Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-11
DELEGATES IN FIGHT |POH STILL LIVES RULED BY HARMONY
Republicans at Bay City, Report Dea Alarming No Friction New York DEM
hGch Blows Foundation ocaic
ONE THROWN FROM STAGE
Cardinal and
oConroo alton
y
ton of NewbGy by
Republicans at Bay City,
Mich, Come to Blows.
ONE THROWN FROM STAGE
Roosevelt and Taft Factions Strive
to Control Organization.
MILITIAMEN GUARD DOOR
Great Bitterness Caused by Rejec.
tion Of Newberry by State
Central Committee.

BAY CITY, Mich, April 11.-Scenes o.
the greatest disorder characterized th'
meeting of the Michigan state republican
convention today. The fight for contro
by the Taft and Roosevelt factions cul
minated in acts Of personal violence. Tn
opening act In the state republican
convention today took place under guart
of members of Company Of the Michf
gan National Guard.
While the militia held the front en-
trance to the armory against crowd Of
1900 delegates and contested delegates
members of the republican state centra
committee, headed by Acting Chairman
Robert Fl. Shields Of Houghton. were ad
mitted to the building through a small
side entrance. The Taft forces thus Sc.
cured the first strategic advantage in the
fight with Roosevelt men for control OF
the convention.
AS soon as the Shields members OF the
state central committee had been ad.
mitted to the armory Committee Chair
man Knox and former United States Sen
ator Albert ]. Beveridge of Indiana also
were admitted through the side entrance
Knox at once voiced emphatic protest
against the action of his committee mem
bers, but despite his protests he was
voted down.
The committee then proceeded to choose
Robert II. Shields as temporary chair
man. and went ahead with seating ar
rangements for the delegates waiting Inn
patiently outside In the street.
Shields said he expected to call the
convention to order by I o'clock.
While the Taft forces held the armory
in this manner. Roosevelt ldzalers con-
ferred at a downtown hotel, several
squares distant. and prepared to go to the
convention and seat their temporary
chairman. former Secretary of the Navy
Truman Newberry Of Detroit.
Taft Forces Fill the Hall.
After further conference Of the state
central committee state militia, police and
sergeants-at-arms received their instruc-
tions from the opposing factions. Shields
ordered them to admit only those dele
gates with cards bearing the signature Of
Paul H. King. secretary Of the state
committee.
Knox instructed the guards to allow
no one unless he carried a card bear
ing his signature. After receiving the
conflicting orders the guards walked
across the practically vacant armory to
the large front doors.
A few minutes later the doors were
opened, but only the delegates bearing
cards signed by Secretary King were
Thus Taft forces filled the hall despite
frantic efforts of the Roosevelt men to
gain entrance through side doors, win
dows and the basement.
IN Ct NJ HPNvv
Lansing to st1e convention. said: II hope
the convention ii 1t issues instructions at
all, will instruct its delegates to the re-
publican national convention at Chicago
in favor of Theodore Roosevelt. This
would be in accordance with the Will Of a
majority of the republicans in Michigan"
Roosevelt Man Hurled From Stage.
The opposing chairman attempted at
the same moment to open the convention.
W. d. Gordon of Midland, a Roosevelt
committeeman, sprang to the stage and
attempted to address the convention. He
was hurled from the stage by ]. F.
Cremer of Marquette. Taft man.
Police and militia at this juncture forced
back a hundred men who sought to en-
gage in the fight precipitated by Gordon
and Cremer. All attempts to quiet the
excited delegates seemed useless.
After great disorder both the Taft and
Roosevelt forces attempted at the same
time to organize the convention Two
large policemen stood guard over Mr..
Beveridge, who had been swept back from
his seat during the Gordon-Cremer fight.
The Roosevelt forces named their dele
gates at large as follows:
Gov Chase s. Osborn: Charles Nichols:
Rapids: II. F.. Boughey. Traverse City;
Theodore Joselyn. Adrian; w. d. Gordon.
Midland.
Worn down to speechlessness by an
ences, leaders on both sides with ap-
parent bulldog determination ordered
their followers to stand pat and fight
1t out on the floor" During the night
almost every conceivable method Of
compromise had been advanced. dis
cussed. and rejected by the men at the
heads Of the two fighting factions
Newberry Unseated by Committee.
Bitterness. which has been developing
for weeks, came to a head with last
nights special meeting Of a majority OF
the members of the republican state
central committee which took action
favorable to President Taft The meet
ing was attended by seventeen out OF
twenty-four members. and presided over
by Robert. H. Shields
BY vote of 14 to 3. In the absence OF
Chairman Frank Knox. who declared the
meeting illegal. members of the commit
tee voted to unseat Truman H New
berry. of Detroit. Roosevelt leader, as
temporary chairman Of the convention
The meeting then took up the question
of contested delegates to the state con-
vention. and voted to seat Taft delega-
tions as against Roosevelt delegations
from Detroit CWayne county, and Battle
Creek calhoun county,.
The Detroit delegation Is admitted I,
hold the balance Of power In the conven.
tion.
Hopes Of Peace Vanished.
After this action by the Taft leaders, al
of a half dozen possible means Of com.
promising the fight apparently wen,
Slimmering.
The gravity Of the situation. with
larger delegate body than that Of tn,
national convention to control, causet
Mayor Roy Woodruff Of Bay City to plac
almost his entire police force on duty a
the convention hall. In addition to man.
private detectives, to prevent possible se
rious disorder.
Following up the initiative displayed II
the special state central committee meet
ing, Taft managers pushed their advan
tage by assuming charge Of the conven
tion auditorium shortly after midnigh
last night, when former Senator Bev