The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-04-20
FL PASO POLITICS.
A USurping Mayor Runs Things
and Gets Run.
CIVILIZATION DOWN IN ALABAMA
Mormon Missionaries Brutally Beaten-The
Ku Klux Spirit Still Lives-Arms for the
Militia-The Centennial.

Ell PAso, April 19.-The contested city
election took new turn to-day. For sew
eral days past the old mayor, Republican,
and the old city council, composed of five
Democrats and three Republicans, have
been sitting as a canvassing board hearing
arguments from the lawyers of the Demo
cratic and Republican contestants.
This afternoon an adjourned meeting of
the old board was held in the city hall. The
mayor presided and put motion made by
a. Democratic member Another motion
was made by another Democratic member,
when the mayor sprang to his feet and de-
clined to recognize him, pulled the election
returns from his pocket and then and
there announced that he proposed to have
the vote counted. A Democratic councilman
moved to adjourn when the mayor ruled
him out OF order. Seeing that the mayor
was determined not to put the motion or
recognize the Democratic aldermen, the
five Democratic members left the hall,
thus leaving the council without quorum.
In the face of mo Quorum the mayor in
structed that the city clerk take down the
returns as he read them. There being no
quorum, the clerk declined to act. The
mayor then designated a clerk and had the
vote counted without a quorum and de-
clared the Republican municipal ticket
elected. The Republican contestants were
sworn in and the usurplng mayor began to
swear in special police after appointing
the old city marshal and police force to acJ
He then tried to get into the city safe.
While working at the combination the
marshal sent a policeman to guard the
safe. The policeman pushed the uSurping
mayor back and took charge OF the safe.
At this moment the policeman was covered
with double barreled gun in the hands OF
one of the usurping party. Five cases Of
Winchester rifles were procured from
German house doing business in Mexico
with branch in FL Paso, and put in the
hands of the special police sworn in by the
usurping mayor, and the other Republi-
cans who had assembled. The city hall
was then in charge of an armed posse of
Republicans who refused admittence
to two regular city policemen and
to an Associated Press reporter.
They made no demonstration, but
had their lawyers swear out an injunc-
ton, which was granted by the district
Judge, preventing the uSurping mayor from
acting and putting the city hall in the hands
of the court. The sheriff served the in
junction and took possession Of the hall.
The armed posse at the city hall dispersed
quietly after the sheriff's visit and at 10
O'Clock the old city council again met with
a quorum and adjourned until tomorrow
to continue the canvass. The old mayor
having refused to recognize the old council,
Councilman Johnson presided and appointed
a large force of special police to act with
the city marshal. The man who is usurp-
ing the mayors Office appointed as captain
of special police a man who is not resident
Of Texas. Great Indignation is expressed
at the armed mob in the city hall and the
attempt of the old mayor to act without a
quorum of the council.