El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-05
THE MAYOR is GUILTY.
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and knew that he could not collect the
debt upon chips if it should be contest
ed. So he handed over the gold,
every time the mayor asked for
loan.
The mayor would take the gold
pieces, stake them on the wheel, and
lose. He would borrow more gold, and
lose again. The bottom dropped out of
his luck entirely, and the amount ran
up into the hundreds At last it was
six hundred dollars. A friend who had
come in with the intention of helping
the mayor out had got in meanwhile to
the tune of seventeen hundred dollars.
The friend asked how much the COM
bined debts amounted to. He was told,
twenty three hundred dollars.
A few days later he came in, told how
he and his friend had got in deeper
than they could afford, and said that If
any settlement was made it would be
purely voluntary on their part, as such
debts were not collectible at law. But
he said he wanted to be entirely hon
orable and fair in the matter, and
would pay as much as the bank was
worth at the time of the unfortunate
game. Ducey said the bank was
paid the amount and left.
Right here comes the main point Of
conte ton. Ducey says he took the
five hundred because that was all he
could get; that he did not consider that
it was to cover the six hundred dollar
portion of the whole debt; end that he
was fully determined then to try to
collect the six hundred dollars due
from the mayor. The other parties
seem TO consider that they made set
tlement in full when they paid the five
hundred.
The facts in this case were known in
q general way ell over town, but the
public was never fully informed as to
the details. Ducey did not make any
attempt to collect from the mayor. He
SAYS he had it in mind all along but
was not ready to ask for payment. In
the early part of August, however, he
was in urgent need of-the money. He
considered that Mayor MagOffin right
fully owed him the Elk hundred dollars.
so he approached him at the mayors
home on Friday, the 10Th Of August, and
asked for "about six hundred dollars"
as he was in urgent need of it. After
explaining TO the mayer why he want
ed it Ia note, secured by mortgage on
his place. was coming due, and he had
no funds to meet it, the mayor told
him he wou d see about 1t, giving
Ducey to understand that the money
would be forthcoming. Nothing was
said about it being debt. Ducey ask
ed 1t as q loan.
Ducey met Mayor Magoffin the next
day at the San Antonio street side of
the court house, and renewed his re-
quest. Ducey then mentioned the
matter of the debt; and asked for its
payment. This was in effect the first
demand made upon the mayor for the
payment of the debt" The mayor,
so Ducey ssys. lost his temper com
language he threatened to close
Ducey's place up tight If
he ever mentioned the matter to him
again. Ducey further says that the
mayor mensced him with his cane,
but quickly dropped it when he saw so
many people around. The mayor tried
to get rid of Ducey, but he would not
ed co pay the money and Ducey said he
would surely have it before he got
through with "his honor"
After this incident, Ducey decided
to push the case. The rule of the city
council to make public officers pay
their debts had just been invoked in
the case of the police force, and it look
ed to many ss if the rule would apply
to the mayor equally well.
trict court.
After the petition was filed the
mayors friends tried in every way 20
induce him to settle the claim so as to
hush up q very embarrassing agitation.
He held conference with his friends,
considering the best way to escape the
almost inevitable public Condemns
ton, and according to the best infOr-
nation available all but one of his in
fuential friends advised him to settle
up. In compliance with their advice
several attempts at compromise were
msde but Ducey refused them all and
declared his determination to fight the
case 70 the end.
Ducey left town few months ago,
sayi1 q that he would return soon or
SEND any dispositions necessary to pro-
secu.e the case.
1t is to be presumed that he was
either forced to leave, by the mayor
running his business, or that he was
paid to leave, so that the mayor might
postpone his disgrace.
n a DIJTI