seventy-five men, all armed and disguised, entered that city, and forcibly took the keys of the jail from the sheriff, and proceeded to hang the ruffians in the corridors of the prison.

EV

CHAPTER XXIX.

GOVERNOR BAKER'S ADMINISTRATION

EVENTS OF 1869.

VERY person in Indiana who has taken any interest in the recent political history of the State, will remember the "Fifteenth Amendment lock" in the legislature in 1869. The regular session commenced in January, and after listening to the Governor's somewhat lengthy message, the members proceeded to business, but accomplished very little. An attempt was made to alter the constitution of the State courts, but the Amendment question interfered, and the assembly adjourned prematurely, in March, without transacting any business of importance. During the short session serious complaints were made against the management of the State prisons, and nearly the whole of the two months' session was occupied in investigating the conduct of prison, and other officials.

Party spirit was at a very high pitch, owing partly to the necessity of electing a United States senator to succeed Thomas A. Hendricks. The Democrats were strongly united on Mr. Hendricks, and the Republicans were somewhat divided between Will Cumback and James S. Frazer. The joint convention of the two houses occupied nearly the whole of three days, and finally elected Daniel D. Pratt.

The Fifteenth Amendment came before the legislature, and the Democrats, as well as a portion of the conservative Republicans, opposed its consideration strongly, on the ground that it would be unfair to vote on the question until the people of the State had had an opportunity of expressing their views at

the polls. The Republican members, however, resolved, in caucus, to force the ratification through the legislature, while, on the other hand, the Democratic members, in caucus, resolved to resign in a body, and all did so except those who were ordered by the caucus to remain and protect the interests of the party. Accordingly, on the fourth of March, seventeen senators and thirty-six representatives resigned, destroying a quorum in both houses, which stopped legislation.

The rupture left the benevolent institutions of the State unprovided for, as no appropriation bills had been passed. The Governor at once issued writs for special elections of members of the legislature to fill the vacancies made by this wholesale resignation, and on the twenty-second of March issued a proclamation convening the legislature in special session, summoning the members to meet on the eighth of April. On the day appointed the members appeared, but the Democrats, before submitting to the oath of office, compelled a majority of the Republican members to agree that the consideration of the Fifteenth Amendment should not be taken up until after the legislation needed for the general welfare of the State had been disposed of.

At this extra session the legislature passed an act introduc ing the study of the German language in the course of study in the public schools; also a measure establishing a female prison and reformatory institution for girls and women, at Indianapolis, to which all female convicts should be sent, instead of to the State prison. This legislation was among the good phases of the political year, as also that locating the Agricultural College at La Fayette, in consideration of the gift of $100,000, cash, by Hon. John Purdue, of that place. This philanthropic gentleman has added $50,000 to the first sum given, and, we understand from his own lips, contemplates enlarging this very considerably. The institution has been, appropriately, given his name, and is now known as the Purdue University. It is in a flourishing condition, and promises to win new laurels for the State's educational reputation.

On the nineteenth of May, during the extra session of the

legislature, the Fifteenth Amendment was again introduced, but, as all the Democratic members, in anticipation of this, had presented their resignations to the Governor, it was claimed that there was not a quorum present. In the senate, however, there was a quorum, and although many of the mem

bers refused to vote, and declared that they were no longer senators, the president of that body decided that as he had not. been informed of their resignation, by the Governor, they were still members. A vote was taken and the resolution was

adopted. Soon after the joint resolution came up in the house, and although the Democratic members had resigned, leaving no quorum, the chair decided that there was a quorum of the de facto members present, and the resolution was put and the Amendment ratified. The decision of the chair was afterwards substantially sustained by the Supreme Court.

During the session the election laws were so modified as to have elections held biennially instead of annually, the first election under the new law to be held in October, 1874.

The general progress in the State institutions of all kinds. was marked with good results. The Hospital for the Insane was enlarged in 1869, and so improved as to become one of the most complete institutions of the kind in the State.

In 1869, the development of mineral resources in the State attracted considerable attention. Rich mines of iron and coal were discovered, as also fine quarries of building stone. The line of the Vincennes railroad passed through some of the richest portions of the mineral region - its quality of richness having been accurately determined by the engineers of the road. Some of the mineral resources of the State, as viewed in 1869, are noted as follows: "Near Brooklyn, about twenty miles from Indianapolis, is a fine formation of sand-stone. It is being used extensively in buildings in Indianapolis, and is considered the best building stone in the State. The limestone formation at Gosport, and continuing for twelve miles from that point, is of great variety, and includes the finest building material in the world. Portions of it are susceptible only to the chisel; other portions are soft, and can be worked with the ordinary tools. It is said to be the most durable building material in the world. At the terminus of this limestone formation a sandstone formation commences and extends a distance of seven miles, to a point about sixty miles from Indianapolis, when an extensive coal bed is reached, consisting of seven distinct veins. The first is about two feet in thickness, the next three feet, another four feet, and the others of various thicknesses. These beds are all easily worked, having a natural drain, and are already yielding heavy profits to enterprising companies.

We make this mention of the mineral resources of the State in connection with the events of 1869, partly because they were first brought to the notice of the public in that year, prominently, for the first time; but in another part of this work will be found a chapter devoted exclusively to this subject.

On the first of October, at the trial of the machinery at the State fair, a steam boiler exploded, killing twenty persons and seriously wounding more than forty others. The accident was caused by a deficiency of water.

In 1869 a woman's State suffrage convention was held, at Indianapolis, which was quite largely attended, and at which resolutions were adopted favoring more rights to women.

The principal agricultural products of the State, according to the official report for the year 1869, were:

THERE

HERE was no session of the legislature in 1870, and no election of Governor, therefore the political campaign of that year was not a very important one. There was no impor