The record-union., 1892-11-12
THE MAYOR And DhROUX.
Outcome Of Their Wordy Tilt on the
Day Of Election.
The Mayor Told the Engineer to Con-
slider Himself suspended, But
Daroux Refuses to do so.

On election day Mayor Comstock went
down OH Fourth street, where one Of the
Second Ward polling places was located.
During one of the numerous rumpuses
that occurred there he and Frank Daroux,
Assistant Engineer at the Water Works,
got into dispute, during which Daroux
told the Mayor he was exceeding his
power in interfering in a certain affair.
Some sharp language was exchanged.
Yesterday Mayor Comstock met Da-
roux on the street and told him to con-
slider himself suspended from duty for
fifteen days. Daroux replied that if the
Mayor had any complaint to make
against him he had better file it in writ
ing; that he (Daroux) did not recognize
the Mayors authority in his case, as he
was employed in Trustee Conklin's de-
partment, and declined to consider him
self under suspension.
DarouX then reported the occurrence to
Trustee Conklin, who directed him to re-
sume his duty as engineer.
1t Is said that Mayor ComstOck intends
filing written charges against Daroux,
and that they will probably be based on
his absence from duty for several weeks.
WHAT DARoUX SAYS.
4 RECORD-UNIoN reporter saw Frank
DarouX while he was on duty at the
Water Works at a late hour last night
and asked him what was the trouble be-
tween him and the Mayor. He replied
that on election day a special Deputy
Sheriff was at the Fourth and K-street
polls challenging old citizens who had
lived and voted in that block for years.
He made himself obnoxious to citizens
there, and finally he (Daroux) told a
Deputy United States Marshal that it was
his duty to remove him.
The Marshal finally did so, and was
walking off with the Deputy Sheriff (R
z. Burr when they met Mayor Com
stock and the latter announced his official
standing and ordered the Marshal to re-
lease Burr.
Instead, however, Daroux says the
Marshal returned with Burr and the
Mayor, WhereupOn he (DarOuX) informed
the Mayor that he was exceeding his
authority in interfering with a United
States Marshal while in the discharge of
his duty; that his position as Mayor
gave him no such right, and that he was
Inere as private citizen only.
DarouX admitted that he expressed
himself in pretty strong language to the
Mayor, and that if the latter had any
grievance at all against him it was possi-
bly, that of disturbing his peace, but that
even on That score hOnOrS were easy, as
the Mayor gave him about as good as ne
sent.
when the Mayor told me I must lay
off fifteen days because of my insolence," Z"
said DarouX, II refused to recognize his
authority. Then he said I'd better 90 it,
so that he could say, when interrogated
on the subject, that he had suspendeu me.
If l would do this there would be nothing
more of it.
81 told him." continued Daroux, "that
| would not accommodate him-that he
did not control that department OF the
city government in which l am en-
ployed, and that if he had any charges to
make against me TO present them to the
City Trustees and | would meet them.
There was considerable more said on
both sides, but these are about the facts
/ consider that Mayor COmstocl went out
of his way on election day. He did not
know, when he ordered Burr to be re-
leased, whether the latter had committed
any crime or not, and | told him so. It's
no small matter to interfere with a
Marshal on such an occasion, and l was
naturally angry about it, because Burr
had intimidated man whom l knew to
be a qualified elector in that precinct. l
talked pretty sharp to the Mayor, but l
felt justified in what | did. l haven
suspended myself, either"