The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-11-20
Depot Orleans
Get your Sewing Machines &C. @ III
OUR NEW ORLEANS LETTER


eeler and Wilson S25 to $40; White .
OUR NEW ORLEANS LETTER
Tho Municipal Iimbrogs1o-First Knock
Down for Fftxpatricl-TheS trauss- Cass
Domestic Scandal Beaup1an's French,
Opera Troupe fails to Meet the Expecta-
lions Of the Critical Crescent City Public
Theatrical Notes.
New ORLEANS, La, Nov. 10, 1880.
EDITOR CHIEF:
The municipal imbroglio is still the alb
sorbing topic Of conversation on the street,
and until the courts decide as to the legality
or lleEalityesof the recent election, local
politicians will have their hands full. Last
Monday the newly elected Mayor and Ad-
illustrators were to make demand for
their positions, and the City Hall was
crowded with throng Of ward strikers,
nearly all seeking for office under the new
administration, and nearly oil politicians d
tile John Kelly style. After tho Patton
council had refused to surrender the City
Hall to the Shakespeare administration and
the latter were leaving, commotion war
caused by foot race between Mayor I. w
Patton and Mr.. John Fitzpatrick, the
newly elected Administrator Of Improve.
ments. It was known that Mr.. Collins, the
outgoing Administrator of improvements,
was not in accord with tho majority of the
Patton Council, and would endeayor to sur
render his Office to Mr.. Fitzpatrick, and in
fact was on tho way to the Office for that
purpose when Mayor Patton was appraised
of the fact, ard ran with wonderful speed,
altogether unbecoming the dignity of his
high Office, to the improvements Office,
where he quickly wrote a commission to
Mr. Chevalley, Administrator of Water
works, appointing the latter Administrator
of improvements ad interim, Fitzpatrick and
Collins then entered and the latter made a
formal surrender Of his Office to the former,
I" I hold commission from the Mayor ap-
pointing me Administrator of improvements
ad Interim said Mr.. Chevalley. Mr.. Fitz-
patrick took no notice Of this remark and
seating himself in chair. lit cigar and
commenced smoking in a manner denoting
that lie had come to stay At 3 o'clock Mr..
Chcvalley handed the keys of the Office to
the porter, and the latter soon turned them
over to Mr.. Fitzpatrick, who is now in full
possession Of the Office, the result of his
fearless and not altogether unprecedented
action.
The Civil District Court is now bearing
the a:gument in the case of Shakespeare
ard others pcrsns Patton ct ais, in which
tho former have taken out writ Of quo
,cdrranto against the Patton government.
The court room was crowded with specta-
tors, while the bar was represented by the
brightest legal lunlinaries in the city. Stand
ing room was at premium. Seated on the
bench were Judges Rightor, Houston. Men
roo and Lazarus, and directly in front of
the Judges seat were Mossrs Chas. y. Buck,
Henry C. Miller and y. Ward Gurley, Jr.,
counsel for Shakespeare. 1t may not be
improper to state that this array of uttor-
neys also represents the future law depart
ment Of tho city in case the decision Of the
court is favorable to Messrs. Shakespeare ct
ais. Seated on the right Of the counsel ufore-
mentioned are ex-Justices Spencer and
White, who we're Associate Justices of the
Supreme Court under the Nichols regime.
They represent Mr.. Patton and his Admin
istrntors. 80 confident are they Of winning
their case, and establishing their construc-
ton OF the law as regards the election for
municipal officers as tile only correct one,
that it is rulDorcd. should the court decide
against them, they will Immediately retro
from the bar. Tho holding over Admins
traitors were present in court and seemed to
DO very much exercised over tho proceed
ingB. Many entertain the idea that. while
the court might not hold that tho late cleo
ton is valid, they may declare that there
exists no municipal government at all, and
it will then DO the duty Of the Governor to
appoint one, in which case the newly elected
Administration will receive that favor AS
it is, tho decision of tho court is awaited
with intense interest.
The Strauss Cass domestic scandal is on
the tongues of every one. C,tss l,us been
unable to furnish the bond required of him
for assautting strauss and fingers in the
parish prison, while his wife il nearly dis
trnctetl by sorrow, and their children are w.
ing ut tho point of death. Cass accuses his
fnther-in-lnw, Strauss, Of having a,lmnis-
tered drugs to him which impaired his facul-
ties, thereby alternating from him lis better
half. Tho counsel for Cass have in their
possession confession written by tho attor-
NJ Il:
latter, which was intended for Cnss' sigma
ture, and it is in evidence that tho latter
was offered $1,000 by Strauss to sign the
document. Cass considered such a PROPOSAL!
as an insult, and denpunccs the allegations
OF the document as false. In the meanwhile
Mrs Cass has entered IL suit for divorce, on
what grounds can not he uscertainc,l until
tho cAse is before the court. Enough is
known, however, to warrant the assertion
that the evidence of both parties is such as
will attract u largo gathering of gossip
nlOngers.
The French Opera Troupe lately arrived
from across tho water tns not met with TINT
enthusiastic reception which was unticiratc.l
from the hubbub r;iacd when it was an
nounced Tint New Orleans was about to re-
vive her old-time reputation "opcraticully. .
Although the chah, euSes d'0pera and les files
de ballet composing this troupe are said to
rank rs premieres in the gny Capital Of la
belle France, evidently they have failed to
reach tho standard of excellence rcuuirsd
by the critical taste of Crescent City oper,.-
gocrs, aud will not acquire srcl, financial
success AS will enable them to retire on q
competence, and dare shy that when they
arrive i'll le risur pays they Will not soon
long to retnr, to Ia houretle Orleans. Mr..
Boanp!an. tho manager, combines the quail
ties OF II shrcwd business lui.n with the yitts
Of nn artist. His precautions, in s,,ariing
himself against pecuniary loss. taken in the
incipiency Of his operate arrangements. arc
stlcl as will protect him should the receipts
DO insufficient to meet current expenses. 1
would like to l,articu,arize ON the merits of
tile several operate singers, in my own orig
u,al 'iiaa''cr. hut my limited space will not
allYw' me, However. if my. le..lers desire