The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-06

Hearing Of the Municipal League
Case Against Recorder Today at
Harrisburg.
There is strong probability that
Recorder James Mor will resign to-
| resigned.
Men who are close to the recorder
said yesterday that he had made up
his mind to retire from office and that
his resignation would reach Governor
w. A. Stone today before the time
| fixed by the latter for hearing the
charges preferred against him by the
Municipal league. That action would
make the hearing unnecessary.
| 1t was asserted last night by per-
sons who claimed to be in a position
to know. that the recorders resigna-
tion was prepared yesterday after-
| noon.
| When the recorder was seen late in
the afternoon by Tribune man and
asked concerning the truth of the ru-
NOR current that he had resigned, he
answered:
| mo. ] have not resigned I have
net resigned yet" and he pronounced
| yet" in a way that was significant
Pressed to be more explicit and to
say whether or not he proposed to
| resign, he declined to answer, saying
| with a smile that it was a leading
| question, and then he adroitly turned
the conversational the way Tor
| which the recorder Is famed--and be-
gan to talk of the trials Of the Of
| fee.
LOTS OF EXCITEMENT.
"There's lots of excitement in this
| Office" he said. land l could thrive
| on excitement and the recorder
| trgged at one of the ends of his
stiff1y waXed military moustache.
Then came silence for moment. as
| If he was running over in his mind
the particularly exciting events in his
| career as recorder
Then up came the head jauntily.
| back went the fine military shoulders
and before the recorder could be har-
pooned with another leading question
he was off on a. new line of thought.
ut hardly pays. does this Office he
said. ut has grave duties and grave
| responsibilities, and if d man attends
to it as hr should and. as | have tried
| ~ wv, HiuSt IlcSIcCC MS cllltI DuSl-
| ness, and I have a business I have
| always been able to make a little
| money at when give it my atten-
ton"
Again the recorder relapsed into
silence, the head dropping little.
rs your resignation now on the
way to the governor" was the next
question sent recorderward.
''rTh1f'c
examiner" replied the recorder, with
a smile that was very indulgent, but
he would not say whether or not the
aforesaid resignation was on it's way
to the governor or had even been
| written.
A SURMISE.
|, From all of which one would he
warranted in guessing that if his re-
signation was not written at o'clock
yesterday afternoon. the recorder had
made up his mind to write it.
The recorder has been. in the ver-
nacular. somewhat "rattled' since his
return from Harrisburg. When he
arrived in the city Tuesday night he
told a Tribune man that he had not
seen Governor Stone. Yesterday he
refused to tell the afternoon news
pc pSI iilcii "IlttIlti vi ilol lt Ildu Sttu
the governor. saying it was a lead
ing question.
He then proceeded to say he was not
worrying III the least about his re-
moval by the governor as demanded
by some. and If it was so arranged
that he should be dismissed it would
be an easy matter for him to fight
it out until next spring. Inasmuch
thera ic rpthino ho IN
Muehlbronner bill that empowers the
governor to remove him, it would be
a matter for the local courts to de-
eide and later reviewed by the Su-
preme court. The latter body will not
meet until October. and by the time
the local courts would have rendered
an opinion and referred it to the SUI
preme court, it would be at least two
months more before the Supreme
court would declare upon the issue
raised.
IT am in possession" he said, "un-
til a decision is reached by the court
of last resort"
TALKED WITH HARRISBURG.
After giving this interview, he had
a long talk with Harrisburg over the
long distance phone, and subsequently
told a Tribune man that he would
not contest his removal in case Gov
ernor Stone should see fit to cut off
his official head. He said he was
quoted in both evening papers as hav-
ing said that he would contest a re-
mGval hut he declared that someone
had got wrong impression.
II will not contest my removal. If
il comes" said he. II am not that
kind of a man. l have been told by
several good lawyers that the ripper
bill does not give the governor the
power to remove. that it gives him
only the power to appoint and that
l would have chance to make a
fight. II removed. i have not said,
however. that ] would make such a
fight il it should come to pass that
would have the opportunity to make
it,"
This morning a committee, consist
ing of y. b. Sturges, Colonel II. NJ.
Boies, L. l.. Fuller and j. a. Lansing,
will go to Harrisburg to present the
case of the Municipal league against
Moir to the governor They will not
be accompanied by an attorney. If
the hearing is held. the recorder will
be represented by City Solicitor
Watson.
Free Tickets to Buffalo and Return.