St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-19
A RAzzLE FOR ROCHE
Is Secretly Prepared at a
Special Park Board Con-
ference.
Mandamus Proceedings to Be
Instituted Against the
Watchdog.
The German M. E. Church OBJ
jeetS to the Sixth Street
Award.
Gay Guy the Letter Writer,
Quietly Extradited to
Omaha.

A quorum of the park commission
finally succeeded yesterday afternoon
in getting together. A great deal OF
talk was INDUCED in, and very little
business was done. The principal sub
iect of discussion was the Carpenter
park imbroglio. arising from the re-
fuSal of Comptroller Roche to sign the
assessment warrant passed by the
board of public works. The commission
discussed the question at length, delib-
Grating long upon the tactics proposed
to be adopted. to use sawduSt eX-
preston, in taking a fall out or
the city comptroller. Nothing dropped,
however, and at last reports the watch
dog of the city treasury was still in the
ring and friSky. The correspondence
between Comptroller Roche. the board
of public works and the city attorney
was read and placed on file. Gordon L.
Cole, attorney for the park commission,
presented a communication in which he
concurred in the opinion recently eX-
pressed by Corporation Attorney HOl-
man. Gen. Cole holds that the comp
trOller's office is clearly ministerial, and
recommends that mandamuS proceed
ingS be reSOrted to. In an action for
mandamuS, he says. the courts will
not consider the question at issue
between the comptroller and the board
of public works. but will simply compel
the signing of the warrant without go
ing behind the assessment. As the city
cannot become the relator in mandamuS
proceedings against city Official, Gen.
Cole states that the action must be be-
gun by some one who has personal in
tereSt in the signing of the warrant.
and suggested that Mr.. Carpenter be
made the party to the suit, the board de-
fraying the expense.
Warren Carpenter, owner Of the
condemned property, was, present and
had something to say on the sub
iect. He StrenuouSly objected to be-
coming the party to any such action,
stating that the further he inquired into
the merits of the case the more difficult
ties he found, and he did not want to
enter into endless litigation. The bur-
den of his song was that he wants his
money or release from his contract
with the city. After listening to the
arguments presented, the members
present got their honorable heads to-
getber in one corner OF the room. talked
for some time and passed resolution.
The document was secretly disposed of,
and its contents refused to the press. A
GLOBE reporter learned. however, that
the resolution binds the commission to
bear the expense of mandamus pro-
ceedingS that may, be instituted against
the comptroller, and pledges the serv-
ices of the commissions attorney t0any
interested property owner.
A resolution was introduced and
DaSSpd inStructiDp the secretary to
notify the common council of the action
of the board of public works in leVying
assessments for the various parks now
in course of acquisition. and requesting
that the park bonds authorized by law
for these parks be issued.
On motion of Commissioner Ludden,
the engineer was instructed to prepare
platS and plans for the extension of the
proposed Mississippi river boulevard,
from Smelling avenue to point below
BanhOlZer'S brewery.