Raleigh, Feb. 17—Unwilling to proceed in the face of the throng of humanity that stampeded the hall tonight and refused to move, even at the earnest solicitation of the sergeant-at-arms and after the speaker had indicated that orderly procedure would be impossible in the face of such congestion, the house of representatives, which met tonight at 8 o’clock to consider the Poole anti-evolution resolution as a special order, adjourned until 11 o’clock tomorrow morning.
The motion to adjourn was made by Representative Connor, with the permission of Representative Poole of Hoke County, introducer of the resolution. Representative Everett of Durham, addressing the chair indirectly on the motion but urging that Representative Connor withdraw his motion, was ruled out of order and the motion was put. It carried by an overwhelming majority.
Included in the mass of humanity that packed the entrances to the house of representatives were red-capped freshmen and other students of the State College of Agriculture and Engineering; women, begging to be allowed to pass; members, fighting their way toward the doors and begging to be admitted; hundreds of Raleigh citizens and many from other places, here for the debate that was to be staged.
The report had gained currency at Wake Forest, it was indicated, that William Jennings Bryan was going to speak. That is said to have brought a delegation from there.
Long before the hour of meeting, there was a stream of humanity in the direction of the state capitol from all parts of the city. The crowd increased in volume until 8 o’clock when the rotunda outside of the hall of the house was a seething mass of unyielding humanity. Women begged to be allowed to pass but their appeals were unheeded. Members demanded admission but were powerless in the fact of the crowd. A futile attempt was made by the blind doorkeeper to close the doors. The sergeant-at-arms, on the inside, was appealing to those who had already gained admission to clear the aisles. This appeal was futile. The assistant sergeant-at-arms, E.M. Doodhouse, known as “the hell-raiser from Currituck,” then tried his hand. He, too, was powerless. “Right outside!” he shouted. This was of no avail.
Then Speaker Pharr mounted the rostrum and surveyed the situation. He said that the house would be powerless to proceed unless the aisles were cleared so that the members could get on the inside.
The crowd remained stolid.
At this point Representative Connor, Wilson, chairman of the house committee on education, whose vote broke the tie and gave the Poole resolution an unfavorable report, arose to address the house.
“It is perfectly apparent,” said Mr. Connor, “that it will be impossible to hold a session of the house tonight with conditions as they are. Unless the speaker calls on the mayor of the city for protection, we cannot proceed. As long as the people take possession of the house—as they have the right to do—there can be no session. If I had charge of the situation here tonight, I would move to adjourn until such a time as we could proceed. I hesitate to make the motion for fear that I might be misunderstood.”
At his point Representative Poole addressed representative Murphy, declaring that he was willing that this motion should be made. Representative Connor then made it. Representative Everett arose to address the chair and stated that he would like to see the motion withdrawn. The motion remained in fore and the chair ruled Mr. Everett out of order, and the motion carried.
There was continued laughing in the galleries but no real disorder manifested itself. A ripple of applause on the part of the some of the members followed the success of the motion to adjourn.
As there was no roll call, it was impossible to determine how many members failed to gain admittance.
From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Feb. 18, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1925-02-18/ed-1/seq-1/#words=FEBRUARY+18%2C+1925
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