The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-09-25
A STORMY SCENE.
Attempt OF Certain Members Of the
City Council to Set Down on the
MayOr-The Mayor Meets the Al
tempt BoidIy-The ViIiiners Van

| qufshed.
After the usual routine of business hat
been transacted as the meeting OF the Citl
Council Wednesday night, the City Cieri
said that the following had been handed tt
him. which he proceeded to read:
| RESOLUTIONS OFFERED BY THE MAJORITY OF
| THE COUNCIL
| WHEREAS, In an interview by TIMES re
porter with Mayor William NJ. FOrt.s cue
OF August 18th, 1873, the following statement
/ in reference TO the defaications OF our late
| City Clerk, F. NJ. -palding, appears:
"Did you col any shortage In his ac'
counts prior 10 Ilis:"
II had suspicioned IL for some time before
| / went East. After l went away suppose ne
thought he bad no one TO watch MIN, anS
| that being shrewd ne could do as he pleased
| Why, he lett the Council proceeding 10
| C ERIK and they were not published Tor Twelve
days alter the meeting. his action iol soni'
1 time have led me To believe he WAS not Alto
/ ge;her straight, and began TO watch him"
| "This could not have gone on 50 very Ione
4 without detection, could it?'
| ave were not kure al ..nrsN aEd waited
/ talked with MIN once and told him TO stoI
| gambling and drinking, and had caused q
number of his fri- nds To talk With nlln before
| went away had been around and knew
that he could not affoId the money he Wa
\ spending. and seek ,rg the cause OF his con
! o1ct, found that his time al nl= Int was occu
pied in gambling houses, where ne wouio
| some nights win three or four hundred dollar
| and lose at other times live TO SIX hundred IL
/ d night" And
| menus That Mayor William Nj. rortescue had
| sus picioned for some time before he went
East that City Clerk r. NJ Spaiding was de-
| faulIer, and knew that Spaldlns was urii klbe
| and gam bling, and that he could not anoTu
the money that he was spending, ana thal
| his time at night was occupied IN gam oiihs
| houses, where he would some Blshts WIN
| three or four hundred dOllsrB, aud lose al
| other times i've tosIX hundred In night, anu
| ihaI Spaiding WAS neS!ectins MS duties as
| WHEREAs, Mayor Fortescue, notwithstard-
ing that fact ne mad suspIcIoDed spaldins ana
was aware OF his drinking and gambling, and
of his failure to perform mis- duties as CLERK
| and was about to take an extended trip tst,
did not part such suspicious ana Know
edge 10 the President OF ihe COuncll, VINO was
10 perform the duties OF May or uuilnS ms
absence nor 10 any member OF This body,
nor did he bring before this BODY the iact Oh
Spslding's failures 10 perform MS Duty nor
did he take any measures 10 impeach Nun
tor such failures, nor did ne having suspected
Spslding examine into his accounts anu
WHEREAS, Tue TACT mas been developed
that SpaidIug, while City Clerk. emoeZZied
from the city the sum of ,IS2 80 from the Isl II
day of Jane, 1879, until the lilh day OF Au-
gust A. ID. 1873. Therefore be II
Reso nd, 1hat II is the opinion of the CITY
Council of The city OF Leavenworih, that
fidelity 10 the best interests II the CITY oil
Leavenworth demanded OF Mayor for
| tescue that he Should con municate
his suspicion and Information IN the
premises to this body, and that ne should
take positive action IN the matter 10 protecl
the interests of the city, and that oy iai. ,I
and neglecting To doto he faieu IN the per
forrnauct of a duty, which, as Mayor, he
owed to the city. And be II further
ResoIred That is our opinion that by reason
Of The FAILURE OF our Mayor to DO his duty rs
above stated, that the city OF Deavenworlh
has lost hundreds OF dollars, which loss might
have been prevented by ms ProIiP nri snd
ResoIred, That in view OF the above iact,
anu statements, we, The my Couhcil, arr
complied to censure Mayor "illlsn NJ.
Fortescue for failure 10 perform his duty, as
above shown.
The Mayor at once told the City Council
that he WAS well aware of the animus which
prompted the introduction OF these resolu-
tons and that he did not care the snap OF his
| finger for them. lie said that the first sus-
picion he had in regard 10 any crOokedness
on the part OF Spslding WAS when the Council
| lad allowed certain monies for Archie Will
| Iiams, in reference TO the compromise oil the
bonds. The remark YVES then made about
| how the transaction would look upon the
| record, and Col. J. II. fitzpatrick, who was
present, said {: 'On, Fred knows how to fix
that and that Spalding thereupon replied
| '.Oh, yes; rL liz that all right" Solar az
| Fred's gambling was concerned, he did mol
know until the night he came home that he
had been gambling, and that he Immediately
| Set a watch over him, knowing al once thai
there vas something wrong. He would say
| thar so far as the report was concerned in re-
gard TO him saying that he knew that Spaid'
| ing had been gambling prior to going East
| that il was a mistake.
Mr.. Baer moved that these resolu ions be
| tabled. They were an insult to the Mayor,
| and the Councimen who supported then
| well knew that they were only the outgrowtf
| of malice, which mad its start in the order Is
| sued b. the Mayor to Special Policeman
Ellis to pay no attention to any reso lution'
of the Council, but to at once proceed TO ar
rest any and all persons found selling liquol
| within the city without a license.
| Mr. Latta thought that the Mayor should
| have made an explanation at once II mis-
! take had been committed in the newspaper
columns, and thereby take away any claim
of responsibility which might be attached t'
the Council.
Mr.. Raer said: "Mr. Michael, didn't yor
know that spslding was gambling before h
| went away
Mr.. Michael: '.No, s,r; did not until thu
| day v hen he left
The Mayor said he knew well enough how
this feeling had been cooked up betseen Mr.
| Michael and Mr.. FTItche, on account of In
| order be had issued.
| Mr.. Fritche said maybe ii WAS; but on
malice generally gives rise 10 another. HI
| said that he thought IL was a bad thing II
| the first place to have given these matter
| publicity in the newspapers-meaning Tn
evasions by the Council by resolutions passe'
by them of the liquor ordinance, whereof!
parties, because of some real or fancied pov
erty, were permitted 10 sell liquor withou
proper liceise.
| The Mayor said that he stood squarely an
above b bard in ali that he did, and cared no
what any newspaper might say, so long as h
felt he was doing his duty. He only wante
Mr. Friiche, or any of the members support
ing these resolutions, 10 rush 10 the news
papers, and he would give them all the
wanted from the record where they ha
evaded the law time and again for the pro
lection of those unlswfully selling liquor
He had gone East and spent his I'm
and money for the city In CON
| promising its bonded Indebtedness an
had brought home nearly $4,000 worth
bonds which he had compromised. IL wa
| his sole purpose 10 serve the city yet here d
was met by these insulting resolutions. III
City Council which had permitted this stesi
ing TO so on was chargeabIe for 1t. For hi
part he Was willing TO ray every cent oil III
money stolen under his administration, al
he only hoped that Mr.. Michael and NJ
Ummethun would do the same.
Mr.. Bser thought that In the six weeks tbs
Mr.. Michael had acted as Miyo-, in the al
| sence of NJ ayor Fortescue, that he ought
| have found out something that was happer
| ing. lie said that he had told Mr.. Nichs
tnat Fred was not doing his duty and that b.
had said: ''Oa, well, the poor fellow is ha'
ing a hard time OF IT at home. 1 know 1
isn't al his Office when he ought to be; but
, il having such a hard time of ii at home Thu
ne ought TO look over IL little" He though
I that as handy as Mr.. Michael was TO Il
: Clerks office that he might occaslonally.h a'
: looked into this matter
! Mr.. Michael moved, seconded by NJ
/ wilson, that the resolutions be adopted.
, The Mayor said h would no: put the me
4 ton.
\ Mr.. Fritche ssIn ne wouId appear 10 u
Council from his decision.
:, Mr.. Wilson endeavored to speak, when u
n Msvor called him 10 order sharply, statil
e that there was no question before the nous
y Mr.. Wilson said that he would speak. II
o Mayor called him to order. Mr.. wilson sa
4 he would let the Mayor know that the Coun'
had some rights which the Mayor was boui
3 to respect. Notwithstanding the Mayor
minded Mr.. Wilson that he Was not sntitl
to the privilege Of the floor, Mr.. Wilse
o continued speaking in support of the resol
tons.
Mr.. walsh thought, after the Mayors l