Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-01-25
INVESTIGATION IS
AGAIN POSTPONED
MAYOR DECLARES HE IS DE-
PENDANT
Question Goes over One Week Be
cause McAleer Attorney ls Not
Present at Meetlng-Deep In
terest Manifested

Because Mayor McAleor refused to
be Investigated without Earl Rogers at
his elbow last night, the library muddle
was again postponed.
The next attempt at a hearing VIII be
next wednesday night, and in the
meantime the chairman of the building
committee has been empowered to hire
y hall.
The council chamber is being re-
modelled and is not available Two
hundred persons crowded into the little
committee room last evening and stood
on each others toes while they lis
tened to an unedifying wrangle be-
tween Will A. Harris and Byron Oliver,
attorneys for Miss Jones, the former
librarian who is the cause of the IN
vestigation; Attorneys l. X. Dock
weller and Oscar Lawler, who represent
the library directors under fire, and
Mayor McAleer, who represents HIM
self.
While the mayor asked continuance
of the case on account of the illness OF
his attorney, he could hardly be re-
strained from telling all he knew about
it, and this brought on several lively
Tits between the chief executive, At
torney Lawler, who at times appeared
real indignant at some Of the mayor
assertions, and Councilman Smith, who
was chairman Of the evening.
Sidesteps Presiding Job
Councilman Smith didn't want to be
chairman and he kicked about it con-
siderably, but when he found 1t was
I'D to him he accepted the place as
gracefully as possible.
The question was brought before the
committee of the whole and Smith
made chairman of the committee, while
the councilman from the Fifth believed
the council should settle it and that
President Summerland should act in
his official capacity.
Summerland was glad enough to get
out OF it, and as Councilman Kern OPP
posed the views of the member from
the Fifth there was nothing to it but
for Smith to WELD the gavel.
When this organization was perfected
a most perplexing question made itself
apparent: Who constituted the defen-
dants and who the prosecution. Miss
Jones didn't know and her attorneys
didn't know, the library directors had
no idea and their attorneys were equal
ly in the dark. Only the mayor seemed
to have any kind of bunch on the
true situation and he announced that
he was 1T.
Mayor on Defensive
81 am well aware that the mayor Of
this city has been singled out to bear
the responsibility of all this trouble"
said the chief executive.
81 know that J. am the one under in
vestigation, although it is ostensibly
the library directors. But 1 know moth
ing about the case whatever, except by
nearsay and my evidence will be nc
good on that account"
This was before the mayor announced
that he was not ready for investiga'
ton on account of the illness of Attor-
ney Earl Rogers. Up to that time il
was presumed the investiga ton would
go ahead in spite of the crowded con-
dition of the committee room.
Until the mayor made his announce
ment Attorney Lawler had precipitated
a lengthy discussion by asking tor an
order excluding all witnesses on both
sides from the room.
Attorney Oliver took exceptions to
this on account of the high character
of the witnesses, many of whom are
members of the prominent women's
clubs of the city.
Dock Gets Into Fray
Dock Houghton here saw his chance
kind of a ticket and he made an OPP
portunity to play politics in an effort
to line up the votes of the Ebell and
Friday Morning clubs by espousing the
cause of Miss Jones.
81 am in sympathy with Miss Jones, "
he declared, although my sympathies
will not run away with my judgment. !
know the witnesses are of high char
acter, but ] believe, with Mr.. Lawler
that they should be excluded from the
room.
This brought the mayor to his feet
again.
II believe every citizen in this room
has a right to remain here" he said
"I have nothing to cover up or con-
ceaI and as this is to be an investiga-
ton of the mayor I should be entitled