Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-11-29
Spirited Scrimmage Enlivens
Proceedings in Illi-
nois Senate.
SHAKAHAN GOES To THE FLOOR
Knocked Down by Senator Hem
son While Endeavoring to
Resent imputations.
Mem bors of the House Called Thieves,
Porch Clim bers and Insipid
Degenerates by the Man
from Decatur.

fist fight between Representative David
Shanahan, of Chicago, and Senator
James Henson, of Decatur, enlivened
the senate while that body was wait
Ing for report from the house on con
ference committee report on the pri-
mary bill
The question of the day to which ad-
journment should be taken had just
been discussed. Henson did not want
to take recess or to treat with the
house any further on primary matters.
He called the members of the house
thieves and porch climbers" and re
ferred to Indy, Shanahan, Shurtleff
and Oglesby as 'insipid degenerates."
Henson Accuses Shanahan.
While there was lull in the senate
proceedings, Henson was talking to
group In the center aisle when Shana-
han entered the door. Not knowing
what had been said or done, Shanahan
approached the group and said nothing
Henson saw him and fired up at once.
eyes, you, David Shanahan, are one
of them"
Zone OF what?" asked Shanahan,
who saw that Henson was infuriated.
You, Dave Shanahan, are not hon
est, | say it." said Henson.
Whats that you say?" exclaimed
Shanahan, whose temper at once got
the better Of him. You say | am not
honest?"
Yes, | say you are not honest, say
it" returned Henson.
The Fracas Begins.
mo man can say that to me without
4 fight" was the retort and Shanahan
went after Henson. The two were
close together and they locked arms.
Shanahan received a heavy blow and
was thrown against a desk. Henson
followed this advantage with another
which sent Shanahan to the floor with
his head in a wire basket.
BY this time the men about the
struggling legislators had succeeded in
ending the combat. Senators Hay and
Hull, two of the strongest men in the
senate. had difficulty in pulling Hen
son off Shanahan. He was escorted
from the hall by his friends. Senator
Hull asked Presiding Officer Sherman
whether the senate was in order, and
Sherman replied that it looked every
familiar to him.
Contestants Shake Hands.
Apologies were made by Henson and
Shanahan to each other half an hour
after the fight. The two men were
brought together by Senator Jones, and
it was explained that each had misun-
dorstCod the other, and the affair was
peacefully settled.
When the house met at 11:30 o'clock
Shanahan asked permission to make a
statement. With tears in his eyes he
said that when he openly was accused
by a member of the senate of being
dishonest he owed it to a mother dead
an9 gone to defend his and her good
name. He regretted what had hap
pened, and while members cried, NO!
Non' asked to make a public apology
for his lost temper and unt.gnified ac-
tion.
Lost His Temper.
1--WE are supposed to carry ourselves
with dignity" he said, but unfor-
tuGately I lost my temper. l am sorry
and humbly beg the pardon of this
house. I don't know, but suppose if
it should occur again l would do the
same thing"
Representative Lantz wanted the
house to take notice of Henson's re-
marks about thieves and porch climb
ers'' but Speaker Shurtleff cut him
short, saying: Coming as it did.
from the source it did 1t is not worth
enough to take up the time of this
house."