The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-08-02
MAYOR OF HAvRE DE GRACE.
The Squabble Aired In Court
Costs Divided Wilson In Chair.

The Squabble Aired In Court
Costs Divided Wilson In Chair.
The Havre de Grace Mayoralty
squabble was aired in court at Bel
Air last week, before Chief Judge
Burke and Associate Judges Duncan
and Van Bibber, and Mr.. Wilson
is still Mayor.
Charles T. Wilson was elected
Mayor of Havre de Glace last May
over Isaac Hecht, receiving 175
votes to Ill for Mr.. Hecht. Mr..
Wilson had been member of the
Board of Election Supervisors, but
resigned that Office upon being
nominated for Mayor. Mr.. Hecht's
friends applied for an injunction to
prevent Mr.. Wilson's name from
going on the ticket, on the ground
that Mr.. Wilson was still an election
supervisor, Notwithstanding his
resignation. This injunction was
refused.
After the election, however,
friends of Mr.. Hecht secured a
temporary injunction restraining
the City Council from passing upon
the qualifications of Mr.. Wilson as
Mayor, and also restraining former
Mayor Clarence G. Pusey from
turning the Office over to Mr..
Wilson. The City Council elected
with Mr.. Wilson were all his
friends, but while they declined to
confirm Mayor Pusey's hold-over
appointments they could not make
any changes themselves.
The injunction proceeding was
still pending and had not been
finally disposed Of by the court on
July 1, when at regular meeting
of the City Council Mr.. Wilson and
his associates, acting under the ad-
vice of counsel, entered the Council
chamber and took charge, no in.
junction having been issued against
him personally. Mr.. Wilson took
his seat in the Mayors chair, de
clared himself Mayor and im-
mediately proceeded to make his
appointments, as follows
W. s. McCombs, City Clerk; M.
F. Tydings, City Treasurer and Tax
Collector; P. L., Hooper, City At
torney, and W. W. Rawford Bailiff.
A petition was filed several days
after by John H. Owens and others,
setting forth the facts of the case,
and an order was signed by Judge
Van Bidder requiring Mr.. Wilson
and his associates to show cause
why they shouldn't be treated for
contempt of court. Judge Burke,
in rendering the decision, said the
Board of Election Supervisors of
Havre de Grace, under its charter
of 1902, had no power or right to
pass upon Mr.. Wilson's eligibility
as Mayor; that while in the Courts
opinion Mr.. Wilson is disqualified
from holding the Office under the
charter, that question could not be
properly passed upon under the
existing proceedings; that the action
of Wilson and his associates in
taking charge of the city govern
ment was clearly an evasion OF the
Courts order, and such action can
not be sanctioned.
Judge Burke therefore ordered
that the costs on the petition for
contempt be paid by Wilson and
several others named in the petition
and that a fine of 81 be imposed on
each defendant, while the costs for
the bill of injunction are to be paid
by the plaintiffs.
The, defendants named in the
petition who are subject to fine are
Messrs. Charles T. Wilson, Milliard
F. Tydings, P. L. Hopper, w. S.
McCombs, W. w. Crawford, John
B. Henley, Edgar @. Kelly, George
I. Pennington, Sylvester E. Pen
nington, Frank s. Maslin, w. II.
Weber, A. Lincoln Lyon and VIM.
N. Coale.
The court also ordered the petit
tion dismissed and the injunction
dissolved. Uuder the courts de-
cision Mr.. Wilson remains in the
nffiOo of Mouor and hic onnOi ntanc