Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-10-22
M'MULLEN AS A MARTYR
a CHAPTER FROM TIE cAMpArGS
OF 1850.


How "a Sensible Arrangement for
Preserving the Peace and secnr-
ing "a Fnir BALLOT was Deliberately
AbroEatcd.
What seems like ilii ,ttteinpt on tIt 1,art
of Henry Fl. Mcliuiien, lnte United States
hlarshal for the district OF Delaware, to
| pose as u patriotic martyr is made ili,- 3
parent by publications in this morning S
| papers in reference to his official accouistA #
for his term of office. The reports iilti4
mate that in the efforts to secure Marshal
McMullen's removal, after the inauglr,a-
tion of President Cleveland rumors we've
| circulated to the effect that his aceunnts
would not bear investigation, after which
charges were preferred against him which
resulted in his removal. His accounts
were investigated by a special examiner,
and the investigation ended few days
ago, without disclosing q single dis
crepancy.
Now, the truth of the matter is, that
| Marshal McMullen's financial accounts
were not mentioned in the charges pre-
ferred against him in the department of
| justice, and but for the ill-advisel pul,li.
cations above alluded TO they would prob.
| ably never have been questioned. Tho
| investigation was certainly one Of his u,sil
seeking and the result cannot in ,sny way
be considered his political vindication.
as his honesty in all Transactions with tie
| government wns not questioned for n
| single instant during the successful effort
| for his removal. The charges related to
.'offensive partisanship,n in connection
| with his course just prior TO the general
| election of 1880, in violating solemn
| compact entered into by him with Senator
Bayard for the purpose Of preserving the
peace during election day, and in sending
| deputy marshals to the polls at New
| Castle, at the general election OF 1882, in
defiance of the law which authorizes the
appointment of special deputies at oloc-
tions only in towns and cities Of 20, 900
population and over. Marshal AlcAiul-
len has denied his responsibility for
| the presence of deputies at the New Castle
polls, but his discreditable course in
| 1880, when he violated deliberate agree
nent almost on the eve of election, and
thereby seriously Threatened the peace
and good order of the city was fully es-
tnblished by statement made public in
the columns of EVERY EVENING the day
before the election by Senator Bnyard and
Mayor Almond, and from which the fol
lowing extracts are reproduced;
WILMINGTON, DEL, Oct. 2s, 1sSO,-7oa.
John p. Almond, Mayor Of Wilmington
DEAR SIR: To-day, John @. Patterson, ESQ.,.
U. s. District Attorney, Marshal MoAlullen
and had q long and friendly conversation
in relation to the coming election on Tues
day next.
We finally came to the following under
standing with Wow to make the election
fair, free and peaceable.
L. That the deputy marshals, the police OF
the city and deputy sheriffs Of the county
shall cooperate to preserve order and con-
serve free and fair election, and shall caro-
fully avoid all collision or contest with each
other.
2. That the action of the combined forces
of deputy marshals policemen and deputy
sheriffs shall in all cases be directed and
controlled by the decision of a majority OF
the inspectors, Judges of election and
United States supervisors at each election
precinct, and 1t shall be the dntyof all such
deputy marshals, policemen and deputy
sheritls to obey and effectually execute the
order OF majority of the election officers
and United States supervisors at each pre-
cinct.
3. That none but well-known and respec-
table citizens shall be appointed as mar
shals, special policemen and deputy sheriffs.
A. That the mayor and marshal are to CO.
| operate honorably and sincerely topreserve
| order and procure fair election, in accord
ance with this arrangement
Mr.. Patterson having communicated this
| arrangement to His Honor, Judge Bradford
| informed Messrs. Bayard and McMullen
| that it met the judges approval.
| Yours, respectfully, I. +. BAYARD.
On Saturday, October Both, two days
later, Mr.. Patterson met Mayor Almond
and told him that strong pressure had
been brought to beai upon himself and
Mr.. McMullen in denunciation of the
agreement of the 28th and goth, but that
lie had replied that it was fair agree.
ment, and that he as Marshal McMullen's
legal adviser, had sanctioned it, and
nothing was said about abrogating it.
| A few minutes before O'Clock ON the
evening of October 30th, Mayor Almond
received the following letter from Marshal
| McMullen:
WILMINGTON, DEL, Oct. 90th, 18s0.-John
| p. Almond, Esq, Wilmington, Del..-MY
| DEAR SIR: Since saw you to-day, circum-
| stances have occurred of such o character
/ that | feel impelled to say to you and now
do say that the contemplated arrangements
i in disposal and management of the deputy
| marshals and reference to the police and
| other arrangements regarding the conduct
| of the election of Tuesday, tho I'd prox.,
i must be considered as superseded and with
i drawn.
| The motives and desire actuating you in
| the proposed and anticipated arrangements
| l am satisfied were good and only good and
| honorable to you as q law-loving citizen.
| but find that there are SO many outside in
/ iuenees bearing upon the matter, some un-
| known to you and others beyond your influ-
| ence and power to control, / am satisfied
| that the supposed arrangement should not
/ be allowed to stand. 1t could only hamper
/ and be prejudice to us both In our official
i relations, and in the discharge of our re-
/ spective official duties.
| take this course now the more freely, in
asmuch as from the brief period which has
| elapsed from its inception no detrlment
can arise to you or any interests you repre-
sent from the course l now think 1t my duty
| to pursue.
This notice, too, / give you at the very
earliest opportunity.
Very Respectfully yours,
IL. II. McAiuIL.ES, U. s. Marshal.
Thus, for the purpose of rewarding a
lot of Republican heelers and strikers by
giving them two days of government
employa and thereby securing their services
for the benefit of the Republican ticket
| Marshal McMullen deliberately abrogated
an agreement he had freely entered into,
and which was sanctioned by the district
attorney and the judge of the United
States district court. This and the New
Castle incidentwere alone included in tho
charges preferred against him, and when
theywere submitted 20 Secretary Bayard,
before being left ut the department OF
justice, that gentleman endorsed them
with his approval, having personal
knowledge of the facts therein set forth.
The charges were preferred by re-
putable citizen of Wilmington, and sup
ported by the affidavits of well-known
citizens of Wilmington and New Castle
hundred.
These were the grounds of Marshal
| McAIullen's removal, and the attempt to
pose as a martyr who vindicated himself
of the charges preferred against him is
both futile and foolish, and will have no
effect in this community, where the
reasons of his removal are so we'll known.
| D;,t.h,,.1 u.se.-....,...