Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-17
KALAMAZOO WAS RED HOT.
Ten Thousand People Thronged BrunsOn Park
Narrow Escape from Serious s
Accident at Albion.

Kalamazoo, Mfch oct. 16.-Kalamazoo
was red-hot with Bryan enthusiasm when
the democratic candidate arrived. Ten
thousand people thronged Brunson park
to hear him speak, and they expressed
their partisan feelings up to the limit OF
their lung power. Mr.. Bryan was intro
duced by Mr.. Todd, the democratic candi-
date for congress in that district, and in
the course of his remarks took a shot at
Chairman Lauterbach of the New York
county republican committee.
Another great assemblage was at Bat
tie Creek awaiting the Nebraskan cam
didate. 1t appeared to be fully as large
as that at Kalamazoo. The brief speech
Mr.. Bryan made from stand near the
Michigan Central station was we'll re-
ceived. 1t contained no new material.
The experience of being the chief attrac-
ton was surrendered at Marshall by Mr.
Bryan, who insisted on introducing in
his stead Albert Williams, a gentleman
so years of age.
If the platform from which Mr. Bryan
spoke at Albion had not been so low
serious accident might have occurred. Mr..
Todd introduced the candidate, and the
talker was in the midst of a speech when
the frail stand from which he was speak
ing collapsed, carrying with it Mr.. Bryan
and a score of others. The crowd had
hardly time to know what had occurred
before it saw the nominee pick himself
up and jump on truck to continue. No
one was hurt.
Mrs. Bryan. who usually sits on the
platform while her husband is speaking,
fortunately remained on the train at
Albion.
So densely were the people packed in
the public square and Liberty square that
Mr.. Bryan was unable to reach the stand
from which he was expected to speak. 1t
was just growing dark when the carriage
in which Mr. and Mrs. Bryan were seated
was made to go through the jam only
with the greatest difficulty. The solid
mass of humanity at the public square
was impregnable and Mr.. Bryan stood up
in the vehicle and made a short speech,
which was enthusiastically received
Dashing off to Liberty square the horses
were brought up against another bull
wark of human beings, and again the
democratic candidate was obliged to de-
liver his speech from the carriage.
At Lansing.
Lansing, Mich, Oct 16.-E,xcursionists
from Grand Rapids, Detroit, Battle
Creek, Jackson. Ann Arbor, Hillsdale and
many other places came to Lansing to-
day to hear William J. Bryan, and the
capital city was full of visitors when he
arrived at Z o'clock. Flambeau clubs on
hore and afoot escorted him from his
train to Mead'S hall, where he addressed
a meeting exclusively 1Or women. Inc
second speech was delivered on cano-
pied platform in Hotel square. Ten thou
sand people were there, but Mr.. Bryan's
husky voice could not reach very far and
large numbers went away. Later, how
ever from the brilliantly lighted balcony
of a hotel, he addressed an audience
equal in numbers to that on the capitol
grounds Mr.. Bryan's voice sounded
clearer from his commanding position on
the balcony, and his remarks were pune
tuated by great cheering.
Then he went to the armory, spacious
building, and spoke to those packed with
| in its walls, and concluded the evening at
big tent, which was also crowded. There
was little If anything new in Mr.. Bryan's
Lansing speech. At the Downey house
| he urged his hearers who were in favor
of free-silver not to stay away from the
polls on election day, because the result
might depend upon the electoral vote of
one state He said he was willing to trust
the employees of big corporations to vote
as they pleased, but the avocates Of a
! gold standard were not. They had at
tempted coercion, showing that their
| cause was hopeless and that they no long
er appealed to reason as an appeal to
force was the last resort of desperation
Shortly after 10 o'clock Mr.. Bryan's spe-
| cial pulled out for ST. Johns, where he
will begin his Speech-making tomorrow,