The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-06
THEY'RE AFTER him.
THE FIGHT Is ON BETWEEN WILL
MING1ON.S MAYORS.
Mayors HArriss and Green Entered Two
Separate suits Yesterday To Gust Mayor

Separate suits Yesterday to Dust Mayor
Wright.
Mayor W. n. Harriss and Mayor II.
Mel Green, democrats, and their re-
spective boards of aldermen began quo
warranto proceedings in the superior
court yesterday to test the right OF
Mayor Silas p. Wright. republican, and
his board of aldermen. to administer
the city government Of Wilmington.
All the readers OF The Messenger are
familiar with the fact that Wilmington
has three citizens claiming that they
are mayor, and from the complaint in
Mayor Harriss' sui. it will be seen that
Colonel Walker Taylor is put down as
the fourth mayor. Colonel Taylor,
however, sets up TO claim TO election
but it may turn out in this unique and
complicated state of affairs that he is
a mayor, too. When he wakes up
some of these mornings and look into
he glass he nay be looking Mayor
Taylor square in the face.
Two suits, entitled as follows, were
entered yesterday on the docket of the
superior court which convenes on Mon
day, April 18th, with His Honor Judge
Mc1ver presiding:
State of North Carolina, by the at
torney general, on the relation of w.
n. Harriss, w. G. VonGlahn, Thomas
D. Meares, r. w. Hicks, w. II. Nor
throp, Jr., J.. Q. Nixon, Thomas ]. Gore
and Daniel D. Cameron. VS.. S. P.
Wright, ]. G.. Norwood, B. F. Keith, a.
j. Hewlett, d. j. Benson, H. c. Twin
ing, A. ]. Walker and Elijah NJ. Green,
claiming to be the mayor and board
of aldermen Of the city of Wilmington.
and also Walker Taylor, w. E. Spring
er, Owen Fennell, and w. z. Yopp also
claiming to De the mayor and board Of
aldermen of the city of Wilmington"
THE people Of the state of North
Carolina upon the relation of H. Mel.
Green j. c. Munds, w. E. Mann, c. l..
Spencer, Washington Catlett VS.. Silas
P. Wright, H. Coleman Twining, B. F.
Keith, D.. J. Benson, A. ]. Hewlett, and
John G. Norwood"
The lawyers who will nave charge of
Mayor Harriss' cause will be George
Rountree, Esq, and Iredell Meares.
Esq.
Mayor Green's attorneys will be John
D. Bellamy, Esq, Colonel Thomas w.
Strange, w. B. Mckoy, Esq, and Ju-
MUS Davis, Esq.
Mayor Wright's attorneys will be
Marsden Bellamy, Esq, A. G. Ricaud,
Esq, n E. K. Bryan, Esq.
Up to last accounts the complaint in
MdyCT IIeel ) case ndO not Deen 1lleQ
with the clerk of the superior court.
Major HARRISS' COMPLAINT.
The complaint in Mayor Harriss'
case was filed yesterday with Colonel
John D. Taylor, clerk of the superior
court, and is as follows:
North Carolina, New Hanover County.
Superior Court, April Term, 1897.
State of North Carolina, by the Attor-
ney General, on the relation of w. \.
II nrriC Wy h. l,1-~~
ID. Meares, r. w. Hicks, w. H.
Northrop, Jr., ]. O.. Nixon, Thomas
j. Gore and Daniel D.. Cameron,
VS..
S. p. Wright, J. G. Norwood, B. F.
Keith, A. ]. Hewlett, D.. J.. Benson,
H. C. Twining, A. J.. Walker and
Elijah M. Green, claiming to be the
Mayor and Board of Aldermen Of the
city of Wilmington; and also Walker
Taylor, w. E. Springer, Owen Fen
nell and w. E. YOpp, also claiming
to be the Mayor and Board Of Alder
men of the city of Wilmington.
The plaintiffs complain and allege:
1. Thai on the 25th day of March,
1897, the plaintiff w. N. Harriss was
the mayor and the other plaintiffs, w.
G. VOnGlahn, Thomas D. Meares, r.
". Hicks, w. H. Northrop, Jr., J.. O.
Nixon, Thomas J.. Gore and Daniel D.
Cameron, together with A. J. Walker
oIIu w. Il. opI luSSl, CONSTITUTED lIlC
board of aldermen of the city of Will
mington; that at an election held on
the fourth Thursday in March, 1893,
the following named persons were
| elected and duly qualified as the board
of aldermen of said city, to wit: A. j.
Walker, J.. 0. Nixon, w. G. VonGlahn,
Roger Moore, S. II. Fishblate, w. N.
Harriss, J. j. Fowler, E. S. Latimer,
Edwin Northrop and Thos. J. Gore
and they organized by the election of
S. H. Fishblate, as mayor, and one c.
| w. Yates was elected to fill the vacan-
cy created by the resignation of S. II.
Fishblate as alderman, as required by
the city charter. That subsequently
| Alderman Edwin Northrop died and
| the plaintiff Daniel D. Cameron was
| elected by the board to fill the vacan-
cy; Alderman Roger Moore resigned
and William E. Springer was elected
to fill the vacancy, and E. S. Latimer
resigned and r. w. Hicks was elected
to fill that vacancy; that subsequently
| G. w. Yates resigned from said board
Of aldermen.
2. Plaintiffs further allege that no
election was held for aldermen in the
ear 1895, as required by the charter
of the city Of Wilmington, public acts
1S76-'77, chapter 1872, out that the old
board, consisting of the mayor and al
dermen, held over as they were re-
Quired by law to do until their sue
cessors were duly elected n qualified
according to law.
That, thereafter, on or about the
day of December, 1895. S. H. Fishblate
resigned the office of mayor and w.
N. Harriss was duly elected to fill the
vacancy and T. D. Meares was elected
to fill the vacancy in the board of al
dermen caused by the resignation as
alderman of w. n. Harriss upon his
election to the mayorality. That the
| plaintiffs were in possession and con-
troll and were duly and legally admin
/ istering the offices of the city of Will
mington on the said 25th day of March,
1895.
3. That the legislature of 1897 passed
the following act relative to the city
of Wilmington:
/ An Act to Amend the Charter of the
City of Wilmington:
The General Assembly of North Car
DINA do Enact:
Section l. That an act entitled an
act to amend the charter of the city
of Wilmington, ratified the 9Th day
| of Iarch. A. D.. 1895. be end is here