The herald., 1896-03-16
POLITICS IN OLD KENTUCKY
THE MILITIA IS ORDERED OUT AND MAR.
TIAL LAW is PROCLAIMED
Some Noted Desperadoes are Sworn In ss
Deputies to Keep the Peace-BIackbur ms
Friends Are Preparing to Enter the State
House by Force
Associated Press Special Wire.

AtsoCidteu FTeSS opeCldi NlTo
CINCINNATI, O.. March 16.-The Conn
mercial Gazette's 12:4O q. m. Monday
special from Frankfort, KY, says:
The riot bell rang from the fire engine
house AT IL o'clock Sunday night and at
the same moment Governor Bradley or
dered out the militia. Ten minutes later
the McCreary guards, f1fty-two strong.
Captain Noles Gains, were in possession OF
the State house and martial law was pro-
claimed. Until today Governor Bradley
had persistently refused 10 call out the
militia, though urged to do so by citizens,
irrespective of party.
The Blackburn leaders, he was informed,
had been preparing all day to take forcible
possession of the state house tomorrow.
Threats we're made that the senate would
arrest the governor tomorrow for usurpa-
ton of authority in giving the instructions
he gave last night to the sheriff of Frank
lin county to clean the corridors and cloak
rooms.
All trains Sunday brought in reinforce
ments for the men bent on mischief to-
morrow. ltwas only at the last moment,
when the presence of these crowds pre-
saged serious danger. that the governor
yielded to repeated requests of orderly citi-
zens of both parties and called out the
militia.
Sergeant-at-Arms Somers has sworn in
Jack Chinn, Jim Williams, Eph Lillard
and other desperate men as his deputies.
1t was reported to the governor by pumer-
GUS affidavits that armed men had been
collecting in the capital for two or three
days with view of taking charge of the
joint assembly on Monday. A company
from Lexington and the Louisville legion,
300 strong. will arrive early in the morn-
ing. General Collier is in command.
Guards surround the state house and
permit no one but state officers, senators,
representatives and others having con-
stitutional right, to pass.
Senator Bronston came into the gov
ernor's office and asked why he was de-
barred from the state house, who was the
peace officer of the state and why the
militia had been ordered out. He then
told the governor he could see affidavits
that would be filed in the senate tomorrow.
This evidently referred to an effort to inn
peach Governor Bradley by the senate,
which has been threatened all day. The
streets are full of people. No little appre-
hension is felt. Six hundred armed SOL
diers will be here in the morning, and it is
hoped they will be able to preserve peace.
Gov. Bradley in an interview at mid
night said in explanation of his action that
the presiding officers of both houses had
called on him for protection and that he
had called on the mayor to give it. He
learned afterwards that the sheriff and the
mayors police had been insufficient and
had done nothing to remove the disturbing
element.
On Saturday, March 18th, the presiding
officers of the two houses, along with
others, had made affidavits that armed
desperadoes had intimidated members of
the legislature and that some of them had
assaulted senator and refused to let him
leave the CHAMBER; that a portion of them
claiming to be deputies of the sergeant-at-
arms of the joint assembly forcibly pre-
vented, on the 18th of March, the door
keeper of the house of representatives
from leaving his post of duty. They inter-
fered with the proceedings of the
joint assembly and permitted armed
persons to occupy the senate chamber and
cloak rooms of the two houses during the
joint session. The aforesaid authorities
were powerless to act, and unless he in
terfered to protect the general assembly,
legislative action would be perverted, riot
and bloodshed would follow, and the SO.
curity of the lives of citizens of the COM
monwealth required action on my part
Under these circumstances felt that l
could not allow such state of things to
continue and called out the state guard"
Excitement tonight is very high. Poor,
the Populist. has promised the Republicans
to vote for Boyle tomorrow, and if he does
Boyle is likely to be elected.
AN oMINoUS OUTLOOK
LOUISVILLE, KY, March ia Courier
. .
Military surveillance was established at
10 o'clock tonight. The courthouse bell
gave the alarm at $50 o'clock and in ten
minutes Co. B of the second Kentucky
guards, under Captain Cams, we're under
arms and went at double quick time to the
state house. A squad from the McCreary
guards we're sent to the state arsenal with
orders to have ammunition ready for the
troops on arrival.
There will be 400 soldiers patrolling the
state house square at daybreak. Already
the calls of pickets can be heard above the
noise and confusion of the crowd. The
bringing of the military caused the most
intense excitement, and in fifteen minutes
hundreds of men and women were in the
streets. There is no apparent prospect for
an outbreak tonight, but the outlook for
tomorrow is ominous.
AN URGENT CASE
LOUISVILLE. KY, March 15.-A telegram
was received here tonight from Gov. Brad
ley ordering four companies of the Ken.
lucky State guard to Frankfort with all
possible haste. Three hundred men, under
the command of Gen. John b. Castleman,
will leave OH a special train in the morn
ing.