Evening star., 1917-09-28
PHYSICAL Encounter Grows Out
of Charges Made by Ala
bama Member.
PROBE HAD BEEN VETOED
BY COMMITTEE ON RULES
Feeling Had Been at High Point,
With Talk of Expellng Rep
resentative Heflin.

AS the result of a bitter con-
troversy on the floor of the House
over the Hef1in charges, Repre-
sentative Hef1in of Alabama and
Representative Norton of North
Dakota engaged in a wrestling
match for few seconds late this
afternoon, causing a turmoil on
the floor and in the galleries.
Mr.. Hef1in was seated on the
democratic side. MIR. Norton
walked over to him, sat down and
began to talk in what seemed an
amicable fashion. Hef1in was
seen to arise and grab Norton by
the coat, pushing him over toward
the middle aisle.
Heflin Down, Part Away.
Norton threw in a little jiu jitsu Of
his own, and soon had the advantage
of Mr.. Hefln, who went down almost to
the floor. and at that point the audience
surrounded the wrestlers to such an
extent that the galleries could not get
a good idea of how the fight was pro-
crossing.
Above the babel of voices Representa-
tive johnson of Kentucky, who was in
the chair at the time. could be heard
hammering for order and calling upon
the sergeant-at-arms to bring the first
round of the battle to an end.
Cooper Is Belligerent.
Representative Cooper of Wisconsin
rushed half way around the hall to get
in at the finish. He had made an ex-
ceptionally bitter attack on Representa-
tive Hefin half an hour earlier, and as
soon as the. Alabama democrat could get
his feeE his wind he shouted at Mr..
Cooper:
Get on your own side or YOU win get
hft.'
Representative Cooper. before being
rushed bodily back to his own base,
answered in loud voice:
You will get chance. all right"
The interested bystanders pried the
fighters apart at that point and after
the trouble was over the sergeant-at-
arms bore down upon the scene of
trouble with the mace in his hands.
No Probe Into Charges.
After heated session today. the House
rules committee refused to act on resolu-
tions proposing congressional investiga-
that a number of members of Congress
Count Won Bernstorf asked his govern
ment for authority to spend $4,000 to in
huence Congress on the submarine issue
Members who favor an investigation
planned to wage a fight on the floor
fluence Congress on the submarine war
fare issue.
Chairman Pou's Statement.
Chairman Pou issued this statement
In view of information which the
committee on rules has received, of a
nationwide investigation of the use of
money furnished by the German gov
ernment, now being conducted by the
Department Of Justice. the committee
on rules has decided to take no action
on the several resolutions before it."
Representatives Wood of Indiana and
Kelly of Pennsylvania voted against
the committee action. Representative
Foster of Illinois also indicated that he
favored an inquiry. but voted with the
majority.
When Representative Pou, chairman
of the rules committee. made his re-
port on the floor of the House it stirred
up tempest which was reaching a
climax in a bitter speech by Represent
ative Cooper. when the whole matter
was suddenly dropped because Repre-
sentative Garrett of Tennessee object
ed to a unanimous consent request to
allow Mr.. Cooper to proceed for five
more minutes