New-York tribune., 1903-02-01
ELECTING A SENATOR.
( STRENUOUS TASK.
Colorado Capitol Concerted Into an
.t-mcd Camp.

inr from the legislative battlefield. and. Henry
Teller having been reelected United States Sen
..or Colorado lawmakers are about to lay down
,bejr arms and take up the less strenuous task
~ considering bills. In spite of its many dan
eers il Is with reluctance that the members of
he NINth General Assembly abandon the mill
fs~v life The martial spirit is still prevalent
81 the State House. and even Senator Patter-
son whose reputation for speeches is national
has of late turned his attention to the great
possibilities OF achievement in the line of valor.
When rumors that force was to be used in
olect;ne a United States Senator were spread
abroad the State House was quickly barricaded
snd three camps were stablished. The Repre-
Sentatives' hall. being the largest. was selected
&C the natural battlefield. In the Senate cham
hers and anteroom were gathered the\Repub-
ucsn and Democratic warriors, respectively.
,hile recruits were enlisted by the process Of
seating and unseating Senators. and the rival
Senates were formed on the 18th, when the pub
Tic mind was so filed with stories of ensuing
moodshed that a carnival parade by Masonic
,r5ers gave rise TO the that the troops
had been called out
Who was the enemy about to make the at
-ack. was the question that no attempted to
answer Each of the camps spent its days in
ror+fvinC itself against possible siege. Hard
ware cornpanies furnished every lawmaker with
a gun while the entire police force was sum-
1noned TO the capitol 10 quell the strife Men
armed 10 the teeth guarded the doors of the
ce,a+e chamber One large man who sat in
r-on+ af the door was known as the crack CEN
ire rush Of the leading local football team.
The preparation for battle called forth crowds
# the morbidly curious. who filed the corridors
n the building where all day long talk of blood
shed could be heard Even women who were
.fa S+afn
could no1 refrain from satisfying their curl
osity. They gained admittance to the gallery
~ the House and sought interviews with the
legislators who enjoyed less sanguinary repu-
istion than the Senators. To the Senate cham
hers no one was permitted access. 1t was
equally impossible 10 get out. Any attempt TO ad-
iourn il was rumored. would be met with force.
one attorney who, by dint of nlanGeuNre. had
succeeded in going in did escape from the Re-
publican camp. but when he sought access
again the way was barred.
When the first night vigil began Senatorial
eIoouence was ouelled by the serious aspect of
the situation. One or Two Senators fell asleep
in their chairs. while few stretched them
selves out on the long leather seats. But upon
the second day a military regime was estab-
lished a supply of cots and bedding was or
dered and elaborate repasts were served After
Willing away the evening hours with cards and
stories the Democratic Senate prepared TO en-
JOY long nights sleep But hardly had the
cots been made ready when a note Of warming
was sounded that the Republican Senate had
adjourned. and the story was afoat that they
were preparing for an attack.
An extra force of armed men was detailed TO
luard the door 1t was then decided that Sem
ators must take up guard duty. About mid
night there was a commotion among the guards,
and upon inquiry it was reported that scaling
ladder on the outside of the building had been
discovered. Guards had heard the sound of men
running away. and they believed that plot
had been unearthed to climb into the Senate
Chamber and murder the sleeping Senator's.
The discovery was not reassuring, and the watch
for the rest Of the night closely kept.
On the third nigh, a bloodless but terrifying
incident occurred 1t was about $50 o'clock;
supper had been ordered away, and those who
were not sleeping or reading talking and
playing cards.
What's that" suddenly exclaimed a Senator.
Instantly attention centred upon long
shadow that appeared before window looking
out into the corridor. The shadow bobbed up
and then down, that the guns Of the Sena-
tors pointed at it were uncertain in their aim,
and the part of the corridor where the shadow
appeared unguarded.
A party was ordered TO approach the window
and recoanoitre But it was only when rein-
forced by an aid from without that the mystery
solved. A woman had come to inquire for
a friend she believed TO be in the room. She
was able TO look in at the window only by
jumping up and down.
In the House of Representatives two attor-
neys became aspirants for military honors
The members Of the House were inclined to
wage battle upon a strictly legal basis. When
ever there were indications of strife they would
betake themselves to the office Of Governor
Peabody to confer and when they returned a
new point would be raised. Gradually whole
library of law books was accumulated, and
these volumes the Representatives assiduously
studied. But the contest over the seats of MEM
bers OF the House caused trouble between two
attorneys. T J. O'Donnen and George l.
Hodges, who had been double crossing each
other by means Of legal phrases. One of the
lawyers gave vent to few humorous observa-
lions which offended the other. and there fol-
lowed lively verbal dispute in which Hodges
was told that he liar.
He made lunge at his rival, and was only
prevented from carrying out the threatened at
tack by the sergeant-at-arms. 1t was during
the closing days of the siege that detective
bureau was established. There had been need
for all along to make effective the efforts or
the police department. While the Republicans
had been induced to adjourn, a joint session OF
the Democratic Senate and the House was
called the ota d being to carry out the cam
psign rallying Ery Of Save Teller
The first day Of the joint session Representa-
tive n. H. Kelly disappeared. Without him
The ffty-one votes necessary TO elect Teller
could not be obtained. He has been taken
away by force" it was said. but the story was
100 wild for belief. Some thought knockout
crops had been given to him: others SAID ne