Arizona republican., 1896-04-02
HUGHES MAKES HIS EXIT Bruce Is Now Acting
 Governor. No Tragic Scenes Attend the
 Transfer. Peremptory TeieRrams Are Sent from Washington Ordering
 the Change.

from Washington Ordering
 the Change.
 Yesterday afternoon at 4:4O Louis c. Hughes formally vacated the chair of governor of Arizona, by him filled for the past three years and gave over the power and records of the office to Charles M Bruce, secretary of the ter ritory and now acting the govrnor. There had been anticipation that trouble would ensue before the change in the executive office would be made. The evening before Governor Hughes had announced that he would hesitate at least before ebeying even a strict order from the president and that he proposed to hold his place till his suc- | cessor should have been confirmed by the senate.
 Secretary of Territory Bruce had te!- egraphed to Washington for instruc- tions, stating that Hughes had refused 1 to vaeate. In response, at il o'clock yesterday morning, came the follow ing telegraphic message:
 | WASHINGTON, D. C., April 1. i "Chas. M. Bruce, Secretary of Ari- zona, Phoenix, Arizona-Mr. Hughes i has been removed as governor. The president directs that you take pos 1 session of the office at once as acting i governor under the law.
 ! (SigneO JOHN M REYNOLDS, | Acting Secretary"
 Armed with this missive, Secretary i Bruce waited again upon Governor j Hughes and presented it as his au- thori,ty for immediate possession De- lay was asked and granted till 3 o'clock.
 At promptly the secretary again called upon hts neighbor across the hall. Still possession of the executive offices was refused or delayed. T have had no motif ation," said Hughes. ''The telegram y5t. hold in your hand may be a forgery" He then suggest ed that the matter be left in its exist ing shape for a few days, he in the meantime to hold the office and title, but not ito perform any official actions. This Bruce refused, Informing Hughes that he considered himself governor and that the man who opposed him in his demand was perpetrating an un- lawful act, from which he might be made to severely suffer. Upon the point of d possibility of a forged tele- gram, he stated to the governor that he surely held ample corroborative evidence in the letter announcing i'm pending dismissal received by him (Hughes) on Monday.
 Finally stay of time for further consideration till next morning hay ing been refused by the secretary, as T we'll as a suggested stay till o'clock, the hour Of 30 was set for a fual de- termination by Hughes in his course In leaving, Secretary Bruce advised the governor that if he did not then vacate, the United States marshal and attorney would be summoned from Tucson to eject him.
 The hour came, and, escorted by his secretary, F. B. Devereaux, and by three newspaper men, Secretary Bruce entered the executive chambers. Be side Governor Hughes, the only others present were Private Secretary El-
 dridge Jordan and Territorial Treas urer Cole.
 Governor was the query, "have | yOu upOu yOuG COuTS6. The governor had been seated back
 of his desk in his comfortable revolv. ing chair, and looked even yet some : what the worse from his street ex- perience of several days before.
 Arising and addressing the secretary he answered: T have, and my decis. ion is to turn this office over to you. He then spoke for about five minutes stating that while he had received nc notification whatsoever of his dis missal from office, he was inclined tx admit the genuineness of the secre
 tary's dispatch, and had no disposition
 to impede the course of public busi
 ness He said that he did not thinl
 he had been treated fairly by the pres ident, yet the president had undoubt . edly acted in belief that his act wa | for the best interests of the people l He Hughes) still believed and would :, ever believe Grover Cleveland to b. : one of the grandest characters o ,. American history. He had given tn, ] people of Arizona an admin.stra ) that was honest, economical and on !. which he knew they would approve
 He wished MT. Bruce all success dur e ing the time that he should occup, I the executive chair and trusted tha ]. his successor would not be called upo1
 to endure what he had endured. A
 d private citizen and as a Dsmocra ne pledged his loyalty to the incomin . administration and retired from ofIic
 without feeling against anyone MI
 Jordan, he said, was in full possession
 of all the records of the office and ha e full knowledge of the pending busi }: ness and upon him also he would leav