The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-02-17
Famous Nebraskan, Twice a
Presidential Candidate, Ac-
corded Unusual Welcome at
Monster Meeting Sunday.
IPEOPLE WENT WILD WHEN
HE PUT IN APPEARANCE.
Spoke on a Religious Topic
And Referred to Politics at
No Time-Reception Com
mittee Asleep at Switch.

Indianapolis, Feb. 17.-William Jen-
at the time of his last visit TO India
napolis, but otherwise unchanged,
spoke, in his most forceful and earn
est manner, to more than 1000 men
at Tomlinson hall yesterday after
noon. Mr.. Bryan's subject was THE
Prince of Peace" and the occasion of
his presence was the annual extra
large meeting of the series of Big
Meetings" held each Sunday after
noon through the winter months by
the Indianapolis Y. NJ. c. a.
For more than an hour and one-half
Mr. Bryan held the breathless, undi-
vided attention of his hearers ,339
by actual count-as he delivered d
mastery address, one wholly apart
from his usual theme, politics, and
one wholly along religious lines.
Early last evening Mr.. Bryan made
a short talk before the members of the
Boys club, and later in the evening
addressed a union meeting of the
members of the congregations of the
Meridian street and Central Avenue
Methodist churches. Tonight he will
be the guest of honor at a banquet
given at the Claypool hotel by the In
diana Democratic club.
Never since the Indianapolis Y. M
C. A. has been holding Big Meetings
has a spe aker upon any of the occa
sions received such an ovation as die
Mr.. Bryan yesterday, and seldom has
Mr.. Bryan, according to his own state
ments, even in his tours as a presiden
tial candidate, met with more enthus
iastic receptions.
Although the meeting did not oper
until we'll after o'clock thousands O
men surged about the doors of Tom
linson hall soon after the noon hour
and. after the immense hall had DeeI
'."cked and jammed from floor tt
me, every chair occupied and ever,
inch of standing room taken up, sever
al thousands of men still remained up
on the outside, unable to get within
hearing distance of the famed Nebras
kan.
Addresses Overflow Meeting.
Mr.. Bryan reached Tomlinson Hal
shortly after 8 o'clock. Seeing TIL
hundreds and hundreds of men gath
| cred in front and at the side of tn
building, unable to gain admittance
Mr.. Bryan suggested that he be al
! lowed to speak to them in the cpel
air, and from the balcony at the soutl
end of the hall he addressed a crow,
of perhaps 1000 men.
By the time Mr.. Bryan and MI
Kern entered the stage door of tn
hall Immediately after the open-ai
back into the corridors and down int
the auditorium and the stage was fill
ed with ministers of the city, the oi
ficers of the Y. NJ. c. A and the News
boys Band.
The audience could not have bee
more cosmopolitan. Professiona
business and working men and schoc
boys and working boys were distribu
ed indiscriminately through the heal
ers. High silk hats and long froc
coats were almost as much in ev
| dence as were less immaculate hat
and the coat of the laborer. and age
varied from a score and one-half t
three score and ten.
Mr.. Bryan's coming into view of th
audience was the signal for prolon:
ed demonstration, lasting several mil
utes.
As the speaker stepped down b
was greeted with an outburst of al
plaus. deafening in volume and COZ
tinuing until he put up his hand
quiet the audience, and many mel
forgetting for the time they were a
tending a religious instead of a polit
cal meeting, went so far as to jump I
their feet and swing their hats.
At no time did Mr.. Bryan extend I
the limit his oratorical powers. o
the contrary, he simply talked to III
audience-talked more as would
minister from the pulpit-and not 6
Continued on Page Two.)