Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-16
MAYOR ELECTS
SIXTH WARDER
H0UGHTON is PUSHED OUT OF
PRIVATE OFFICE
Echo Of Salt Lake Spur Heard In
City Executives Sanctum.
Council Wlthholds Its
Sympathy

The long standing political and per-
sonal feud between Dock Houghton Of
the Sixth ward and Mayor Owen Nc
Aleer eliminated yesterday morning
in the mayor gently grabbing the OBJ
streperous councilman by the lapels
of his coat and bodily throwing him
out of his office.
Houghton made a. strenuous resist
ance to this indignity and squirmed
like an eel in the mighty grasp of the
boilermaker mayor. but out he had to
go and out he had to stay, for the
mayor locked the door in his face.
Houghton sputtered and fumed about
the outrage, but this was his only at
tempt at redress.
Houghton's spectacular ejectment
from the mayors office was an echo
of the councils granting to the Salt
Lake railroad a franchise for spur
track extending more than mile down
the alley east of Santa + eavenue.
This franchise has caused more trou-
BILE than any action of the council in
its history.
Talk Of Graft
Wednesday an evening paper con- |
tanned a story of alleged graft in con-
nectlon with the granting of this spur, |
whereby several members of the coun- |
Gil had added to their bank rolls |
through wisely securing options on
property along the line of the proposed |
spur. The same paper made the state |
ment that Mayor McAleer had declared |
that Dock Houghton was among those |
present when the graft was going
round.
All evening Wednesday Houghton
hunted for McAleer to demand an ex-
PLANTATION Yesterday morning he pre-
cipitately entered the mayors office
and brandishing copy of the accus-
ing newspaper asked in tones that
trembled with indignation:
did you make this statement about
me?"
Mayor McAleer adopted his charac
teristic attitude of dropping his chin
in the palm of his land and eyed
Houghton from under his heavy eye
brows for full minute. When he
spoke it was to address his secretary,
Charles McKeag.
Phone the Police
Charley he said, telephone to the
police station for an officer. This man
is not safe to be at large"
do you think you need a body
guard. You need fear no personal vio-
lence from me-" Houghton assured the
mayor.
Houghton weighs almost 115 pounds
and at his best looks as though a good
stiff wind would blow him over The
mayor is one of the biggest men at
the, city hall and before he entered
politics was a first-class boilermaker.
Therefore Houghton's assurance that
the mayor need fear no personal vio-
lence from him was a little ridiculous.
NO" answered the mayor, Il do
not fear for myself. L am sorry for
you. You are not responsible for what
you do"
rs this, then, your answer to my
question as to whether or not you said
had acquired options on the line of
the spur track?" Houghton howled.
stung by this insult of the mayor.
Here the mayor rose from his chair
and with outstretched finger lowered
like a giant over Houghton. He
shouted:
"You Have No Right Here!"
at is a pity the city has such a rep
resentative as you. 1t is a shame that
the fair name of Los Angeles should
be furnished by such a person in the
city council. You have come to my
office and taken my hand and promised
to support my administration, but you
have gone back on every promise you
ever made me- Monday in the council
you accused me of forming an iron
and steel works to sell pipe to the city
for the owens river. That is not true.
Now 1 do not want to have to lay
hands on you. but you must get out Of
my office. This is my private room
and you have no right here"
II will not get out" squealed Hough-
ton, his face now the color of his pink
locks. Il am here as a citizen and
taxpayer and l defy YOU
Charley put this man out" the
mayor said, turning to his secretary.
Elects the Councilman
McKeag is an even smaller man than
Houghton and he hesitatingly APP
preached the Infatuated councilman,
but the mayor did not wait for his
secretary to act. He took hold of
Houghton's coat lapels and, opening
the door leading to the commission
councilman.
This shows your true nature"
Houghton shouted. You are no gen
tleman."
Immediately after mis- unseemly de-
parture from the mayors office Hough-
ton ran to the newspapers and told
his side of the story. He accused the
mayor of attempted graft, declaring
that on his second election to the
council McAleer had come to him and
asked him to line up with four more
councilmen whom he had corraled and
put some questionable deals through
the council.
Mayor Laughs at Charges
When these statements were brought
to the attention Of the mayor yester-
day evening he simply laughed at
them and declared he had nothing to
say.
IF 1 answered that statement I
would put myself on a lower plane
than Houghton is said the mayor.
Il have only to point to my admins
tration to prove the falsity of Hough-
toms accusations"
Houghton was mad all through yes
terday The council held a special
csaG IN kI,a