The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-09
THEY DID NOT W AIT.
Aldermen Adjourned Before Mayor
Ames' Resignation Arrived.
FITcHETTE BROUGHT IT WITH HIM
Condition Is Still Most
55& Serious. !.
The message came. too late!

The message came too. late! ;,
So did the messenger ii the person OF
that heroic figure, Former Police Captain
John Fitchette.
The council having finished all routine
business shortly after g O'Clock last
evening, refused to heed the courier's de-
spairing telegraphictery from Red Wing
for more time. brief respite was all he
| asked for. ~ ,sa4, : .,s.s... ~ -. e~7.4s
"Will arrive with, Mayor Ames, resig-
nation at 1o:4O,' hes wired. to Alderman
D. P. JONES' acting mayor. -. -. - !
But the aldermen declined to hold the
boards for an hour longer, and SO far as
the intended dramatic climax. was con-
cerned, Fitchettes trip to West Baden
came to naught. He had, planned. to do
the heroic; to drive post haste. from, the
Milwaukee station to the city hall and to.
rush breathlessly into the, council cham
Der, waving the mayors resignation alott
and proclaiming himself the city's savior
| in her hour of need The council was
sadly lacking in the dramatic instinct,
and the play to the galleries was off.
| The. situation, would have, been in. no
wise altered had Fitchette arrived before
| the council adj journed.l The aldermen had
already agreed not to accept the ,res1gna-
ton, the plan being, simply to table 1t
until 1t became necessary to pass hnally
upon it.. AS Alderman Jones explained,
| there was no occasion for hurry. He said
there would be time enough to present
| the resignation when the council meets
| Wednesday night. 81. Sex j .,. ~
City Attorney Healy still insists that
| Mayor Ames' resignation cannot take eff
feet until the council so wills. =:
/ "He is mayor he explained, until
| will not be until just before the Novem-
ber election. ,-z- - .---. ..-
Capt. Fitchettel Disgusted. -
"Coffee John" was a greatly disgusted
Individual when he stepped off the Mil
waukee train last evening after a hard,
dusty, fifty-four hour, trip only to learn
that the council had attached SO little
Importance to his mission, and had de-
clined to await his coming in extraordin-
ary session. ~......--......
Fitchette left Minneapolis at 5:25
Wednesday evening and reached West aa
Baden at 6:10 Thursday evening. He dis
patched all of his business with the mayor
and, in possession of the resignation,
was homeward bound again at 9 p. m.
| Fitchette brought bad tidings as to the
mayors health. He says the ..old man"
is in bad shape and "nearly all In
! Notwit hstanding~ his failing health, the
doctor is greatly Interested in the prelim-
mary moves now being made in the Min
j neapolis mayoralty game. The mayor told
1 Fitchette that Powers had done the dis
courteous thing in forcing the resigna-
ton of so many officials before the re-
4 turn of Alderman Jones who was ex-
4 pected home any day!tflThe mayor also ex-
7 pressed the belief that Alderman Jones
4 was the only man who could head the re-
! publican municipal ticket and stand a
i show of winning. Heawas sure that Mr.
4 Jones would give the city good, SEN
sible, conservative business administra-
tion' He thinks Jones and Heinrich will
be the opposing candidates for mayor in
4 November. = 7EA So -
4 Fitchette explained that zhis mission to
4 West Baden was purely an unselfsh one.
a 81 wished to benefit. this city, hes ex-
&. planned, ,zstby putting a. responsible and
4 legitimate head ajng the mayors office.
+ The mayor has a poor opinion of the
atty candidate. He believes him incapa-
I BILE. / do not believe Powers fit per-
. son to be at the head of, our city goy-
ernment: He thinks Powers made grand
stand plays to advance his own political
fortunes He started in to pay; his .politi-
3 cal debts as soon as he had the oppor-
e tuntty." = saI>s: :. -.
! Fitchette made haste to explain soon
Il after he reached the city that he paid
the expenses. of his trip out Of his own
pocket. - He declared that he alone was
entitled to the credit of having induced
| the mayor TO aC1lduSo Lue .OdIe u Lis
81 resignation from Sept. 6 to Aug. ~ IN
:, order to save the city 100000, the cost OF
a special election. , The mayor readily
6 consented to the change in the belief
which is not shared by City Attorney
: Healy, that a special election can be held
on primary election day at very little
: extra expense to the voters.
f Text of the Resignation.
Impaired health and West Baden busi-
ness are the two chief reasons urged by
1 the mayor for rendering his resignation al
this time to take effect Aug. q.
His Communication to the council reads
thus: ~
: West Baden, Ind, Aug. 7, 1902.-To2 thu
: Honorable City Council of Minneapolis
, Mnn.-Gentlemen: I hereby resign the posi-
ton of mayor of the city of Minneapolis
Mimi, to take effect and be in force from ant
: after the 9th day Of August 1902. Busines:
Il arrangements entered into last April make i
] imperative for me to be here at West Bade1
I in the future. and would prevent my devot
! ing as much time as is requisite for tn
Il proper transaction of the executive business
n Of Minneapolis. > s-,: ..---.- ,.. ...-r
J. My impaired. health at this time preclude
the possibility of my doing more work thai
Z is required of me here in my business in
! terests. 1 would have resigned long befor
this had 1t not been that such an. act woul
I have put the city to about 100000 expense t
:. have held special election to fill the va
+ cancy. @:s- ,-,-. .~s.~f--.. 4.. ..,a
Il AS have now arranged it, your honorabl
4 body can plan to hold special election t
n Ell the vacancy caused by my resignation a
s the same TIME the primary election will b
a neld, without additional expense to the tax
payers: Very respectfully, your obedien
II servant. - g F'.i. "A. A. Ames
/ WATER noNDs APPROVED