The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-27

BOSTON, Sept. 26.-One of the most
remarkable political incidents in the his
tory of Massachusetts was enacted in
Music hall last night and this morn
ir~.
Acting under the advice of Hon.
George Fred Williams, the free silver
leader of the state, his friends seized the
hail and took possession of it after the
adjournment ofshe rally, at which
Candidate Bryan had spoken.
Their purpose, as openly announced,
was to remain in possession of the hall
until the Democratic state convention
assembled this afternoon, the determi-
nation being reached by Mr.. Williams
that the state committee leaders
INTENDED TO PACK THE HALL
in the interest of the men opposed to
the Chicago platform and candidates.
The Democratic state central commit
tee was in session at the Quincy House
making up the committees for the con-
Vention, when the Williams men seized
the hall, and when the news of the af
fair reached the committee 1t caused a
sensation. The charges made bys Mr..
Williams rejecting upon the integrity
of the committee were vigorously de-
nounced, and his claim that he had
demanded Of the committee that the
credentials serve as admission tickets to
the hall and this demand had been re-
fused, was branded by the members of
the committee as false
At the conclusion Of the meeting in
Music hall last night, Secretary Denison
of the Bryan-Sewal-W ilfiaLls club,
stepped to the front of the pla. form ard
requested that the delegates present
who were to participate in todaY's con-
vention should remain in the hall and
formulate
A PLAN OF PROCEDURE
in the convention. He said the friends
of Mr.. Williams were determined that
the machine" should not capture the
convention in the morning.
James II. Mellen of Worcester urged
the delegates present to remain in the
hall, and defied Mayor Quincy and the
agent of the building TO eject the dele
gates and their friends. He would hold
the hall peaceably, but if required, |
would use force. He referred to a |
meeting of similar character in Worces-
ter about twenty years ago, in the in
terest of Gen. 3. F. Butler.
Other speakers followed with expres- |
sions OF adherence 20 the Williams
cause, and 500 persons remained in the !
hall Some fifty policemen, who had
against the west wall of the auditorium. !
Timothy W. Coakley a strong anti-ma-
chine man, declared to the delegates
that the officers of the law
HAD NO POWER
to evict them from the hall.
Meanwhile Alderman John II. Lee
and John II. Sullivan, of the state COM
mititee, had gone to police headquarters |
in an effort to have orders issued for |
the vacating of the hall.
Mr.. Denison, of the Bryan-SewaE
Williams club, also called ait headquar-
tiers, and an animated discussion over
the seizure Of the convention hall was |
in. Some very vigorous Ian
guage was used by the opposing gen
tle1nen. 1t was finally stated by the
police officials that they had no author
ity to interfere with the persons who
were in the hall.
The policemen, therefore, left the
hall, and the delegates and their guests !.
cheered wildly. Several speeches were
made in denunciation of what was
termed an effort of the state commit
tee to freeze out the Williams men.
At 1890 a. m. Mr.. Midget, agent of
the hall, took the Platform ami an
noUnced that the lease of the hall to
the Bryan-SewaE-W Williams club under
whose auspices the Bryan rally had
been held, expired at Y O'Clock. and he
asked that the hall be vacated. His
renarks were greeted with
vETTc ON DID Osrrrcr-
and the delegates did not vacate the
hall
It was shortly afterward announced
by Mr.. Coakley that a supply OF sand
wiches had been ordered, and would be
quickly at hand, and speech making
followed.
Agent Mudgett, meanwhile, had de-
cided on plant of energetic action. He
secured the services Of two officers
who. with one CT his assistants, were
stationed at the door of the hall. They
were instructed to permit any person
inside who wished to do 50, to leave
the hail, but nobody was to be allowed
to enter. Many of the delegates had
come out into the street for a breath
of fresh air, bI.lt when they tried to re-
enter the hall they were bluntiy re-
fused admittance. Protests were of no
avail. The locked-out WiFtams sup
ptrterS had to remain OUTSIDE.
This was also the fate Of the man
with his load of sandwiches and cof-
fee. Mr.. Mudgett would not allow him
to go into the hall with his goods.
About 1870 o'clock the gallery lights
md many others in the hall we're turn
ID off by the agent, leaving the big
auditorium in a state of
ALMOST ENTIRE oBsCURITY.
Mr. Coakley, Mr. Mellen and others
-ried to eniiven the occasion with
speeches, but there was a general de-
sire to rest their tired limbs and many
e the delegates sought to get upon
hard settees.
About o'c.ocls a committee was del
egated to make a final attempt to get
some food to the famished delegates
by any means possible. The commit
Zee returned in a short time with a
arge supply Of eatab,es. They again
the officers at the door to