The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-10-15
Melee Following Counting of
Municipal Primary Ballots.
GOVERNOR ORDERS OUT MILITIA
Four Companies Under Arms
Ready for New Outbreak.
Trouble the Result of a Bitter
fractional Fight.

Charleston, Oct. 15.-Sidney J.
Cohen, a newspaper reporter, was
killed, and four men shot in melee
that occurred here today just outside
the room where the Democratic city
executive committee was to meet to
canvass the returns of the municipal
primary last Tuesday.
w. A. Turner was shot in the right
lung and seriously injured. w. e.
Wingate received serious scalp
wound; H. l.. Winensky was shot in an
arm, and jeremiah O'Brien was shot
in an ankle.
The committee was just about to be
called to order to canvass the returns
of last Tuesdays primary, at which the
trouble was threatened. A fight start
ed in the room adjoining that in which
the committee was to meet. The scuf-
fling occasioned by the fight hardly
had started when fusillade of shots
was heard from the committee room
This continued for several minutes as
the committeeman and spectators
made a frantic rush to get out.
Who Fired the Shot?
Policemen were stationed in the
committee room adjoining but no ar
rests had been made two hours after
the shooting, and as far as known at
that hour no one seemed to know who
fired the first shot, or who kept Il alp. .
The setting for the affair was dra-
matte. rys.
: Threw Ballot Box in Street
Mr.. Cohen is said to have met his
death when a pistol, for the possession
Of which three men were struggling.
was discharged. as he was making his
way to a window OF the east side OF the
room.
While the shooting was going on in
the committee room, two or three bal
lot boxes were thrown into the street.
Officers in the room took charge of
the twenty remaining.
The shooting occurred at the mo-
ment set for calling the meeting of the
executive committee to order.
According to reports, the boxes con-
tanning the ballots cast in Tuesdays
primary, which were to be canvassed
by the committee, were thrown into
the street. Great confusion followed
and excitement in the city is intense.
Bitter fractional Fight.
The Democratic municipal primary
developed into such a bitter factional
fight between the adherents of Mayor
John p. Grace and Tristan Hyde,
running at the head of the tickets.
that serious trouble was feared.
Represe nations made to Governor
Manning by the sheriff and members
of the Democratic executive committee
resulted in the governor ordering four
companies of military and three di-
vision of naval militia held at theif
armOrieS as a precautionary measure.
The state adjutant general was hur-
ried to Charleston from Colum bia.
Monday afternoon to take charge of
the situation and have the militia take
over the business of policing the city
should ii be necessary.
Deputies Ready for Action.
The sheriff swore in fifty extra
deputies and had them ready for i'm
mediate action.
Charges that the governor was in
terfering with the primary in favor Of
one faction were heard and promptly
denied
The militia was ordered to report
to the armories at o'clock Monday
night and was not dispersed until
o clock Wednesday morning.
The unofficial count showed shat =.
Hyde had won by nineteen votes bu.
more than 100 votes were contested
The committee met today to canvass
the returns and settle the contests.
Governor Orders Out Militia.
Columbia, 5. c., oct 15.-As soon
as Governor Manning received notice
ngton light infantry of Charleston.
under arms. and placed Colonel r. NJ.
Blythe of Greenville in charge of the
during the absence of Adm
ant General Moore. The governor
also ordered the Charleston board of
control to close the dispensaries.
Later Governor Manning called the
sEtire second regiment of the National
Guard under arms to await develop
nents in Charleston.
Governor Manning this afternoon
ealled four companies of the Columbia
of militia under command OF
Ne jor Marchant, to assemble in their
armories and await eventualities in
Charleston.