The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-18
SPRUNG IN COUNCIL
The News Is Given That Somebody
Approached Some One.
AN INVESTIGATION ORDERED
Alderman Leiser's Resolution
Struck That Body With the Force
of a Bomb-The Earmarks of
Bribery Discovered.

The council meeting last night was
brimful of sensations and unfortunately
for the usual audience there was
scarcely a corporals guard outside the
railing to enjoy the startling features
OF the meeting.
Alderman Lesser was the author of
the surprises and he had two of them
in his pocket The first was the fol-
lowing resolution:
Whereas, 1t has been charged and
has come to the knowledge Of some OF
the members of the council that enc OF
the honorable members of this body
has been approached by certain persons
with an offer of bride for the rur-
pose of influencing his vote as a mem
Der of this council, which offer was in
dignantly refused and spurned by such
member; and
Whereas, such offer to bride one of
our honorable body is an affront ard
insult to this council and calls for
some action on the part of this council
Therefore be IL,
Resolved, That the president Of this
council appoint a committee OF TIM ee
members of this council to Investigate
such charges and report the result OF
their investigation at the next meet-
ing of this body"
Alderman Lesser at once moved the
adoption of the resolution. alderman
Lappan seconded il and no remarks
were made. The resolution passed. all
voting aye.
Mayor horton promptly appointed
on the investigating committee Alder
men Lesser. Lappan and Cox.
At the close of the meeting Mayor
Thornton and a group of aldermen
asked DR.. Lesser as to what grounds lie
had for his resolution. None of them
had heard of such a thing before, they
said. Or. Lesser refused to state any
more information than the resolution
contained, further than to say that he
had the story from a most reliable in
fornant. The attempt to bride had
not been made he said on the gambling
ordinance, a conclusion which was
jumped at by many present.
From other sources IL was learned
that what may be the basis of the in
vestigation is an incident which hap
pened about the time the contract for
the erection of the city hall was
awarded. 1t will be remembered that
the bids were very close, and competi-
ton between contractors was very
strong. 1t is said that a certain coun-
Gilman was approached by agents of a
firm unsuccessful with a proposition
meaning a considerable sum of money
IL he would give his vote and influence
to certain firm. The prefer, as
stated in the resolution was rejected by
the alderman with Indignation. and
though friends were informed IF the
matter IL was allowed to drop for the
time being. II this instance be the enc
referred to by Alderman Lesser, the
sensation is but half over and will be
greater than ever when the witnesses
tell the committee what they know, and /
IL is understood that the alderman is
perfectly willing to disclose the Ian
guage used and all the circumstances
of the affair.
The second sensation was the ordin- /
ance prohibiting gambling which AL /
derman Lesser introduced as a sequel |
TO the defeat of the second story regu- |
lation of gambling. The text of this |
ordinance, which was referred to the I
judiciary committee, is as follows:
An ordinance to prohibit certain |
gambling games. and declaring the |
same to be a nuisance and fixing the |
penalties for the violations thereof:
BE it ordained by the city council of T!
the city of Anaconda, as follows:
Section !. 1t is hereby declared to /
De a nuisance FOR any person in the I
city of Anaconda to deal play at car
~ on, open, or cause to be opened or /
TO conduct, either as owner or employe. |
whether for hire or not, any game of 4
faro, monte, roulette, lansquenette, |
rouge ct noire. rondo, tan. fan tan, stud /
horse poker, draw poker, craps. seven 1
and-a-half, twenty-one, or any bank |
ing or percentage game played with 1
cards, dice, or any device, for money, /
checks, credit, or any representative of l
value, and any person who deals, plays I
carries on "opens. or causes to be open
ed or who conducts. either as owner or
employe, whether for hire or not, or
who plays or bets at or against any of
said game or games is deemed to be
guilty OF nuisance, and upon convic-
ton shall be fined in a sum not less
than fifty C5O dollars and not more
than one hundred (SlOO) dollars.
section ,. Every person in the city
OF Anaconda who knowingly permits
any OF the games mentioned in the pre-
ceding section to be played, conducted
or dealt in any house owned or rented
by such person, in whole or i'm part is
deemed TO be guilty of a nuisance, and
upon conviction, Is punishable as pro-
vided in the preceding section.
This ordinance shall take effect in
80 days from and after its passage and
publication in the Anaconda Standard.
A. D.. 1896"
The report OF the city treasurer. J.
NJ. Delury. showed the following condi-
ton Of the city's finances. 1t was re-
ferred to the finance committee:
CASH ON HAND.
LSo' - sSheia al iuhu '.......... SlO,64I 80 .
feD. 1, dog fund ............... 466 g.
Feb. /, street fund ...........2.4 9l 81
Feb. i. sewer fund. ....... =. 1874 50
Feb. ]. city hall fund.......... 26.25S 81
Iotal...... ......... S39, 999 IS
In the funds OF Importance the state
ment shows:
GENERAL FUND.
Dec. !. 1895. cash on hand 81 l.SO5 %
Jan. l. 1896. receipts. 24227 Is
Io1aI. go. ...... ....S26,O32 SO