Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-01-25

to some privileges and this is one de-
mand.'
This turned the current of sentiment
in favor of the mayor and the members
If the women's clubs who had been
contemplating casting their votes for
Houghton applauded the chief execu-
tive
Then began a long legal argument
between Attorneys Lawler, Harris and
Oliver, in which the council was told
| by one attorney that certain usages
were common in court and in which the
other attorney stated that such prac-
tees were entirely unknown to the
court and that the other attorney
didn't know anything about law, any
| how.
When the attorneys had concluded
through which the members peeped,
hopelessly unable to eXtricate them
selves, until they cut the gordian knots
by agreeing to let the law take care
of itself and they would handle the in
Ivestigation according to Their own
IDEAS
1t was finally decided that it was the
library directors who were the defend
ants in the case. This brought the
mayor to his feet again.
1.-THE library directors have no right
tion," he declared. 81 received a num-
Der of communication from prominent
business men in this city asking me
to remove the library directors for
their action in deposing Miss Jones,
and l then sent message to the coun-
ell, asking your authority to remove
these directors. You sent back COM
Imunication. expressing full confidence
in my ability to handle the situation
-, t,.fv,
what" gasped Councilman Smith,
did this council ever agree to sustain
you in any of your acts? That's a
little more than l can believe"
Attorney Lawer Speaks
The mayor ignored the interruption
! and continued:
"Now you are Investigating the
mayor. Investigating me, when | never
was even i'm the library and didn't know
Miss Jones. Whatever my actions in
| this case was due to the fact that
was misled by the library directors
| Attorney Lawler could hardly stand
for this. He was forced to speak.
I'VE will introduce evidence here tc
show that the library directors acted
on evidence put i'm their possession by
Mayor McAleer himself. The mayor
made statements to the directors which
he claimed at the time were of his
own knowledge and not hearsay evil
dence and the directors based theil
action on the statements of the mayor
All this happened after 1t had beer
decided to adjourn and continue the
hearing next week, but for few
minutes it seemed that the entire con-
troversy would he settled right Their
and there. It was not to be, however
but the mayor had one more state
ment to make before adjournment ano
1t proved an unhappy one.
Smith Makes Declaration
"If I'm not the man that's to be in.
vestlgated 1 want to say that will moi
appear before this council again dur
ing this hearing" was the mayors
remark.
Let the mayor understand that the
council will hold this investigation il
its own way and that he will come
before this council whether or not hi
wants to-" said Chairman Smith in {
tone of voice that left no doubt of hi
meaning.
There was one stipulation that thu
library directors insisted on before al
lowing the case to be continued unit
next week and that was that the mayo
would make no attempt to remove Di
rector Foster C.. Wright from tn
board, pending the hearing of the case
Director Wright's term expires Feb
and he is reluctant to be removed from
the board while under fire.
The mayor agreed to give Mr.. Wrigh
three weeks but would consent to n
longer time. The council, however, ha
tacitly agreed that it will not confirm
a successor to Mr.. Wright until tn
hearing is ended even If the mayor APP
points one.