The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-04
THE COLLAPSE OF
BIG NINE" FORCES
Shorn of Power in the Police
EIec ion.
REJECTED ARE ELECTED
Ring Master Little Aleck" Cracks His Whip
But Finds That Hs Fails 10
VII p Men Into His
Line.

Line.
The power Of the erstwhile big Nine
which has heretofore obediently perform
ed when Little Chief Aleck' has cracked
his whip was smashed to pieces last night.
The City Dads were in session and the
smashing OF the slate presented by the
Raleigh understudy of Richard Croker
tactics was the feature of the evening, the
big set scene that got all the calcium
light on it.
Everything had merrily moved along,
the suspended policeman who had gotten
too gay with the bottle being gwen the
final bounce and the resignation of retir-
ing policeman being accepted. This hav-
ing opened up the way for the big show
the performance began.
Alderman Andrews first got the eye and
ear of Mayor Powell He had a paper
and he read This paper he said was a
report from the Police Committee, signed
by Alderman Croker and himself, but
not by Alderman Hicks, the third mem
Der, with whom he had had no opportun-
ity tc speak. The report recommended
that the places vacant on the police force
should be filled by making j. w. Beasley
captain TO succeed c. M. Walters, re-
signed, W. E. Austin policeman in place
of w. II. Dones, resigned, w. o. Scott
in place of w. G. Hunnicutt, dismissed,
j. W. Womble in place of Beasley on the
force, and w. H. Bones as janitor of the
market. in place of S. w. Lumley, dis
missed.
There was pause and everybody looked
at every other body. The crowd of wish
tors, most of whom were after the jobs,
looked dazed and the alderman took a
second look at Little AleclI' and his pa
per. Then arose Alderman Wilder, who
said:
81 move to lay the report of the COM
mittee on the table" this being seconded
by Alderman johnson.
Then Alderman Andrews proceeded to
use the whip on the big Nine in whose
ranks it was rumored there was discord
and division. Clearing his throat he ad
dressed the board thusly:
Ordinarily 1 favor a caucus for filling
these positions, but it has been several
times charged in the papers that there
was desire on the part of certain alder
men, by postpoining these elections to in
1uence the dispensary election on Monday
by holding out to all applicants that they
would be the successful applicant, and
thereby influence their votes. AS an al
derman, l, for one, am perfectly willing
to state in open board who l favor for
the positions and let it influence whom it
may for or against any measure, or indi-
vidual, and have nothing to conceal from
the people about filing these vacancies.
Besides it is due the aldermen charged
with attempting this that they be given
the opportunity of showing whether or not
it is true.
IF there is any deal on foot about fill
ing these positions let us have the mat
ter openly discussed and voted on in open
session of the board, so that the people
may see and hear each alderman vote, and
find out about this charge. In recon-
mending these gentlemen for the several
positions they need no praise or common
dation from me. Each and all of them are
too well known here for me to say more
than that they are efficient and capable
men for these positions, have always work
ed for the party in elections and that
some recognition of them should be made >
Following these remarks he eulogized
the men whose names he had presented
and told of their faithful service in va
rious positions.
Then spoke Alderman johnson, who said
that he thought that now was the time
for full caucus of the board Alderman
Andrews opposed this and Alderman Habel
twitted him on his sudden conversion, say
ing that there had been a time when a
certain elemen talked of regularity, stick
ing to precedent, customs, etc, and that
this sudden conversion seemed to him
rather as the result of expedeney, that
he was opposed to the private caucus that
had been used, but he was for a full eau.
Gus of lie board as against the cut and
dried proposition of Alderman Andrews.
He knew of no criticism by the press on
such caucus as he proposed and he was
opposed to two or three gentlemen at
tempting in committee report to say who
should or should not be elected. He was
for doing things in the open and the prop
osition of Alderman Andrews looked as
if there was something rotten in Den
mark"
Alderman Andrews urged his plan and
again talked of the criticism of the pa
pers. Alderman Johnson opposed and said
that the only criticism he had heard was
that there was to be an attempt to post
rone the election SO as to get votes in the
coming dispensary election with which to
aid the saloons. Alderman Rand wanted
the caucus. as did Alderman Separk
Then Alderman Andrews tried his whip
again. He called for the ayes and noes
on the motion to table his report. He got
it and got it in the neck by vote of
Q to 6 as follows
AGAINST REPORT-Bland, Habel,
Hicks, Johnson NOVEL;, Rand, BEDFORD,
SeparIl, Wilder-9
FOR REPORT-Andrews, Boylan.
Croker, Griffis, Rogers and Upchurch-6.
Then came the caucus and this was a
short enc, the forces of Little Aleck''
being worsted in the contest After the
caucus the doors were again opened and
rs Secretary Alderman Andrews read the
report naming the following as the officers
selected, the election being made unani-
mously:
CAPTAIN-Martin Thompson who
when 4 hp nracant Roard first organic cd