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Show CAUSE SCENES OFJIOLENCE 8peaker and Speaker Pro Tern of Wyoming House Come I To Blows I Cheyenne, Wye, Jan. 20. Scenes ' of vlolcnco which lasted fully threo j quarters of an hour nnd which Inclu-1 ded two scparato encounters between Speaker Martin I. Pratt, and Spcnk- ( er Pro Tom. W. J. Wood, throw tho lower houso of tho Wyoming legislature legisla-ture Into hopeless confusion Just before be-fore noon today. Absolutely no parliamentary par-liamentary order obtnlned nnd tho sccno was only ended by an agreement agree-ment among tho members on the lloor when cool headed leaders of either faction announced nn agreement agree-ment to let matters stand Just as they were until 2 o'clock this afternoon. after-noon. Both Pratt nnd Wood claimed authority over tho house and with Wood Bitting In tho speaker's chair nnd Prntt wielding tho gavel tho show of authority Beenied about equal equ-al either way . Tho Immediate occasion of the trouble was the attempt of Speaker Pratt to call to tho chair F. C. Hunter, Hun-ter, Republican, of Carbon county. An nppcal had been taken from tho speaker's ruling upon tho offer of substitute committees by tho Democrats Demo-crats for those ho had submitted and In which ho himself held tho bnlanco of power upon tho two lmpoitant committees, rules and elections. Mr. Hnnter took tho chair and Pratt went to Hunter's seat on the lloor. Judge Mctz, Democrat, arose nnd declared de-clared that the speaker coutd not designate any other than tho speaker speak-er pro tern, to tnko tho chair and called upon Representative W. J. Wood of Crook county, speaker pro tem. nnd a Democrat, to preside. This Wood proceeded to do and Hunter Hun-ter yielded the chair to him. Thrown From Platform Thereupon Pratt started to resume re-sume tho chair himself. Wood fat staunchly In his place until Pratt grasping him by tho shoulders with both hands threw him violently off tho platform. Wood struck on both hands and his face, but promptly arose and rushed back to the chair again. The men grasped each other until Chaplain Davidson and others on the platform held them momentarily. momentar-ily. Wielding his gavel, which he had gotten hold of In tho melee, Pratt declared tho houso adjourned. Having Hav-ing the prestige of the spcaker'3 chair and using a paper weight for a gavel. Speaker Pro Tom. Woo J shouted to tho aergeant-at-arms 'o closo the doors and allow no ono 10 leave. Ho then called for a roll call on appeal motion. Standing over 'he chief clerk, gavel In hand, Pratt lor bade tho calling of the roll. I ' sides were lined up and pandemonium pandemoni-um reigned on the floor of the hoino as well as on the platform. Kicked In the Stomach Another climax followed in 10 minutes mi-nutes after the first violence between the speaker and speaker pro tern, when, with several backers on either eith-er side, thoy clasped and Pratt attempted at-tempted to get his own chair In placo of the clerk's chair ho hod appropriated appropri-ated for the time being. Attempting to Interfere, Representative Sproul who has beretoforo been closer to Pratt in counsel than any other Democrat, Dem-ocrat, waB soundly kicked in the stomach by tho speaker. Furthor vlo lence was then averted, but fully a scoro of tho houso members were standing closo around the spp'ikct's desk. |