The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-12
WIDEST RIOTING IN
TENTH DISTRICT CAUCUS
Four Policemen and a Dozen Park
critics Required to Hold the Door
The Rump Caucus.

The widest scenes of the rioting attend
ant upon the Democratic district caucuses
were enacted in Room 50 and the adjacent
corridors on the second floor of the State
house. where the Tenth district delegates
gathered. There fully 200 men stormed and
raved, pushed and showed and exchanged
epithets and blows for over an hour. The
net result of all this turmoil was that the
Parker people put through their slate, and
then the Hearstites held a rump caucus
and elected their slate.
The Hearst slate was adopted in the more
orderly manner. as the Parker people did
not attempt to interrupt and bulldoze them.
The Parker slate, however, will unques-
tionably be recognized at the convention
to-day.
The riot was started because the contest
ing Hearst delegates from Tippecanoe, War
rem, Benton and Laporte counties were re-
fused admission to the hall Acting upon
the instructions of the state committee, adj
mission was by ticket, and tickets We're
issued only to those delegates considered
regular In the opinion of the committee,
which meant the Parker delegates wherever
there were contests. The Hearst people
thus had % delegates from Tippecanoe. o
Laporte excluded, total of 81, and in addi-
tion they had at least so men with them to
fight for what they termed fair play.
When the door was opened four husky
policemen from the force of twelve officers
detailed under Sergeant Hagerman to pre-
serve order in the Statehouse during the
caucuses were there to see that no one
without a ticket gained admission. When
it dawned on the Hearst people that they
were thus barred they determined to go
in whether or no, and started flying wedge
for the door. Burly Parkerites backed up
the officers in holding the door, but the
fight was waged for over an hour, an occa-
sional Hearstite forcing has way in. A num-
Der of Hearst delegates had tickets and
were admitted without question, and they,
with those who forced an entrance were
sufficient in numbers to start babel the
moment District Chairman j. b. Faulkner,
of Laporte tried to call the caucus to order.
The Parker men realized they could not
transact business regularly under the cir
cumstances, and merely went through the
form of making j. F. Gallagher, of Laporte.
chairman of the caucus, with H. L. Sam
mons, of Newton, secretary, and adopt
ing the Parker slate. headed by Dan w.
Simms. of Tippecanoe. on what might be
termed a viva voce vote. Then the caucus
was declared adjourned and the Parker
delegates for the most part withdrew.
Lemuel barrow, of Laporte. Immediately
jumped on the table in the center of the
room and called a rump caucus. With little
or no interruption the Hearst delegates then
proceeded to eject their slate, headed by
Becker. of Lake, for national delegates
The voting was done by counties.
Before the voting had proceeded far Jo-
hannes Kopelke. of Crown Point, formerly
member of the state Senate. and Demo.
cratic candidate for Appellate judge. whose
name had been on the Parker slate. asked
for recognition. Still wearing his Parker
button, he clambered on the table and de.
livered an address that aroused the Hearst.
ties to wild demonstrations of approval. He
denounced the machine methods OF the
Parkerites and indirectly charged thai
Samuel T. Murdoch. OF Lafayette, whom
he credited with manipulating the machine
had not voted the Democratic ticket in lS9
and 1900. BY. the time Kopelke had con
cluded the Hearst people were ready Il
| concede that he was almost as great a mar
as their presidential candidate.
In the course of his speech Kopelke de
/ clared that If the Parkerites follow tn,
| same machine tactics in the convention to
! day he will not support the Democratic
| ticket next November. This sentiment wal
! Endorsed unequivocaily by his hearers.