The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-26
TO ATTACK CHARTER
PLAN TO GUST THUNDERBOLT's
MAYOR AND ALDERMAN.
FRAUD NOW Is ALLEGED.
CLAIM THAT NEW CHARTER WAS
SECURED ILLEGALLY.

Citizens Club Will Go Into the
the Anne ndment of Dec. 1898 Was
Not Regularly Passed-Mayor Nell
son and His Board Put on Notice.
Citizens Claim That Towns In
come Goes for SaIaries-PrOtest
Against COnfscating Private Prop
erty for streets and That Part OF
New Map Not Adopted-Wiu BE
Used for Purpose of Taxation,
However.
The validity of the charter of the
town of Warsaw will be attacked in
the courts and an effort will be made
to oust Mayor L. w. Nelson and his
board of aldermen. The Citizens Club.
organized at Thunderbolt, Monday
night, has named a committee to Sc
cure counsel and fight the case.
A meeting of the Town Council was
held last night and the new map was
adopted for the purposes of taxation.
The adoption of that part of the map
showing what are alleged to be streets
was postponed for four months, pend
ing the action of the citizens. A pro-
test in the form of resolutions was re-
ceived by Council and accepted as in
formation. 1t was from these resolu-
tions that the Mayor and aldermen re-
ceved the notice that the town charter
will be attacked, and that an effort
will be made to throw them out of Of
flee.
A Thunderbolt property owner stated
after the meeting that able counsel will
be secured and that the fight will begin
to-day. The members of the Citizens
Club contend that the charter under
which the town is being run is in
valid, and was obtained in. a fraudulent
manner. 1t is claimed that due and
legal notice of the bill for amending
the charter was never given, and that
the required publication was never
made. 1t is charged that everything
pertaining to the amendment of Dec
2, 1898, was done under cover, and that
the majority of property owners did
not know what was going on until the
bill had passed the Legislature.
1t is further alleged that the new
map, drawn under directions from the
Mayor and aldermen, shows private
driveways as streets, and that it's p2R-
sage would really mean the confisca-
ton of land by the town. It is contend
ed that these driveways were built for
convenience by property owners, and
that the town has no legal or other
right to step forward at this time and
call them streets. This is not the only
kick that the property owners claim
to have and they say that only the
Strengthening out of the differences as
to what are streets would not satisfy
them.
I'VE have not been treated right and
we intend to have our legal rights re-
spected,' said a property owner and
member of the recently formed club.
I'VE have agreed to put up a sum
sufficient to fight the matter to the
bitter end, and propose to have the
charter of the town annulled, and
those who are now in control thrown
out. The town has an income of about
81, 500 a year and that amount is eaten
ly too many office holders and they
get all of the money Scarcely any
thing at all goes for improvements
while men who have little or nothing
TO do draw money from our pockets.
We have no lights, and in fact have
little more than bunch of office hold
ers. We have put Council on notice
that we intend to bring about a bet
ter condition of affairs by having
them thrown out of office along with
the charter under which they are
operating. Things have been going
from bad to worse and We have de-
cided that it is high time to call a
halt"
While the laying of double tracks on
the bluff by the Savannah Electric
Company is opposed by certain holders
of bluff property. this lis not a fight
of the Citizens Club as yet and that
organization will spend it's time and
money in destroying the charter and
those who are in control. The owners
of property on the bluff intend to fight
against the putting down of any more
tracks, and 1t is not likely that the
street railway will start this work for
some little while to come.
President George j. Baldwin of the
Savannah Electric Company returned
from Houston Yesterday but stated
that he was not in q position to discuss
the trouble that is going on at Thun-
derbolt. He had not had time to fa-
miliarize himself with the condition of
affairs as they now exist, and could
not saw just what will be done In
the meantime the citizens are out for
blood, and hot battle through the