The herald., 1894-09-14
CLOSED WITH RED FIRE.
End of the Grand Army En-
campment.
A Grand Pyrotechnic Display
on the River.
Colonel Lawler Of Illinois Elected
COmmander-in-Ch Chief.
He Had = Majority of Only Eleven Votes
Over Colonel walker of In
diana-The Closing
Session.
By the Associated Press.

PITTsBURG, Sept. 13.-A fitting close
to the day in connection with the G. A.
r. encsmpment was the display OF fire.
works on the Monongahela river at the
foot OF Smithfeld street. The citizens
committee outdid itself and furnished q
display that has seldom been surpassed.
At least 100000 people lined the
wharves, Mount Washington. bridges
and housstops In the vicinity.
The reception given last night by the
citizens executive board to the officers
and delegates of the G. A. R. at the
new Westinghouse electric light build
ing was grand success in every respect.
the programme consisting OF music.
dancing and supper. 1t Was after mid
night before the guests left for home.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
Col. Thomas @. Lawler, of Rockford,
ILL.,. was elected commander-inc chief OF
the G. A. R., today, by majority OF IL
over Col. 1. N. Walker, of Indianapolis.
1t WAS the closest contest for the office
in the history of the order.
Major A. P. Burchfield of this city
was elected senior vice-commander |;
Charles 8. Shups of New Orleans, junior
commander.
Comrade S. o. Weeks, of Nj. ion,
Ohio, was unanimously elected surgeon
general.
Chaplain 7. H. Hsggerty, OF st. Louis,
WAS elected unanimously chaplain-in-
chief, his only opponent, Comrsde South
hart, of Maine. Withdrawing before q
ballot was taken.
The council of administration is as
follows: Utah, @. 0. Farnsworth; CAL
iiornia, Col. L. I. Blackmer; Vermont,
E. ]. Ormsby; Virginia and North Car
olina, A. Hager; South Dakota, Cover
nor Sheldon; Delaware. Charles Zsrby +;
Ohio, R. III. Oochrare; Mississippi, F..
d.. Sterrit; Nebraska, j. H. Decker
New Jersey, E. Ssnolli; Rhode Island,
O. A. Barbour; New York, D. S. Brown /;
Michigan, G. G. II. Hopkins; New
Mexico. S. II. Samson; Minnesota. A.
Schaffsr; Pennsylvsnis, @. W. Gerwig;
Washington. O. II. Holmes; Tennessee,
w. H. Veszy; Arkansas, A. D. Thomas; !;
Iowa, A. w. Swan; Indian territory. R.
w. Hill; department of the Potomac.
G. M. Hustled; West Virginia, 1. D.
Duval; Georgia, J.W. Thibadeau; Kan
sas, o. H. Coulter; Kentucky. C.Wher-
liman; Alabama, G. II. Patrick; Wis
consin, N. w. Carlson; Illinois, H. s.
Diebrick; Connecticut, s. s. barrow !;
Arizona. T. G. Savage; Indiana, A. H.
Armstrong; Maryland, DR.. II. A.
Manghlin; Massachusetts, A. II. Stick
ney; New Hampshire, s. N. Brown.
THE FEATURE OF THE DAY.
The feature of the encampment, the
hottest and closest contest ever known
in the G. A. R., was the fight for the po-
sition OF commsnder-in-ch chief. The con-
testanta were Col. Thomas G. Lawler of
Rockford, ILL.,, and 1. N. Walker of Indi-
annapolis. Electioneering of q most vig-
orous character has been going on all
week, and this morning the friends of
both candidates claimed q victory by q
good margin, The closeness of the con-
test was q surprise to both victor and de-
feated. 1t took 45 minutes to cast and
count the ballots. Commandments
Adams announced that the vote stood.
Lawler, $50; Walker, 3l9, the Illinois
man winning by the narrow margin OF
IL votes. AS soon as the election was
announced shouts OF applause rang
through the opera house. When
some semblance OF quiet was restored
Colonel Walker withdrew his name,
and the election of Colonel Lawler was
made unanimous.
In brief speech the new commander
in-chief thanked his supporters. and
said he would work to the utmost for
the advancement of that grand organs
zation-the G. A. r.
Nevins post OF Rockford, in honor oil
the election of Colonel Lswler, fred @
salute of 21 guns on the river bank.
THE NEW COMMANDER.
Colonel Lawler was born in England
April 7, 1874. When child he wat
taken to Illinois. and educated in the
public schools of Rockford. At the age
of II he enlisted as private in Com
pany Il, Nineteenth Illinois volunteers
He saw much hard fighting as com
mander of his company for two montht
during the Atlanta campaign, and wal
elected captain by the company anc
placed upon the roll of honor by Majoi
General Rosecrans OF the army of the
Cum berland. Colonel Lawler or
gsnized the Rockford Rifles in
1876, and was elected colone
and commander of the Third regiment
L. ~. O., lOr seven years, Wnen ne re-
signed. He was postmaster at Rockford
under the Hayes and Garfield admin
istrations, and in the lumber and coal
business. Colonel Lawer has been
commander Of G. l.. Nevins post OF Rock
ford for 26 years. He has also served as
a member of the department council OF
administration and junior and senior
vice commander.
After the election OF Colonel Lawler,
the convention adjourned for dinner.
THE AINswoRTH RESOLUTIONS.
At the afternoon session of the en-
campment the resolutions condemning
Colonel Ainsworth for dischargng vet
erans, because OF their testimony at the
inquiry into the Ford theater disaster at
Washington, were taken up and dis
cuesed.
The resolutions censuring Colonel
Ainsworth's conduct of the peneion bu-
resu and supporting Judge Long in his