The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-05
NIGHT SESSION.
Scenes of the Day Re-enacted With
Variations
TspeciaI to the Sac JournaL.l

Especial to the State Journal
Kansas City, July 5.-Although the
convention was not the nerVe-stralnliIs
ordeal which one might expect, the scene
in the hall last night was one which
made the blood tingle, caused a man TO
get warm all over, while a suspicious
lump fingered in his throat Long be-
fore the delegates assembled, the con-
vention hall was crowded to the very
doors. Bands were playing IN various
corners of the vast hall. The rays OF the
hundred arc lights, threw a mellow light
over the flags and state standards The
dash of color reflected from the audi
ence, all combined to create a scene OF
grandeur and impressiveness.
High up in the farthermost balcony.
band struck up Hello My Baby" The
instruments ceased and the players
sang the chorus. Other popular airs
followed The players closed this fea-
ture with a brilliant passage from a
comic opera The blare of the fnstru
ments ceased; the drums were stilled
and out from that concealed nook float
ed a sweet melody which carried men
and women, old and young, back to
their childhood, when fond mothers
lulled away their ca=eS with inspirations
from the heart, the music Of which no
composer has ever been able to produce
The singers were an invisible choir, the
words were not audible. but the melody
was there, and that melody stilled the
throng as the influence of man could
not do.
But the crowd soon passed from I'M
der this spell The first incident which
aroused them from the influence of the
music, was the juggling of the tele-
phones on the desks OF the newspaper
men. some of the Kansas City papers
having this facility for sending the
news from the convention hall direct to
their offices. One man did the writing,
another ".talked-it" through the phone.
When these bells began ringing, the
people started a buzz in inquiring what
they were for. The conversation soon
HIM
for five minutes recalled the people to
the fact that Chairman Thomas was
rapping for order. He was evidently Ia
boring under considerable excitement
His arms were waved so high that his
coattaiIS were elevated to his waist
This pantimine continued for short
period, ending presumably when the
crowd near the stand cheered. Then a
man with whiskers bobbed up. He was
choppi1g the air. like an amateur base-
ball player The word came back that
this man was the distinguished ex-gov-
ernor Of Illinois, John p. Altgeld- The
reporters broke the news to the crowd
Mr.. A1tgeld will probably never know
why a section of the audience cheered
after he was thoroughly started The
discovery of his Identity caused this
outburst long after those in front had
stopped their applause. Soon a mon
strous cheer went up from the center
of the hall 1t was taken up and the
rafters rang with the volume of sound
! which reached them. Mr.. Altgeld had
said, so it was reported. after the cheer
ing had subsidized: None of the dele
gates here could have come had their
constituents known there was any queS
ton about specific mention Of 10 to in
our platform" This was the first and
last ovation AIr.Altgeld received, though
he shook his head. until it seemed from
a distance that it would come off, and
chopped the air until $40 o'clock
Then came a blessed relief for strain
ed ears. z. E Murphy, Of Kansas, a
sunfiower blazing on the lapel of his
coat, read the report of the committee
/ on order of business. Every word
parts ofthe hall. The chairman swayed
/ his body back and forth, bobbed his
/ head a chorus of ayes told of the
/ adoption of that report. Clerks who
/ could not be heard participated in addi-
1 tional rounds, until interrupted by a
1 quarrel IN the delegations from the Dis
! trict of Columbia, the contests having
4 the convention A vote was taken after
/ the statesmen had unIoaded their
1 speeches Few understood what the
/ vote was. but everyone knew the affirm
/ alive lost, because there was a thunder
/ Gus no. from the arena containing the
delegates Following this, the scenes OF
| the forenoon, surrounding the instaIla-
! ed, only Permanent Chairman Richard
son was substituted as the victim He
also read his speech. fragments of which
such as thirdly" 1896. = the Empire -
| the ratio, and similar words were
| waited over the press reservations.
| When Richardson concluded the trou-
bic commenced The state banners were
est point from which to haunt the colors