Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-04

tioned the late General john Echols.
whose son was afterwards for years In
the State Senate and later as Iieuteu-
ant-Governor, its presiding o6fcer: Gem
eraf James "A Walker, afterwards In
Congress: Judge critcher, man widely
known in Tidewater Virginia IN his day:
r. II. Mayo, A.. L.
sPridemore, ]. b. Richmond, Charles T.
O'Ferra1l. afterwards Governor: E. E.
Meredith. S. s. Turner. James W Mar
SHALT Governor Tyler. and present Con-
gressmen Harry Z. Maynard, James Hay
and Carter Class: General William r.
Terry William B. TaHaferro, Bradley T.
johnson, and others. These are but
fewsof a galaxy of wtsll-known Virgintans
:whoshad their early legislative experience
in the hall of the House of Delegates.
WITNESSED CAPITOL HORROR.
Mr. Sullivan was doorkeeper of the
3Houss in 1870 when the floor Of the SUI
preme Court OF Appeals chamber fell.
killing many and wounding many more,
and The talks very interestingly of that
thrilling experience and memorable hor-.
ror.sHe was then, as now. postmaster of
the House. and twas owing to his ten
ure Sof this position that he owes his
abilitysto tell of that disaster In which
some of the flower Of Virginia manhood
was crushed. He had Just gone to the
west side of the hall in the sector osor
which the gallery now hangs, to assert
the mail. and this portion of the hall was
beneath the rooms occupied as offices by
the Governor and his secretary. This sec
ztlonsdid not fall with the remainder
We had had caucus that morning.
said Captain Sullivan, t.to nominate a
judge for Henry and Franklin counties.
1t was called to order early that morn
Ing, but, owing to the inability of Ger
tatnamem bers to be present, was, after
considerable discussion. postponed. AS
soon as the caucus was postponed the
members all rushed upstairs, there being
no elevator then, all eager to hear the
proceedings in the celebrated contested
election case of Calhoon and Ellyson Cor
the mayoralty. which was being constd-
cred by the Court of Appeals that day.
I do not remember just what day it was.
but it was In April, 1870. and a balmier
spring day / never saw
The case was one OF intense interest,
and 1.-THE courtroom was packed almost
to suffocation when the Democratic leg
islators rushed up the stairs and into
the hall. There was a small gallery In
the courtroom and the judges bench
was in the east snd of the room. This
gallery was densely crowded, and proved
unequal to the strain upon it. When 1t
gave way with crash and fell upon the
floor Of the courtroom that started the
calamity. and almost the entire floor gave
way. and. with many of these in the
room, fell to the floor of the House.
THE Republican members of the House
had been excluded from the hall during
the sitting of the caucus, and Immediately
upon the adjournment they rushed in to
get their mail I was over at the House
postoft1ce distributing letters to. them
when the crash came. Crippled as was
and not knowing but that the entire
building had collapsed. I made my way
to the window, and, climbing out, drop
ped down to the ground below, alishting
on my foot and then getting away from
danger of a falling wall.
Ore of the pathetic incidents OF the
affair was the killing of John Turner, a
page in the House. He was with me dis
trib,.ting mail and helping meup to the
moment before the crash came. and had
just started out into the other part Of the
building on some errand for one of the
Republicans when the floor collapsed.
The lad had gotten to the middle aisle
and was about midway between the
speakers chair and the door when the
floor collapsed and caught him unfsr 1t,
crushing him to DEATH He was a bright
boy. land his death was a great shock to
me. =
las near as can remember, there
were sixty-seven killed in that calamity,
or who died from wounds sustained at
that time. Among those who fell with
the floor was John w. Daniel, the pres
ent Senator then member of the House.
| SCENE OF WILD EXCITEMENT
Immediately after the calamity there
was a scene and the sounds OF wild eX-
element The fire bells rang and bells
of all kinds soon announced to the entire
n; CT
and police and militia were all called out
| and assisted in eXtricat1ng the injured
and in rescuing the dead bodies. The
wounded were taken to Blair'S drug store
then at Ninth and Broad streets. which
was thrown open to them. Medicines
| and badges were given to all Tree OF
cost by the proprietor. and the store was
converted into an emergency nospltai-
..1,he wreckage would probably haEs
taken fire but for the thoughtfulness OF
a Northern man named Budd, VINO ar
! rived early on the scene. He cut on the
gas. a thing nobody else, perhaps, Wouit
| hay:, thought of. and thus lessened tns
danger from fire and asphyxtation-
| "The Court of Appeals a that tint
| consisted Of Judges Staples, Christan
| Monc1re Anderson and Bouldin, Judss
! Moncure being president OF the court
Among those in the courtroom ana wne
haa noarveIo,,s escapes was Judge
Henson. who saved himself by cllngine
r. ~, crate in the courtroom until res
c,,ed He was the father OF judge Hen
! con : recently chosen to one of the new
circuits and who, by the way, Is IN tht
| city tonight. or,
.After The collapse of the courtroom
| floor the House met by inV1tatlon " I9 ~.
| mel Darlington in the dlnlng.room ot .i'
Ia Rallard House for while. and iatel
in in the old Christian church on Eleventh