The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-05
IT WAS A WARM TIME
Mayor Thompson Answers q Whole
Lot Of Questions.
ECHOES OF THE BIG RIOT
The Aldermen Want to Know Why
He Signed a Warrant That Mr..
Dugan Refused to Sign
Minor Matters.

Maid the warrant of $500 to ]. ]. An
derson, which was vetoed by Mayor
Dugan ana had not been brought UP in
the present council. or passed over the
veto. II was discovered yesterday that
this warrant was issued as long ago as
July II. yet the matter has never been
brought I'D in the council and the pub
Ito had never been informed of the fact
that $500 of its money had been used
for this purpose until the STANDARD
gave them the news exclusively last
MONDAY morning Mr.. Thompson
brought up the matter himself last
night. saying:
'sThe clerk will read the proceedings
of the council OF last year regarding
the paying of damages incurred on the
Fourth of July a year ago. There Is
long communication in one of the pa
pers regarding II and should like TO
have the matter discussed in the coun-
ell. 1t is the councils business and not
the newspapers business to discuss
these things"
The mayor did not explain why, II
this were so. he did not bring the mat
ter up in the council for discussion last
July, when he signed the warrant. The
clerk read the minutes of the meeting
of July rs, 1894. showing the report of
the judiciary committee as follows:
"Your judiciary committee beg leave
have duly considered the bills present
ed for damages incurred on July 4, 1894.
OF Mrs. Morier for the sum OF $50;
Charles Heilbronner. for the sum of
s143; Simon Hauswlrth, for the sum of
$500. and J. ]. Anderson. for the sum
OF 81, 900, and after due consideration
we recommend your honorable body
that the following amounts be al
lowed and that warrants be ordered on
the treasurer OF the city for the same
as follows: Mrs. Morier, $50; Charles
Heilbronner. s45; Simon Hauswirth,
800; ]. ]. Anderson, $780,"
Next was read the veto OF Mayor Du-
gan in the council proceedings of Aug.
j, 1894, as follows:
ITO the members of the city council
OF the city of Butte, gentlemen-In re-
gard to the claims presented by j. j.
Anderson & Co., and Simon Hauswirth
for damages alleged to have been sus-
tained on July 4, 1 have refused to sign
any warrants for the payment of said
claims, for the reason that / have been
informed by f. s. Booth, acting city
attorney, that the city Is not response
BILE to the above named parties for
damages sustained on that day. The
reason given by the acting city attor-
ney is that: First. the city is not re-
sponsible for any property destroyed
by a mob or In a riot. Second, when
a riot occurs within the limits of the
city the mayor is empowered by statute
TO quell the said riot or disturbance
and to use all necessary and reasonable
means in doing so.
ION the day In question a riot was In
progress in Broadway between Acad-
envy and Main streets, and was precipi-
tated by the acts of the above men,
toned parties In placing certain in
scriptions over their places of busi-
ness (and as to their right to do so
htaf he r.f 81
so was very questionable), and by
means thereof a riot was precipitated
and all the available forces of the city
government and the state officers was
necessary to quell II. In quelling the
said riot some damage might have been
sustained by the above named parties,
but the damage was brought on by
their own imprudence and without any
fault or negligence on the part of the
city or any Of its officers. and there
fore the said claims should not be paid.
The acting city attorney promised to
submit written opinion but has failed
to do 80, but the above is in substance
the gist OF the verbal opinion given to
me. L. o. Dugan, Mayor"
Alderman Bowman moved that the
report be received and placed on file
Alderman Pascoe moved, as an amend
ment. that the report be referred to the
judiciary committee and the amend
ment was carried.
The clerk then read the report of
the judiciary committee in the meeting
OF Aug. s.
1--WE. your judiciary committee, beg
leave to submit the following report
Sc In the matter of the Oh
jections OF the mayor to signing GER
tain warrants in payment of damages
alleged to have been sustained by GER
tain parties on the fourth day of July.
1884. we recommend that the same be
received and placed on file"
On motion OF Alderman Heilig the
report was received and adopted. After
the reading OF the above abstract from
the council proceedings of 1894, Mayor
Thompson said: 81 found after / had
taken my seat as mayor of this city
that three Of these claims had been
paid and the fourth had not. After
seeing the city attorney. on his advice
i signed this warrant, and in doing so
thought / had a legal right to do It
and / still think so. j think IL strange
that Dugan would not sign this war
rant when'he was willing to sign the
other warrants. 1t is the duty of the
mayor to sign warrants. Mr.. Dugar
SAYS he was advised by the city attor-
ney that the city is not responsible
and need not pay these claims. IL Sc
he should have signed none of them
and let IL be tested. But his signing
three and not four shows II was mat.
ter OF preference with him. II any
member of the council can enlighter
us further on the subject l would Xix,
TO hear him"
Il would ask as a matter OF informa
tion." said Alderman Byrne, whether
before you signed and delivered thi,
warrant you asked of Mr.. Dugan hi
reason for not signing the warrant"
II had no reason for asking him,
replied Mr.. Thompson.
ut might have been wise II Won hat
done So" returned Byrne. You shoulC
have known what Dugan's reason wal
before you acted. or you should hav,
consulted some one OF the eight alder
men who could have told you the cir
cumstances. Why did you not consu
us on this matter? IL was explainet
in this council by Mr.. Dugan that n
l.