The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-03
ROBINSON WAS
Elected MAYOR
Ex-sHER1FF GIVEN A PROB.
ABLY EMPTY HONOR.
He Was Chosen at a Joint Session of
Councils by the Democrats and
Messrs. Schneider and oliver, Re-
publicans--Mr. Melvin Holted the
Meeting-Attorney M. j. Martin
Was Elected as City Solicitor TO
Fill the Alleged Vacancy in That
office-DetaiIs of Election.

| EXSlieriff Charles Rnpinson was
last night elected! by councils to fill the
vacancy in the office of mayor, whict
the Democrats maintain has existed
since James Moir accepted the APP
pcintmcnt as recorder. Attorney NJ j.
Martin was in like manner elected tt
| I'LL the vacancy said TO exist In the
| Office of city solicitor since the re.
moval of a. A. Fosburg and the ap-
pointment of George NJ. Watson tc
that position.
| The election was effected without
any difficulty, after caucus had beer
held. prior to the meetings of both
branches This caucus was held IN
the office of the superintendent of
highways and sewers. and was at
| tended by all the Democratic members
of both branches, with the exception
of Common Councilman II. ]. cole
man and Select Councilman r. G. Mel
vim. Both of these members arrived
too late for the caucus. Mr.. Cole
man was inavoida bly, detained. but
| Mr. Melvin had no intention of at
tending. as later developments proved
There was no opposition in the eau
Gus to Mr. Robrson's nomination. but
l
ship. There were three candidates, NJ.
j. Martin, NJ. F. Sando. and NJ. ]
Donahue. Mr. Martin obtained thir-
teen votes and tho other eight were
divided between NIessrs. Sando and
| Donahuc.
GOT ONLY ONE.
In order to preclude any possibility
| of the question being raised that 1t
| required d majority of each branch to
organize a joint convention. Mr.. Rob-
| inson. it is understood. had agreed to
get the votes of the three German Re-
| publicans in select council. where the
Democrats are in the minority. The
| only one of these delivered was that
| of John j. Schneider. of the Eleventh
| ward, but an unexpected vote came
from Joseph Oliver, Republican, from
the Fifteenth ward.
1t was agreed at the caucus to pass
a resolution providing for a joint con-
vention to be held at Q o'clock. and
such a resolution was presented in the
select council by D. w. Vaughan. The
vote on its adoption showed which
way the wind blew and revealed to the
Democrats that Mr.. Melvin was "agin'
the government" The vote was as
| follows:
lcas--Costello. Regain. Schneider. Shea. Cos.
grove. Oliver, O'Royle, Vaughan. O'Mallcy, Mean
! drew, Maoncy1l
Nays-Ross. Finn. Evans, Morgan, Melvin, Wag.
ner. Merriman. Chitendcn-s.
The resolution was hustled over to
the common council and was whirled
through that body with rush. The
joint session was convened about ?.15
o'clock, when Mr.. Melvin and all the
Republican members Of both branches,
with the exception of Messrs. Schnei-
der and Oliver, of the select council,
filed out of the council chambers.
Clerks Lavelle and Morris called
the roll, and it was discovered that
there was a majority of the members
of each branch present, eleven select
councilmen and thirteen common colln-
cilmen. Chairman Calpin, of the COM
mon branch, was chosen as chair
man of the joint session.
ROBINSON NOMINATED.
Mr.. Rcgan placed the name of Mr..
Robinson in nomination for the Office
of mayor and the nominations We're
then closed. The twenty votes re-
corded for Mr. Robinson were as fol-
lows:
Common Council--Cla,kc. Ilaggcrty, Calpin,
Ruanc, Roche, Phillips, Calvin, Gurrcl, Cole.
man. Rush, Graf Cusick, NortonlS
Select Council - Costello, RcGan, Maloncy,
Schneider. shea. Cosgro,e. Oliver, OBoyt,
Vaughan o'Mallcy, McAndrew-ll.
Chairman Calpin remarked in declar-
ing Mr.. Robinson elected:
u declare Charles Robinson elected mayor OF
Scranton 10 fill the vacancy caused by the aban,
dcnment OF that Office by eS'Mayor Moir."
MrVaughan nominated NJ. j. Mar
tin for city solicitor, and Mr.. Phillips
followed by placing the name of NJ.
+. Sando in nomination. Mr.. Sando's s
nomination was seconded by MI. Cole
man. This nominating of Mr.. Sando
didn't al all please the chief engineer
Of the whole movement, ID. w. Vau-
ghan,whO hustled over to the common
side and succeeded. after quite a bit
of vigorous argument in so convinc-
ing Mcssrs. Phillips and Coleman of
the error of their ways that they
Withdrew Mr.. Sando's name.
The vote for Mr.. Martin was pre-
cisely the same as the vote for MFR.
Robinson, with the exception that
Messrs. Schneider, Oliver and Phillips
did not vote. Mr.. Martin. however,
get twenty-one votes, and was de-
clared elected.
1t was stated after the joint session
that Mr., Robinson has announced his
intention of Immediately assuming the
duties of mayor in case the ripper bill
is declared tn he unconstitutional.
1t was also stated, on the side, that
when Mr.. Melvin's ordinance provid-
ing for the payment of a claim of the
Barber Asphalt company, comes up for
consideration next Thursday night it
will he quietly but effectively killed.
THEY WE'RE SURPRISED.
The Democrats We're at loss yes
terday just how to account for The
Tribunes exclusive story yesterday
morning on the caucus and election. 1t
was the main topic of discussion
among the members at the meeting
last night but no one was able to
explain just how the information got
out,
why, the letters calling the nau-
Gus were not mailed until 3 O'clock"
said Mr.. Vaughan, land the majority
of the members didn't receive them
until this morning. We thought we
had IL all buttoned up, but button
gave way some where, and I'd give 81