The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-14
INVESTIGATION OF THE MAYOR.
Yesterdays PrOceedings-A Number
Of witnesses IntrOduced-T
Mayors Defense.

The committee on ordinances, investigating
the charges preferred against Mayor Thur
mond by Marshall Morton, met at the city
hall yesterday morning at o o'clock, pursuant
to adjournment. There was Il large crowd
present, awaiting with interest the opening of
the investigation.
The docket of the mayors court was intro
duced by the prosecution to show certain en-
tries for fines, and on referring to the minutes
of the council 1t was found that an ordinance
on gaming" passed its three several readings
October 8, 1879.
City Marshall Morton was the first witness
introduced by the prosecution, and testified
Heard the Mayor IN court; do not recollect
exact dates, but it was during this year;
when he tried George Clark he SAID that the
stencil of the Times had been thrown on him
and therefore he would fine him lightly; |
Iecolect the case Of Joe hawkins; the mayor
said when he fined him right heavy that he
did not know what to do with him, that he
WAS not human being, but dog and brute
this while he was sitting us mayor.
The witness testified as to the remarks the
gard to Mr.. w. q. Sterrett, of the Times.
Also about what he Uhe mayor had said Of
| Messrs. Fendrich, Spencer and fancy, say
| ing that the latter three were mad at him be-
cause he would not appoint them on commit
tees also heard him speak OF jim McGnly
as a thief and robber. Such talks were fire.
quent.
Cross-examined by the mayor--I know
| h,r hn,,, ,,,r,e,nl t..1 Int |
don't remember of his ever being fined in this
court court but this time; don't know how
many times Joe Hawkins was fined in the
mayors court he was in the station'house
great deal of the time; | have frequently
asked the mayor to lecture prisoners. and
have asked him to give Joe Hawkins n
talk ; | toll the mayor that there were Il
band Of thieves in this city operating com
posed Of Mike DAILY, Slippery Jim,
Smithy, Muldoon and Carney, The
mayor did not compliment he marshal
or police for breaking ny that band of thieves;
| The mayor took the creditto himself; | use to
hand the mayor the Times to show him what
Captain S,errett had sail about him; I've
known Texas Joe for six years; at one time
here he was runner for a hotel; regarded
him AS q vagrant, but not rs a brute; the
lecture the mayor gave him made him cry,
and he left town and has not been back since;
| believed Joe Hawkins, alias Texas Joe,
when he told me that he had raised I'VE or
six bales of cotton; he had been in the eoun-
try some time don't recoIleet that said at
the last council meeting that did not know
that the mayor.was violating the law by filming
the gamblers 81 instead of SIC;
about one year ago we did discuss the matter
AS to whether or not uader the ordinance
gamblers could be fined at all; my feelings
| for the mayor are not very good; | went 10
| thejurors in tue Goldsby case !. e., TO some
of them, to get them to sign ~ document GER
tiJing that the mayor had abused the police;
never asked the m yor about his
abuse of the police, but did talk to the alder
men about it; | don't recollect what did say
to Captain Seay on the 9th OF July, at the
lake; | did not start the report that my depu-
ty, jim Arnold, had shot at the mayor and
run him off Of the grounds asked Arnold if
it was true, and don't remember what hedid
say; my recollection, however, is that he told
me that he had fired the shot up in the mir; I
was little tight that day there was an inn
mense crowd here on the 9th of July, both in
the city and at the lake.
BY prcsecution--I do remember the mayor
fined Frenchy; Frenchy was ON trial, and
when the mayor addressed him as Frenchy
he answered his name WAS not Frenchy but
Arthur Cain, when the mayor fined him, MS
he said, for contempt of court; when Captain
Sterrett was arrsigned on the charge of as.
sault and battery, tho mayor said that he in
tended to tine prominent persons as well as
Others, and fined him S25--the usual fine i'm
posed by the mayor for similar oiienses was
from ST to So; do not know of any other re-.
marks or signs that Frenchy made when he
was fined for contempt.
Cross-examined-lhe mayor did say that
if Frenchy made any more faces he would
fine him again; this was sometime after, but
the same session of the court; think the fine
was RENTED the next morning after Frenchy
stated that he meant no CONTEMPT.
Deputy Sheriff Nixon was introduced by
the 'defense.-I know DEPUTY Sheriff II. w.
|, Smith, and was present when the mayor and
Smith discussed the horse transaction: Denu-
ties ,Jores and Wooten were present n mart
of the time; there was nothing in Smiths
statement Mt the time reAectinr unon him.
Smith said that he had misunGerstood the
mayor in regard to the shirt in which he
offered him $40; it appeared to me the only
difference between him and smith was ss to
the intention of the $40. Smith ocknowl.
edged that the MAYORS object in getting the
; man here was in order for the man 10 nroye
the horse and Smith could get his reward,
smith admitted that the conversation be.
tween him and the mayor in the sheriff,