New-York tribune., 1901-12-22
PERRY BELMONT NAMED
RIOTOUS CONVENTION IN THE
WITH DISTRICT.
FIGHT BETWEEN COMMISSIONER MUIR
PLY AND "BATTERY DAN" FINN
CALLS FOR POLICE IN
TERVENTION.

Hickory Club No 1S4 Hudson-st., between the
friends of Police Commissioner Michael c. Muir
ply and the Finn men, backed by the almost
solid delegation of 13S Staten Island delegates.
The friends of Murphy apparently planned to
start a fight at the Hickory Club convention
and have the platoon of police under command
of Roundsman William Londrigan clean the
place out. Commissioner Murphy and Colonel
Asa Bird Gardiner made repeated efforts to
have the convention adjourned till Monday
night. Civil Justice Daniel E. Finn blocked
them in their attempt and insisted on having
the work of the convention carried out John
Walsh chairman of the Hickory Club SonVen-
tion at first made a stiff fight under difhcult1es
for the continuance of the convention. but he
weakened under the persuasion OF commissioner
Murphy and Colonel Gardiner. and adjourned
the convention when the delegates were IN an
uproar and when Judge Finn and Assemblyman
Michael Halpin the point or coming u
blows.
. Civil Justice John J. Kenney, of staten lslallu
was elected acting chairman in place Of Walsh'
The police squad soon began to rush the dele
gates out of the hall and then Chairman Ken
ney adjourned the convention to No 141 Hud-
son-st, the headquarters of the Daniel E Finn
Association, where 145 delegates on the second
ballot nominated Mr.. Belmont. The convention
consisted of 21S delegates.
After the adjournment of the Belmont dele
gates to the Finn headquarters, Finn noIn1-
mated James Driscoll of the Ist Assembly Dis
trict, while Civil Justice Fitzgerald nominated
, Perry Belmont
DRISCOLL DELEGATES SWUNG
Driscoli received IL votes on the first ballot,
and this left Belmont short Of the necessary
40. Then the Drscon delegates on motion of
Judge Finn. swung to Belmont. and his nomina-
ha
votes
Councilman tom" Foley left the convention
in company with Commissioner Murphy Colonel
Gardiner and Councilman Ryder.
Mr. Belmont accepted the nomination at the
hands Of the adjourned convention. and said
that it came without dictation from any central
authority. The Finn men celebrated their vic
tory over their rivals at the Hickory Club, and
hailed Finn the coming leader of the district
The district Is made up OF Staten Island the
Ist assembly District In Manhattan two cleo
ton districts OF the lid Assembly District and
twelve election districts of the lid Assembly
District The convention called meet at
the Hickory Club, the headquarters of Police
Commissioner Murphy.
The Staten Island delegates held a caucus
! early in the evening at Ne. Broadway, and 49,
| of the I3S voted to support Belmont. When
| Commissioner Murphy heard of this he decided
to have the convention postponed if possible
| Colonel Murphy called the delegates to order
The room was inadequate that the delegates
stood packed like sardines around the secrA
tary's table
| Colonel Murphy who is far from strong said
| in a weak and paintive voice:
Nobody can hear anything here. No
business be done here tonight because there
is no way to tell whether a delegate answers 20
| his not.
"AW-g'wan wild de show WOt's de matter wild
We" said one of the Finn men. This seemed to
shock Colonel Murphy into prompt action. and
he called for the election of a chairman. John
Walsh Of the lid District. elected without
| opposition, with Messrs Prall and Willis as sec
| retaries.
| You can't get 21S delegates in here" said
! Colonel Gardiner to the chairman. Walsh began
! to waver and Finn who is gray haired able
| bodied man about ffty-fve years old. pushed
his way TO the front of the room. and opened
the BALI defiantly, by saying: q
Mr.. Chairman. you can't go outside the regu-
lar order of business We want a permanent
chairman 1 move that John Walsh the tenn
porary chairman, be made permanent. We are
| not going TO be bulldozed by anybody-we are
not going to be told by anybody what are
| going to do here tonight. We are here to nom
! mate and we going to nominate"
! Good boy DAM yelled delegate; knock
him out!'
| Alderman Kennedy-Now, let run away
| with ourselves We don't want any BULLDOG
| ing
That's right" put in Finn; I'VE don't want
| any bulldozing.
Chairman WaIsh-Nobody can buldoze
| /
But the uproar became great that one
could hear what Mr.. Walsh had to offer
| Alderman Kennedy-Pont of order Mr.. Chair
man. Every delegate is entitled to seat, and
where the deuce is the seats? No has got
| any"
we are here to perform a function" said
Judge Finn, who soon began performing aero
ba tic feats "and 1 want to warn the Demo-
Gratis of this district that if don't nominate
a good Democrat will lose the district
Colonel Gardiner-In order to have the con-
yantion regular we must know who is voting
Voice-Aw. git your mutual admiration club
off n the earth!
Then Colonel Murphy. Colonel Gardiner and
the chairman all began talking at once as the
secretary of the Richmond County delegation
began calling the roll.
| Move we adjourn shouted James P Burke.
but Mr. Walsh gIowered at him and said he
would not adjourn the convention whereat the
| Finn men howled with joy.
| All the Staten Island men voted for Belmont
and then the chairman called for the Ist As
sembv District rollcall Colonel Murphy whs
! Dered to the chairman and then Colonel Gar
| diner again moved an adjournment till Monday
night
| Finn saw that Walsh was beginning to wab-
! hIe and he made spring for the platform,
shouting II will call the roll! 1 will call the
| roIIr'
Forcing his way to the platform, ne yelled out
| -Ia 1rEad fO