The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-31
TROUBLE COMES TO TAMMANY.
COUNTY CLERK PURROY LEADS A
BOLT TO DOWN sHEEHAN.

Action Intended to Defeat Purroy ak
RevoIt-'rhe BO1ter TO Form a sep-
arate Organization, and EIcc6
General Committees aud Hold ~
Primary of Its own.
New York, Dec. 3O.-The open revolt
against John c. sheehan. which was start
ed last night by Henry ID. Purroy, after
the meeting of the Tammany COMMITTEES
on organization, promises to be a very
serious thing both for Sheehan and for
Tammany. Purroy has not a great fol-
lowing In the organization, but he will be
backed openly or secretly by very large
element that has fretted under Sheehan's 8
rule ever since he took the leadership,
These men are known to be ready TO do
almost anything TO overthrow Sheehan
and the Purroy revolt gives them the OPP
portunity they have long been waiting for
This element Is made up first of Hugh
Grant and the West Side district leaders.
whom he controls; secondly, Of the friends
of ex-Mayor Gilroy, and finally of the
numerous influential Tammany men whom
Sheehan denounced as traitors during the
presidential campaign. All these oppo-
nents Of Sheehan may not at once throw
themselves into the Purroy movement,
but it Is not doubted that they will assist
in every way possible in the effort to GUST
Sheehan.
Purroy will begin the warfare against
Sheehan with at least five district leaders
on kis side openly. Wherever Tammany
men discussed the situation this morning.
one suggestion was heard, namely, that
Richard Croker alone can restore harmo-
ny In the organization. Some OF the Lead
ers asserted that a purpose OF the rebel
nfl 4 4. -
leadership. They said that when Croker
secs Tammany split up at a time when
Il should be preparing for the great mu-
nicpal fight of next year he VIII come
forward as Its leader. Croker Is not on
the ground, however, and nobody knows
what he will do. He went to Aiken, s. c..
yesterday and will not return for two
weeks. lie knew what was going to hap
pen last night, yet he seems 70 have made
no effort to prevent the rebellion. His ap-
parent neutrality and his departure from
the city at this time may be part of the
plan to bring about his resumption of the
leadership, but his closest friends say
that he viii start for England before tho
end of January.
The immediate cause OF Purroys rebel
lion was the action Of the committee ON
organization In deciding that the general
committees of the Thirty-fourth and Thir-
ty-hfth districts should not appoint the in
the other districts except the Second, the
general committees have this privilege
This action was intended to defeat Purroy
az the primaries.
Purroy says he will have his own pri-
marieH, elect general committees and form
a separate organization.
John c. Sheehan said this afternoon: ''L
am not surprised at Purroy's action. He
has always been a kicker. He never could
get along with anybody. He bolted Tam
many fifteen years ago; then boIted the
county democracy and is now on another
bolt He broke with Mayor Grant and
Mayor Gilroy, and is opposed to everybody
but himself He has been a drag on ev-
cry organization he has belonged to. and
he Is well out of Tammanay Hall now"
In regard to the charge that he had en-
Rneered the movement TO force Purroy
out out Of Aammany Hall, Mr.. Sheehan
said: 'The action In regard TO the prima-
ries was taken by the executive commit
tee and would have been taken whether
favored 1t or not. Practically the whole
committee was tired of Purroy's nonsense
and | could not have restrained them IL I
had tried to do So"
The general committee OF Tammany
Hall met tonight, and unanimously en-
dorsed the action of the committee on
organization In reporting the plan for
conducting the next primaries, which
caused the threatened bolt of County
Clerk Purroy. Leader John G. Sheehan
was eulogized and resolutions calling for
investigation OF the gas, electric light and
railroad companies and condemning tha
reform administration, were passed.