Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-03-19
GOVERNOR BRADLEY SUMMONS
SEVERAL HUNDRED MILITIA
MEN TO PRESERVE ORDER.
The Capital Under Guard and Oni!
Authorized Persons Allowed to
Enter the Building Under the
Executives Proclamation.

llOuEu uiSCh W Aio oo ny -
respective of party. Finally he was
informed that the Blackburn leaders
had been preparing all day to take
forcible possession of the State house;
that threats we're made that the Sen
ate would cause his arrest for usurpa-
ton of authority in giving the instruc-
tons Saturday night to the sheriff of
county to clear the corridors
and cloak rooms; that all trains yes
had brought in reinforcements
for the men bent on mischief and that
Sergeant-at-Arms Somers had sworn
in Jack Chinn, Jim Williams, Eph
Lillard and other desperate men as his
deputies. 1t was also reported to the
Governor by numerous affidavits
that armed men had been collecting
in the capitol for two or three days
with a view of taking charge of the
joint assembly Monday.
This morning upward of 400 soldiers
occupied the State house square and
the calls of pickets could be heard
above the noise and confusion OF the
crowd.
Governor Bradley was in %consulta-
ton all morning with Adjutant Gen
eraI Collier and Colonies Castleman
and Gather. These gentlemen agreed
that there would be no difficulty in
preventing trouble.
81 wish to say" said the Governor,
'that the militia was called out in Or
der to protect the members of the
legislature from mob violence and not
to protect myself. The story that |
was to be arrested for usurpation OF
authority in ordering the sheriff to
clear the State house of all those not
authorized by law to be there and in
dicating that this should include the
deputies that the Senate Sergeant-at-
Arms had sworn in, and that for this
reason | had called out the military, is
false. / am perfectly able to take care
of myself, and my a for calling
out the militia was to protect the leg
islature and prevent trouble"
Governor Bradley in an interview
said that the presiding officers OF both
houses had called on him for protec-
ton and that he had called on the
mayor to give it. He learned after
ward from the sheriff that the mayors
police had done nothing to remove
the disturbing element. Saturday the
presiding officers of the two houses
with others, made affidavit that armed
desperadoes had inundated members
of the legislature; that some of the
men had assaulted a senator and re-
fused to let him leave the chamber
that a portion of them claiming to BIZ
deputies of the Sergeant Arms o
the Joint assembly forcibly prevented
the doorkeeper of the house from
doing his duty, interfered with the
proceedings of the joint assembly anC
permitted outsiders to continue then
intimidation and also permitted mum
erous armed persons to occupy thu
senate chamber and cloak room o
the two houses during the joint ses
sion and that the authorities yer pow
erless, overawed or unwilling to &C
and unless he interfered to protec
the general assembly legislative actor
would be prevented and riot ant
bloodshed would follow. Under thes'
circumstances he felt that he coult
not allow such a state of things t.
| continue and called out the Stat
guard.
NO OUTSIDERS ALLOWED TO ENTER
Adjutant General Golfers orders IL
the officers in charge of the entrance
to the state house expressly STATED
that no one except members of thu
two houses, the sergeant at arms
doorkeeper, cloak room keeper pages
newspaper reporters and TELEGRAPH
operators were entitled to admission
and the guards carried out their or
ders to the letter.
Colonel Jack Chinn came down thi
morning from H~arrodsburg. 81 hav'
telegraphed an unconditional surren
der" he said. "This is enough 70
me-"
About II o'clock it was found tina
the force of men on duty at the stat
house was larger than could be hand
led to advantage and as there were NJ
signs of immediate trouble, the Louis
vile legion was marched back to tn,
cars on which they came and ordered
to be in readiness to answer prompt.
a call for their services.
There is considerable Indignation il
some quarters at the action of the
Governor. His action, it is said, wa
taken wholly upon rumor without
proper justification and is an insult to
the civil authorities. The Blackburn
men call the Governors action s'ar
outrage"
A meeting of the citizens of Frank
fort was called for IL O'Clock to pro-
test against the presence of the mill
tia in this city.
"This display of force will stop al
legislation said a Blackburn Senator
this morning. Nothing shall be done
! would like to see the revenue bills Of
anything else get through now"
Just before IL O'Clock Sergeant-at
Arms Summers of the Senate opened
the lower door of the state house will
six assistants who had been summoned
on saturday. They we're Jack Chinn
Eph Lillard, Jim Williams, John Nc
Elroy, John Sneed and Walter Sharp
These men were halted by Captain
Gaines. Sommers protested that the!
were his assistants and that he ha,
affidavits to show that they were en-
titled to enter. The captain was firm
however, and they walked out with
out attempting to force their way up
stairs.
THE CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.
The trouble here has grown out O
attempts of Republicans and Demo
Gratis to select a Senator. JosepI
Blackburn, the present incumbent, i
the candidate OF the Democrats, barr
ing the sound money advocates, an
st. John Boyle is the caucus nomine
of the Republicans. DR.. q. w. Hunte
was the first caucu nominee, bu
after over thirty ballots 1t was foun