Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-05-15
ROWS IN CONVENTION
REPUBLICAN FACTIONS IN MISSOURI
USE FISTS FREELY.

The Delegates, However, Are All For Mo
Kiniey-Fieroe fractional Fight In Della
ware-t3eaten by the Addiciss Men, Hig-
gins Adherents Bolt the Convention.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo-, May 1s.-Chauncey 1.
Filley is away ahead as the result Of the
proceedings In the Republican state con-
ventlun.
There was a fiotous wrangle about ad
mission tickets at the start. John L. Bit
finger, representing r. G. Kerens, got
possession Of the keys TO the opera house
and undertook TO limit the number Of
tickets given TO the state committee Tor
distribution. The sergeant-at arms was q
Filley man, however, and in the end his
friends got in and had things their own
way.
Filley obtained control Of the credentials
committee, Joe Mccoy being chosen chair
man and the faction having a clear ma
jority OF the committee. Filley was given
another strong advantage by the commit
tee on organization adopting a rule that
candidates for delegates at large should be
voted for separately. Representative Bart
lett WAS made chairman. He is billoy
partisan.
An angry mob Of 5000 men were bat
NlluA Mlbu OV pOllOtUubu lOI huAnAhdAoA w
the opera house 10 minutes before the con-
vention met.
The mob at the entrance of the building
was rapidly increased and grew more de-
FAINT The police beat them back with
their clubs At the front were the 10S
Kerens delegates from St. Louis, with
Colonel Kerens, @. H. Spencer, Thomas
w. Booth and Nat Frank as their leaders,
bravely combating the police They had
been given tickets Of admission by Bit
finger and were trying to make a rush for
the seats allotted 10 the St Louis delega-
tion, which the state committee had as
signed to the Filley delegates.
The confusion was worse oonfounded
when Major Bittinger found the proprie-
tor of the opera house. gave him $3.50 for
the use of the building, was handed the
keys and locked the newspaper men and
telegraph operators in the building.
scantIing Used In the Melee.
An assault was made by the Filleyites
on the back door, but they were repulsed
by the guard, who used scantling.
Finally a compromise was effected and
Chairman Filley led the state committee
through the front door. The mob that
ohoked up the street cheered liked madmen
when they saw his hat,
No Kerensltes were admitted with this
crowd Filley led the small procession to
the stage and looked out on a sea of empty
Seats except the few occupied by favored
delegates.
The Filley delegation from st. Louis
was the first admitted. The Kerens dele
gates held their places in the line on the
outside and set up a mighty howl when
they saw the Filley men pass the guards
at the door.
More than a hundred lights occurred in
| the crowd outside the building Some of
them partook of the nature of small sized
riots.
The committee wrangles continued for
several hours, when majority and minori-
ty reports were presented by the creden.
| tials committee. After a long fight the
majority report was adopted and the 108
Filley delegates from St. Louis were seat
ed. Contests from Clay and Pike counties
were also settled In Filley's favor.
The platform favors reciprocity and
protection and demands sound money.
The delegates were instructed for McKin-
ley for president No other presidential
candidate was mentioned. Wild applause
greeted MoKinley's name