The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-03-11
ATTACK WAS
UPON BRIDEN
That Was Alderman Meant by
Mayor Higgins.
HE SAYS The MAYOR IS A LIAR
Makes Counter Charges Against Paxtuckst
Executive WOodIawn Improvement
Society Declares Against Bills.

Both Mayor Higgins and Representative
John ]. Fitzgerald denounced the pro-
posed police and school commission bills
for PawtucKet last evening 10 the Soath
woodlawn Improvement society. The
meeting was held for discussion OF the
| bills introduced in the general assembly
Thursday.
Mayor Higgins paid left-handed re-
spects TO the police BILL his colleague
took charge OF the school interests.
He repeated his attack upon Alderman
! william l. Briden, naming him as the
alderman who proposed that the mayor
stand for gambling. Representative Ross,
who introduced the bills. received some
attention for his action.
| Representative Fitzgerald openly
| charged George f. Nichols and John w.
Little with introducing politics into the
| school board
| Before the discussion was started Al
] bert r. Hohler and DIR. George Il. Nc
| Graw offered resolutions opposing the po-
| lice commission, school commission and
| board OF registration, which were unani-
| mously adopted.
! Incidentally Mayor Higgins said:
Is no prohibition In the Decalogue which
would cause the slightest twinge OF con-
| science TO the triangle who run things
on High street The surprise really is
! that they did not ask the legislature TO
conHscate all the private property of
every individual in the city of Pawtucket.
TO appoint keenan,, Gill and Barclay sole
trustees over said property. with fun
power 10 punish by fine, imprisonment
ma nf
the authority OF this trio"
Alderman Blake was criticised for X
ing the VOWS OF eternal obedience" I'm re-
turn for work he was given by various
city departments. by the mayor.
Alderman Briden, when informed OF the
mayors statement, said In effect that
the mayor was a ''wilful. deliberate and
confirmed liar" and said further that
when the mayor was going away on a
vacation he asked the acting mayor as a
favor 10 keep his hands of the police de-
partment. saloons and gamblers.
License Commissioner Keenan, replied
to the mayors charges with a request
that the executive bring IN an official
way any charges which he might have
against him.
Mayor Higgins said in an interview:
Alderman Briden came to me and,
mentioning the name OF a Providence
gambler, asked me IL / would stand for
bank and wheel. He said he was the
committee on police and could fix il there
He mentioned there something
I'm II for him and there would be some
thing i'm il for me, adding that while the
principle might be wrong he was I'm the
game for what there was in II.
II meant MIN, in my speech before the
board OF aldermen We'd 1esdpy night, and
II he had an ounce OF courage he would
have denied IL then. lf ne had an ounce
OF manhood he would resign his position
today.
There is no need OF knocking any,
body's head Off Let him deny. 1 stand
by my statement and am willing TO swear
10 IL in the Supreme court"
OF Bernard keenan, of the license COM
mssioners, TO whom he referred several
times in his remarks the same evening
the mayor again made the statement
that Keenan, was blackmailer and re-
peted the charges he made against him
Wednesday night.