The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-01-18

The Democratic Caucus Last Night-Elo-
quent Appeals Not Effective Though the
Speakers Assured Everyone That the Man
who Betrayed Them Was in the Hearing
of Their Voices.
Seventeen democratic members of the
board of councilmen met in the rooms
of the board of public works last even
ing to find out, if possible, the man
who had gone back on his caucus obli-
cation and voted for James D. Dewell
for president of the board of councilmen
instead of for Eugene r. Hubbard, the
democratic nominee.
Councilman Keegan could not be pres
ent at the caucus, but sent an affidavit
to the effect that he voted seventy-six
times on the night of the election of the
president for Eugene r. Hubbard. The
members of the press were not admit
ted to the caucus, but there is little
doubt that the meeting was an exceed
ingly lively one.
Councilman D. S. Leary presided and
Councilman Norris acted as secretary.
The chief speakers during the session
were Councilmen Ryan, Hubbard and
Brown, all of whom pleaded with the
member who betrayed his party to make
a clean breast of the matter and say
that he had done so.
They assured him that they were GER
| tain beyond any reasonable doubt that
he was known to them.
| Some of the speakers gave their rea-
sons for having such an opinion. There
was a great deal of talk as to how the
guilty member could be made to divulge
| his secret Each man present stood in
| his place and told how he had stood by
Eugene r. Hubbard during the seven
| long and tiresome hours of balloting as
| he had obligated himself to do in the
caucus
! The task in hand was a hopeless one,
unless something different turned up
| Councilman Brown moved that a com
mittee of three be appointed to investi-
| gate the matter, they to have full dis
| cretion as to the means and methods OF
getting at the facts. An amendment
was offered to make the committee fiva
and have the chair appoint. The amend
ment was accepted.
| The chair appointed the following
members on the committee: d. Burton
Brown, chairman; Henry E. Norris, G.
E. Sperly, E. r. Hubbard and N. p
| Corcoran.
| Another effort was made by the ora
/ tors of the evening to make the traitor
as he was called several times by the
speakers, unbosom himself. But the
appeal fell on dull ears.
/ If the guilty man was in hearing OF
the speakers he failed to heed. Every
man in the house was then requested
| to write upon a piece of paper the
names of the candidates voted for
| These slips were given to the chairman
\ of the committee of investigation, and
a comparison will be made with the
| final ballot cast on the night of the
election, as the slips, on which the
names We're written, and which COM
pose the seventy sixth ballot, are in the
hands of the committee.
| A member of the committee said after
the meeting was over last evening that
! they had now the machinery at work
which would bring to light the name
| of the man they were looking for The
member said that no means would be
| spared to get at the bottom of the case
and that he expected to be able to give
to the public the name of the traitor in
question.
The speeches of those who addressed
the chair as well as the ordinary con-
versation, could be heard in the corri-
doris. There was nothing to indicate
that the traitor" was among them as
the seventeen tried and true democrats
went to their respective homes.
| The committee will meet on Tuesday
| evening.