Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-03-19

]
able to Keep Order-The Delega-
ton from New York Will be Di-
vided.
New York. March 1S.-In all the Con-
gressional districts of this city with the
exception of the Sixteenth, the Republi-
cans tonight held conventions for the
purpose of electing delegates and alter
mates to the national Republican con-
vention which will be held in st. Louis
next June.
Turbulence and confusion were the
chief characteristics in the Twelfth and
Fifteenth districts
In the Murray Hill Lyceum, wnere
the Twelfth district convention was
held. it frequently looked as if only the
presence of a squad of policemen pre-
vented a scene of personal encounter
between the opposing factions favoring
Morton and Mckinley as Presidential
candidates. In spite of the claims OF
Cornelius n. Bliss and Col. Cruger, the
anti-macbine banner bearers, that they
had their bailiwick well in hand, they
were defeated. but only after stubborn
fight Even then they would not ac-
cept defeat. and under the leadership
of George Bliss, their cohorts got to-
gether and held an opposing conven-
ton and elected their own delegates.
In consequence of this action there will
be a contest before the national assem-
bly,.
wild scene of riot and disorder
marked the opening proceedings OF the
, 18th Congression district convention at
Renwick Hall Over one thousand ex-
cited men cheered, hooted and yelled
ut each other while Police Inspector
( Cartwright CAPTAIN Dean, four police
sergeants and one hundred roundsmen
and patrolmen vainly endeayored to
restore something like a semblance OF
order The fight was between the Platt
and Brookfield factions. The candidates
for national delegates on the Platt side
were Excise Commissioner Joseph
Murray and David Friedman. The
Brookfield faction had for candidates
/ Gen. c. H. T. Coils and Robert }.
Wright and for alternates George 5.
Sutton an1 elias Goodman.
This afternoon Gen. Colts called on
President Roosevelt.
Inspector Cartwright had one hum
! dred officers at the convention.
Although the total number of dele
gates elected to the convention was only
594 there were over a thousand men in
the hall at o'clock when w. r. Spooner
jumped on a chair and nominated e. 5.
Clinch as temporary chairman. Spooner
is a Brookfeld man and the Plattites
at once set up a howl of disapproval.
| Pandemonium broke loose and every
I one in the hall made a rush for the
platform, and one faction yelled def
ance at the other. Inspector Cart
wright ordered the crowd back, but it
was no use and the police had to form
a line and drive the delegates and those
who were not delegates away from the
platform. Meanwhile Mr.. Clinch had
seized a gavel and was pounding for
order. Ex7Assemblyman Otto Irving
Wise shouted that the proceedings were |
irregular and that Mr.. Clinch mad No
right to preside as temporary chairman.
The proper person to call the convention
to order was Isaac II. Newman, who had
been delegated by the State Committee.
Inspector Cartwright cleared a passage !
and Isaac H. Newman ascended the
platform and stood beside Alr Clinch.
He called the meeting to order while
Mr. Clinch on behalf of the Brookield |
faction continued to pound the table.
Mr.. Newman called upon James Degnan !
to act as temporary chairman.
Mr. Degnan had hard fight to reach /
the platform, but he finally managed 20
get there with the assistance of the
police and a hundred or more of Platt- !
ties. Degnan had a gravel and the two (
temporary chairmen banged away for
dear life while the crowd continued to
shout, cheer and yell as if they had all
gone mad.
Frank Raymond moved that the roll
be called, and as the name of each del |
egate was mentioned he arose and de |
clared his vote The Plattites had their !
ballot box, and Chairman Degnan an
nounced that they would vote by bal !
lot. Out of the 594 delegates, the Platt
faction claimed that they had 420 dele
gates solid, while Lloyd Coils claimed
that the opposition ticket would be
elected by a twO-thirds vote OF the en-
tire delegation. Ii is not likely that
the vote will be known until to-mor-
row. The delegates were still voting !
at midnight 1t is the first time that
two separate conventions have been
held from the same platform at the
same time in the history of pilitics in
this city and it will have to be deter !
mined which faction is entitled to have
their delegates seated when the na-