Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-27
A GRAPHIC PEN PICTURE
OF MOST SENSA TTONAL
SCENE IN THE SENA TIE

, traverses the space to his desk. That
desk is only separated from Tfllman- by
three seats. One is Senator Baileys. He
is not in it. The next is Senator Teller'ss
the patriarch from Colorado He is there
dignified, sedate, unruff1ed. Senator Har-
ris who usually occupies the next, is not
in it, McLaurin sinks into his seat and
begins to read few pages of type-writ-s
ten manuscript which he held in his hand.
as he entered the chamber Tillman IS
speaking still. His crashing voice sounds
out directly over McLaurin's curly head
Yet McLaurin heeds il not. He IS deeply
interested in the manuscript. 1t Is YER
batim report of Tillman's dialogue with
/ Spooner a few minutes ago. Tilman sees.
him reading TiIlman knows the manu-
script. But Tillman bOoms right on with
out a tremor in his tone.
SpoOner and Frye, both watching Nc
Laurin as he reads, exchange Significant
glances when they see him lay the man
| uscript upon his desk; when they see his .
countenance grow stern and set. Frye
leans back, whispers to a powerful look
ing man at his side, who thereupon steps
down from the rostrum and walks unob-
served to a point directly behind Nc
Laurin The powerful looking man is
Assistant Sergeant-atArms Layton
Twenty minutes pass. Tillman has in-
| ished speaking.
McLaurin bounds to his feet, but in
stantly regains composure. Every eye in
the chamber, from the rearmost gallery
seat down to Teller at his side. is fixed
upon him. Every ear Is strained to hear
what he will say. The silence is abso-
lutte. No one can even breathe until Nc
Laurin speaks. He throws his head back.
ST rise to a question Of personal priv
ilege."
All! Now great, quick breath around
the entire hail. and listen close againt
Those words cut the silence like blades
Of steel. What next?
During my absence a few minutes ago
the gentleman who has just taken his
| seat" A pause. A glare at Tillman-
THE senator who has just taken his
seat with a strong emphasis on the word
senator, said that improper influences +
had been used in changing the vote OF
/, somebody on the Paris treaty. He then
went on to say that the charge applied
| to the senator from South Carolina who
had been given the patronage of that
state think I have now stated the sub
stance of the controversy"
HIS voice is breaking. How angry he
Is. White anger. But he pauses for
: breath and again becomes cool enough to
proceed.
1T would not use as Strong language as
1 intend had, not, soon after the senate
met, replied to these insinuations and said
that they were untrue. 1 now say that
that statement is a wilful, deliberate. ma
licious lie!''
Like a pistol shot the word echoes
| through the death-like silence of the
| chamber. 1t startles senators and spec
tators alike. 1t reached Tillman first and
now, before anyone can draw a breath.
senate and galleries see the one-eyed IT,
ger spring from his chair and leap to-
wards McLaurin. He places one hand on
Teller's desk, the other on Teller's Shout
der and over that reverend and grave
seignor Tillman filings his own frame as
easily as trained athlete might go. He
| is by before Teller realizes he is coming
Harris's chair he kicks aside as dozen
senators start to their fest, yet before
ohe is fully Strengthened up Tillman has
reached McLaurin. With not an instAnt's
pause he raises his clinched. left fist ana
| bangs it squarely against McLaurin's
right eyebrow.
McLaurin's head flaps back. He reeov-
ers and sends his own clenched right fist
plump into Tillman's left eye. Tillman's
head flaps back. He RECEIVERS. He grasps
McLaurin with both his hands about the
neck McLauriu hammers him away a
space but Tillman is back again. A short
arm blow from Tillman chances from Nc
Laurin's shoulder and smashes into the
face Of Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms lay
| ton. who has run in from behind and
clasped McLaurin about the waist.
The combatants lock in a tight embrace.
reel, recover. struggle an instant Then
! wyoming the giant Of the chamber. has
| picked up TiIlman, struggling still, bodily
/ in his arms and pulled him back to his
| seat. Layton forces McLaurin into his
/ seat Just as a score of senators reach the
| spot.
Dignity in the senate? Not at all. Wild
uproar though not a word has been spok-
| en- for a minute. Women are softly
screaming in suppressed excitement up in
the gallery. Men up there are standing,
shutting about in desperate endeavors to
| lean forward and catch glimpse OF the
| fight Senators are crowding about the
| late combatants in no 'other guise than
unrestrained curiosity. Dignity? Thrown
to the winds!
McLaurin is dazed. Tillman is bleeding.
He draws a handkerchief and wipes
blood from his eye. His face is puzzle.
Who can read it, now that his impetuous
soul has at last driven him to real battle
| in open session?
Another second and the gavel has
brought order again into the senate. Nc
Laurin attempts to proceed with his re-
marks. but Teller, JUS now recovering
| from amazement at Tillmans leap, inter-
rupts him TO protest against INST hght
in the United States senate. He is joined
! by Foraker, of Ohio.
IN a moment the guards are clearing
the galleries of the seething,, excited
throng. The senate has gone into execu-
fight in open session in its history.
In 1854 Charles Sumner, senator from
Massachusetts, denounced an uncle OF
Preston Brooks on the floor of the senate.
Brooks at that time was member Of the
house of representatives from South
Carolina. He heard later in the day or
the denunciation of his relative by Sum
ner. Picking up his cane, he hurried
through the rotunda of the capitol ana
entered the senate chamber, boiling with
wrath.
The senate had adjourned for the day.
but Sumner was seated at his desk. TO
| him Brooks almost ran. When he reached
| the senator, without a word, he raised
the cane and brought it down with all his
might on Summers head. Again and again
the cane rose and en-, eacn time striking
Summers head, until at last the senator
sank unconscious in his chair and Brooks
anger was appeased.
Sumner came near dying from the eff
fects Fof the clubbing. 1t is said he never
fully recovered. Brooks was expelled from
the house, but. on going home was re-
elected by the people of his district, and
came back at the next session Of congress.
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.