The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-04-28

The Dickson City councilmanic dead
lock, which has been on since Monday,
March 3, was broken Saturday night,
with only twenty minutes remaining
in which the council could save itself
from dissolution. The Hufnagle, or re-
form party, won out.
Dickson City Is entitled to nine coun-
cilmen. Five of the nine held over.
These were Henry Mccarthy, John
Cruikshank, Conrad Snyder, Henry
Hagar and Louis Richards. Three new
men were elected, j. G. Hufnagle. Ste
phen Beddoe and Conrad Ref. In the
First ward there was no election,
James Reid and John Reilly being tied.
When reorganization night came.
MCCARTHY, Cruikshank, Richards and
Ref lined up on the one side, and HUFF
ragle, Beddoe Snyder and Hagar on
the other.
The Mccarthy crowd had the major
ity of hold-overs and proceeded to run
things to suit themselves. Ref was
sworn in, but when it came to HUFF
nagle and Beddoe, the Mccarthy quar-
tette refused to accept their certifi-
Gates, Hufnagle's being refused because
of a clerical error in the date. and Bed
doe being declared ineligible because he
was member of the board of health.
FILLED VACANCIES.
There was lot Of excitement as
result of this action, and all except
the Mccarthy quartette left the build
ing. These four proceeded to fill the
vacancy in the First ward by electing
Reilly, one Of the tied candidates. With
u majority thus constituted, Mccarthy
and his men filled all the elective and
appointive offices and adjourned.
Under the law, If a borough council
does not organize within ten days after
the first Monday in March, the court,
OH petition Of the citizens. can dissolve
the council and appoint new members.
When ten days had elapsed, the HUFF
nagle people took the matter into
court, by appealing to this provision of
the law. After hearing the evidence,
the court, through Judge Edwards,
suggested that the contending factions
should make an effort to get together
and relieve court from the extreme
measures prescribed by the law. They
did not adopt the suggestion, and on
April II. Judge Edwards handed down
an opinion declaring the Mccarthy Or
ganization illegal and intimating that
unless Il legal organization was ef-
fected by Saturday, April 26, the court
would on the following Monday--today
remove them all from office and ap-
point new councilmen.
last Monday the eight elected MEM
bers met and ballotted ten times with
IL. ID s.,lx.,
Hufnagle each receiving four votes.
Wednesday night, fourteen more bal
lots We're taken, with the same re-
suit. Saturday night. they came to-
gethcr for what they realized would
be their last meeting if they did not
break the deadlock. From $50 till 11.SO
the eight councilmen ballotted and
made speeches, and prominent citizens
in earnest addresses appealed to them
to do something to save the borough
from the disgrace of having its council
men ousted by the court.
RICHARDS CHANGED ABOUT.
Finally. at 11.40, on the twenty-sec-
ond ballot. Richards, the Mccarthy
candidate for chairman, broke away
from his supporters and voted for his
opponent. The McGarrityites We're
dumbfounded and it was some time
before they could fully realize that
they We're at last routed out Of the
control of the borough, held by them
so long. Richards was roundly abused,
but the congratulations that came to
him from the borough's best men more
than made up for this.
Mr. Hufnagle Immediately took the
chair and proceeded to have the elec-
tive offices filled. Mathew Mcpherson
was made secretary; James Caygill,
treasurer, and Edward Snyder, street
commissioner. 1t was 1905 when the
councils adjourned. The next meeting
will be held Wednesday night, when
President Hufnagle will announce his
selections for the appointiNe offices.