The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-12
Lawmakers Started a Riot %
Save the Bill Having Z
Board Appoint Custodian Of
State House.
MATTHEW'S VETO WAS
Placed ON MEASURE
To Prevent Receiving It legls-
lature Started a Riot in the
Course of Which the Bin
Was Destroyed.
tseeeia, correspendens.y

Especial correspondent.y
Indianapolis. March 12-The Ques-
ton of whether the custodian Of the
state house shall be appointed by Gov
ernor Marshall or by a board consist
ing OF the governor. the secretary Of |.
state and the auditor Of state IL still
unsettled, and 1t looks like the courts
will have to talke a hand In It. State
Auditor Billheimer has in his posses
sion an opinion given by Attorney
General Bingham in which he says
that the old Law which gave the gov
ernor the right to make the appoint.
ment was repealed by the act Of the
legislature in 1895. which sought to
give the appointing power to . board
made Of the three state officers men
TONED. Governor Claude Matthews
vetoed the bill passed In 1895, but tho
veto did not reach the house until at.
ter 1t had adjourned sine die. Then
the enrolled act was burned by some
one and never was deposited With the
secretary Of state. as il required by
the constitution, In order to become
n law. Billheimer says the bill and
the veto message were burned by Ny
ron D. King. who was secretary to
Governor Matthews, and that this II
the reason why II could not be de-
posted.
KIno oas.,oa aAas,,.
King says this Is not true. and he
recalls the stormy time and the riot
that occurred In the state house that
night. He started to the house with
the veto a few minutes before mid
night but the elevator was run up and
down and several men who were In
the car would not allow 1t to stop to
let him out. A dozen trips from the
basement to the top floor were made.
King fighting to get out Finally he
broke out on the top floor and ran to
before he could be prevented. He left
it at the second floor and ran to the,
house but found the doors locked. A
mob surrounded him and there was .
free-for-aH fight. Several men were
knocked down and injured. King had.
two ribs broken in the melee. Final
| " the doors were opened and King
got inside. He fought. his way toward
the speakers stand and ~ house was
in ah uproar. Wbea - reached tho
steps leading up the speakers
stand Jesse Adams. the speaker,
brought his gavel down With . hang
1>~
die. Some one about that time tore
the bill and veto from Kiaes hand
and threw 1t in q crate. fnDDsvhich
some other man .rescue9 aftsr it,
was about half destroyed. King says
this. is the reason Why the. hin vas
never deposited with the .secretasy of
state.
/ eisvsr oeoeme . LaM.
| King says. the btll. proposed dat
the custodian be appointed by IL
board and that the state house enel-
tneer be elected by the legislature.
But. he insists. since the bin Was not
deposited With the secretary of state.
It never became q law. And tAis -
the position taken by Governor Mar.
shall. who says he VIII make the ~
pointment OF cnstodian- The ens1o1-
ian's lob carries with Il tweuty-tAree
|other jobs IN the stafe house. It looks
like the courts vim have 70 determine
whether the oct Of 1895 really went
into effect
The attorney general holds that tho
printed copy Of the bill that vas nlsa
with the secretary Of state BY The
Iclerk Of the house II suff5cseat -
show that the act was ppu11
Five Days EneensG
/ Adjutant General Ressy has discov.
cred that II will be necessary TO ~
duce the length Of the stste annual en-
campment OF the Indiana Natiooal
Guard from ten days To five days, ~
cause Of the lack Of money with which
to pay the expense Of = longer time.
He says that the companies Of the
National Guard have recently receiv-
ed 20 many recruits that the number
iof men ON the rolls at this time IL %
large that the amount of moaey at the
lcommand Of The authorities n not sui.
ficient to pay for ten days
Gen. Perry also says nothing can
be done toward enlisting the four COM
lpanies Of negroes for the National
Guard. ~ n pe6vSded h The Baasetf
bm which passed the leGislatnsU. Tia
department had mot saflIcleut nnnaey
With which to equip them and nsain-
ltain them. and for this reason % IT
ltention viii be paid to tie law A
lcompany Of white meD has bee0 fafm-
led at COnnersyille an4 there = not
ienough money 1T hand eyen. to eVuip
lCust1unsa q - 81 80.