the hall" Continuing. he said the event q
OF the past two days seemed to have robbed
| both sides OF thele reason, and the situa-
| tion is so strained that the slightest noi-
dent might lead to q conflict and blood
| shed.
The speaker pro tenn here interrupted the
side to agree to vacate the hall pending a
settlement of the difficulty. The governor
said he would consider no compromise and
| no appeal by the republicans. II the re-
publicans would not surrender, then he
| would be forced to order the militia to
| drive them from the hall at the point of
the bayonet.
A voice from the seats asked. "Will you
| abide by the decision of the courts?" The
governor declined to reply and left the hall.
Ex-Gov. Osborne, republican,, who accom-
panied the governor, said he had come with
the governor from a conference between q
committee OF citizens and the chief e1ecu
tive. and was assured from the temper OF
the governor and his associates that they
woulu consent to no compromise. Con-
tinued resistance by the republicans, he
said. would lead to bloodshed and scenes of
border wars would be repeated. To NOR
row would see the gathering in Topeka OF
PaH q nj mi IN Nlioo unA iota Hb,A
intense feeling prevailing would lead to
conflict and bloodshed surely. He coun-
selled moderation on the part of the rerub-
licans.
The chief sergeant at arms then gathered
his men about him and gave instructions as
follows: In the event of the military ap-
bearing in the hall he told them not to use
their revoivers until ordered by him to do
SO. Representative sherman, addressing
the house. said Col. Hughes, commander of
the militia, had told him he had ordered
his men not to to fire except in self-defsnse.
The republicans then tore up the desks on
the populist side and with them constructed
u barrioade III the corridor and filed the
stairway with them making an obstruction
which it would be difficult to scale.
The first conflict between soldiers an ID
members of the republican house took
place late tonight in the corridor leading
to representative hall. Representatives.
Davis and Breidsnthal. who had escaped to
get lunch. were challenged by guards on
the way back. Breiaenthal drew revolver
and told the guard if he didn't lower his
bayonet he would blow his head OF. The
guard allowed him TO pass.
Col. Hughes. who liz member of the
house, appeared before the house in uni
form at 11:30 and informed the members
that as commander of the troops they had
nothing to fear from him. He would
sooner resign his command than carry out
an order to eject the republican house. He
also said majority OF his command wouid
withdraw from the militia with him If they
were ordered 10 use force to drive
forth legally elected and legally organ
aanized house of representatives, from
the hall. He futther lntimated that orders
to guards, no far Al they related to the tax
lug of provisions into the hall. had been re-
laIed. Hardly had this been said when Il
string was dropped ouh OF every window
and in shorter time than ii can be told, bas-
kets filled with substantial lunches were
hoisted up and the republicans broke their
long fast.
Information from tho governors Office il
to the ehsot that no attempt will be made
TO eject the republicans before morning.
Al midnight Sheriff Wilkinson informed
Gov. Lewelling that he was IL peace officer
and demanded that the governor turn the
matter over to him. No reply was made
AT one o'clock this tThursday) morning
the situation r emRina upChanped