Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-06-11
LEE BLoTTED OUT.
The Safe Forced Open and the
Desks Unlocked.


Summary Proceedings Taken by the
Board of Health to Put Secretary Col
quhoun in Possession--t5ut the Minute
Book Was Not in the safe.
At Tuesday nights meeting of the
the boards appointee, acted as secretary
Ex-Secretary Lee was present but did
not 60 into the meeting room. Nor did
he produce the ron or minute books,
which he had safely under lock and key.
There was nothing but the ordinary
routine business to occupy the attention
of the board, and it was soon attended
to. Then President Wales remarked
that ex-Secretary Lee was still claiming
TO be acting as secretary and registrar
and was performing the duties of the
office. DIR. Wales said Lee was getting
to be nuisance, and must be kept out
of the office.
DIR. Shortlidge agreed with DR.. Wales.
He offered the following resolution:
.Rssolted, That William H. Lee, ex-secre-
tary OF the Board of Health, is nuisance
and must be abolished.
This resolution was adopted.
On motion Of Mr.. Van Trump the
secretary was instructed to buy new
locks for the doors of the offices.
The board then adjourned, but inn
mediately afterwards went into secret
session, the proceedings of which the
members refused to divulge. The OBJ
ject of the session, however, was to de-
wise means to keep Lee out of the Office
Yesterday both Lee and Colquhoun
were on hand, as usual. The latter
sent for III. b. Duncan and gave him
orders to put new locks on the office
doors. Mr.. Lee sent word TO Council
man Daniel Mckinney, chairman of
the public buildings committee of City
Council, who has charge of repairs to
public buildings, notifying him of the
intended change of the locks.
The arrangements had all been made
in advance and Messrs. Stlffel & Free
man, Philadelphia agents of the Barnes
Safe and Lock Company, manufac-
turers of the boards safe, were notified
to send an expert down to open the
safe. The expert was expected to arrive
Tuesday, but he did not put in an APP
pearance and the burglarfous job had
to be postponed.
the necessary tools at hand and awaited
the orders Of the board. All the mem
bers excepting DR.. Springer were pres
ent and at II o'clock they held meet
ing. Ex-Secretary Lee was called in
and a formal demand made upon him
for the keys Of the desks.
He refused to give them up.
The board then requested Mr.. Lee to
open tine safe, and again he refused.
go to work and open the SAFE was
the order given by the board to the ex-
pert.
The latter picked up his tools and APP
preached the safe, but Lee got ahead Of
him and backing himself against the
safe door protested against the proposed
rape Of the lock-" Then Chief of
Police Swiggett, who had been sent for
TO preserve order, took Lee by the arm
and told him he must not interfere with
the orders of the board He moved
Lee to one side, and without making
any resistance the ex-secretary went
down stairs and walked out of the
building.
About Ills o'clock the safe-opener
went to work. He had tough job be-
fore him and the perspiration rolled
from him i'll streams before he was
through. He drilled a hole through
the door and clear through the centre
bolt, and with reamer and hammer
succeeded, after many vigorous blows
in breaking off the bolt and freeing the
combination. II was just 1926 o'clock |
when he finished his work and opened |
the outer door of the safe.
The inner doors were secured but |
only with an ordinary lock. Secretary
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