Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 266, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 November 1913 — NATIONAL GUARD AT INDIANAPOLIS [ARTICLE]

NATIONAL GUARD AT INDIANAPOLIS

Angry Crowd Hoot Soldiers As They Take Quarters at the State Bouse. Indianapolis, Nov. 6.—With the entire military force; 2,000 in number, mobilized in Indianapolis and ready to take control of the local government, Governor Ralston tonight decided to withhold a proclamation declaring martial law while a new effort was being made to effect a reconciliation ..between the striking street car men and the street car and interurban companies. It is expected that declaration for martial law will be made tomorrow unless developments show there is a possibility of a settlement being effected. While troops, called to suppress disorder, were coming to Indianapolis from all directions today, Governor Ralston clung to a hope that a settlement might be effected. Late in the afternoon the Governor held a long conference with President Beatty of the Central Labor Union, ahd he was in communication with President Todd of the Indianapolis Traction and Terminal Company. He also met with members of the Public Service Commission, which is figuring in the latest proposal for a solution of the controversy. The suggested terms of the latest proposal for a settlement were not made public. The troops are quartered in the basement of the State-House and in the Indianapolis armories, awaiting orders. Should martial law be declared it wiill mean that all civil authority will be suspended for the time being and the military authorities will be in supreme command of the city. Even the police and Sheriff wall be without authority. The orders of the governor as commander of the troops will be the law of the city. If the city- is placed under, martial law, one of the first steps, probably will be to order the saloons closed.- Persons may be kept off •the streets and prevented from coming into the city if the military authorities so decide. It would be possible to use the troops to maintain order without declaring martial law. In that case, they would merely co-operate with the civil authorities, who would retain all thedr power and authority. It was late tonight when the last troops arrived and went into quarters. The authorities decided to keep the troops off the streets until the entire force was assembled, and the men all remained in their quarters tonight, expecting to be ordered out for strike duty tomorrow. A heavy guard of soldiers was maintained around the State House and the armories tonight, but ithe main body of the troops slept peacefully on the cots that had been provided for them. It was a restless night lor the officers and enlisted men of the First Infantry spent in the basement of the State House. Pickets placed at the mouth of the tunnel which leads to the basement at the north end of the building were surrounded by a mob of several thousand men and hoys who hooted at the sentries, spat down upon them, threw cigar stubs at them and wads of tobacco. ‘Tin soldiers!” was an epithet hurled at the men and there were frequent shouts of "We will spank them and send them back home tomorrow." These sentries, with those placed, at the steps in front, of the building and at'-the basement, took the shouts of dirision good naturedly and stood their ground. 001. T. J. Louden of the First Regiment and his men slept on the floor of the basement, making beds of the blankets, covering themselves with their overcoats and pillowing their heads on their haversacks. A large quantity of Ireeh bread and canned rations had been taken to the basement for the men prior to their arrival. Rations were issued to those companies which had not been fed. The order for the mobilization of the guard went out about 3 o’clock yesterday morning. By noon special trains began drawing into the outskirts of the city. The men detrained in the railroad yards and marched through the streets to the quarters assigned them. The men were equipped in heavy marching order and Carried loaded rifles. No trouble occurred anywhere along the lines of march, but a detachment of four southern Indiana, companies was greeted with Jeers and epithets as it mairbed from the Vandalla yards to tbe State House These were the only troops who traversed the downtown streets. Upstate companies arrived over the P. A E. and Now York Central lines and detrained at the Belmont avenue, crossing. Immediately on leaving the cars the men were ordered to load their rifles with ball cartridges. F