Evening star., 1896-03-09
Death Of State Senator Weissinger
of Kentucky.
MEMORABLE Scene IN TEE house
Contested Election Case Was Not
Taken Up.
BALLOTING WAS POSTPONED

FRANKFURT, KY, March 9.-SenatOf
Rozel Weissinger Sound money democrap
died this morning at II 30 O'Clock.
Senator Weissinger had been ill for sew
eral days with bad cold, which changed
into pneumonia. He was made much worse
by the excitement of Saturday. when he
was told that Blackburn had been elected.
This morning his friends were called in and
his physicians, Ely and Hume said they
thought he would not survive the day, as
the change for the worse was very marked.
Last night Mr.. Weissinger rested fairly
we'll. and his friends hoped he was some bet
ter. This morning, however, it was plain
that he was worse. When the doctor en-
tered the room of the sick man about Z
o'clock he found him gaspins for breath
and black il, the face. A timely application
Of restoratives STAYED off the end for few
hours.
All morning the corridor of the Capital
Hotel leading to room 81. in which the dy-
irg man lay moaning and muttering in his
t:elirium, was filed with friends anxious to
hear of his condition. There were many
eyes full of tears to be seen when it was
given out that there was no hope. The
manly way in which Mr.. Weissinger had
always fought for what he thought TO be
right had won for him the admiration OF
even those who differed from MIN on po-
Htical questions.
Excitement was at fever heat long before
the hour of i2 o'clock arrived. Everybody
Fad heard of the exciting events of Satur-
Gays session, and the rush to get in the
lchbies and galleries began early. The
crush was simply frightful. The ladies' ana
lot seem at all frightened. and were equal
ly anxious to get in as were the men,
Not ony was standing room in the lop-
bies and galleries at a premium, but as
many had influence with members
crowded i'll on the floor of the house. Be
sides these, long line of the dsappoint-
ed. who came too late to get in at all. stood
cut in the corridors and waited to catch
the latest news from those fortunate
enough to be on the inside. The messenger
boys We're only o BILE to get out to the tele-
graph Office with press dispatches at the
risk of losing their clothes, and the old
tiner who had been present when many
former senatorial fights were decided. de-
clared this to be by far the most exciting
of all. The only wonder IS that there was
rot more trouble of a personal nature
Considering tie high pitch to which the
friends of Blackburn and those opposed
to that candidate were wrought, this is
worthy of mention.
The Senate met a II o'clock, and, on mo-
ton of Senator Bronston, Immediately ad-
joIrned until enc minute of l.. on account
of the serious illness of Senator Wessin-
ger.
SqunbbltnG Over Recess.
When the he use met a great crowd was
on hand. The speaker had given an order
to the sergcant-at-arms to admit nobody
except tHOSe entitled, 10 lne HOOF OIL tlie
house. The crowd, which had expected to
fill the galleries and the Hobbies, was kept
ou- This precaution was taken by the
speaker on account Of the intense interest
and excitement over the vote on the Dun
iap-kaufman contest. The excitement over
political OF estions had been abated to an
extent. however, by rews that Senator
Weissinger was dying at his room in the
Capital Hotel
Business was checked shortly after the
opening by the speaker, who insisted that
the sergeant-at-arms was admitting men
not el titled to the floor. He said that COM
plaint had been made that men had beer
in timidate1 on the floor Saturday when the
joint ballots We're being taken.
Mr.. Carroll tdeinJ moved that the house
adjourn Until II on account of the expected
death of Senator Weissinger
Burnhom (rep) objected, holding that it
would be time enough to adjourn when the
news CT the ';eath of Mr.. Weissinger WAS
received. He asked for time until con-
ferercc of republicans could he held.
A vote WAS taken after much heated
argument by Carroll, Spaulding, Flippen
and others.
The democrats insisted that out OF re-
spect to the dying man such recess
should he taken \ call of the roll on the
motion ordered.
Spauldng of Marion said that out of
decency the motion to lake a recess should
be carried unanimously, and he added that
it should be so orueIed. He was oVerrued,
nov ever and the roll was CIdered called.
The significance of this was that the
publicans were determined to take up the
contested case Of Dunlap VS.. Kaufman AMI
bring it to vote.
They voted solidly against n recess. while
the democrats voted aye.
Mr.. Violet. when his name was called.
said, with tears in his eyes, that he hoped
the house would rise above partisan spirit
and take a recess in honor of that noble
and pure spirit now in the struggle of
death
vote aye SpeaEer' said he
Mr.. Howard arose before the vote was
anr ced and said that in politics he was
a partisan, but in this he had to rise above
politics. 1t was now IL 40 O'Clock, he said,
and nothing could be done anyway in re-
gard to the contested elecnon case. He
voted for a recess.
Carroll (dem.). his voice trembling with
emotion, said. 4 will assure the gentle
man of the opposition that 1 will vote for
the republican nominee if there is the
slightest prospect of the election of demo-
crat, and ask that the recess be granted.
Lyons (rep.), on this assurance, voted with
the democrats. This closed the remarkable
debate, the apparent unfeelngness of which
only shows the great strain brought about
The incident, with it's attendant display of
partisanship, was ended and soon for
gotten.
The Senator's Death Announced.
The incident with its attendant display of
partisanship was ended and soon forgot
ten when, at 1t:4O o'clock, the death of
Senator Weissnger was announced.
The motion to take a recess until one
minute of IL o'clock was. then put and
carried by a unanimous vote.
Just before the noon hour the senator's
filed into the house chamber. The jam
outside and in the corridors was terrible.
The presiding officer said that he hoped
that there would be no disorder.
Voting Postponed.
Mr.. Carroll said that it had been mutual
ly agreed by democrats and republicans
to make no attempt to elect United
States Senator. He moved that the read
ing of the roll call be dispensed with, and
that only two names, the first democratic
and the first republican in the roll be call
ed. This was acceded to, and on the name
of Senator Bennett being called, he voted
for ST. John Boyle. When Senator Bron-
stons name, which Is the first OF the dem
ocrats, was called. he voted for Blackburn.
An objection to this was made by Senator
James, who said he thought that in order
to be sure that the law was strictly COM
Piled with enough names should be called
to break quorum, all these except the
two already named, of course refusing to
vote.