The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-06-05
From FRIDAYS Daily.

his office, and will obey the instruc-
tions of the council, provided the city
attorney informs him that those in
structions are proper and legal. This
was the agreement arrived at last even
ing, and ratified by both sides by the
withdrawal of the charges preferred by
the council and the answer filed by
the city recorder Peace once more
hovers over the city hall, and the
troubled waters have been stilled.
Davies as Peacemaker.
w. B. Davies acted as peacemaker,
and to him is largely due the credit
which attaches to the settlement of
the difficulty. Had the case gone on
and been carried to the supreme court,
he, as official stenographer, would have
profted about 500, so that his dis
interested )act is all the more COM
mendable.
Mr.: Davies has been at work on the
matter for several days, his own ac-
cord, without having been approached
by either side. He went to Mr.. Ho-
dapp first, and got his consent to
accept the ruling of the supreme court
that his duties are merely ministerial,
in his future acts, and then went to
the aldermen and tried to have them
withdraw the charges. The aldermen
were firmly determined to remove Mr..
Hodapp from his office and elect a
republican recorder, who would fill the
office without making any trouble. 1t
took a lot of persuasive effort on the
part of Mr.. Davies and one or two
Others to get the aldermen in a frame
of mind where they would consider
settlement. They felt doubly secure
of their position after the decision of
the supreme court was filed in the
Central park case. Finally, Aid. Gary,
yesterday, took hold of the matter
and assisted in bringing it to an end.
He had Mr.. Hodapp sign an agreement
to abide by the supreme court decision
and consider his position as merely
and presented this to the
other aldermen with the recommends
ton that the action be dropped. He
had much opposition to overcome, as
the counter charges presented in Mr..
Hodapp's answer "stuck in the crops"
of the aldermen and they felt very hos
tile.
Last evening, before the council meet
ing, conference of the aldermen, city
attorney and Mr.. Davies was held.
Mr.. Schmitt, it can be said, was per-
fectly willing to meet Mr.. Hodapp
half way, and assisted in reaching a
settlement. 1t was agreed that the
matter would be settled if Mr.. Hodapp
would convice the aldermen that he
was not cognizant of the charges
made in his answer, they having been
prepared bv his attorney and he not
having read the answer over before
signing it. Even after this meeting
a spark would have started a confia-
grafton and upset the efforts of the
peacemakers.
Would End the Proceedings.
When the court assembled in public
session, Mr.. Davies arose and addressed
it. He said that, being interested as
a citizen and tax payer, he had felt
that it was in measure his duty to
"butt in,' as it were, to try to bring
about a settlement. He had done this
at no ones solicitation but upon his
own volition. The dispute was hurting
the fair name of the city abroad, and
it would be best for all parties if it
could be settled. Mr.. Hodapp had au-
thorized him to say that he had taken
his recent attitude because he had felt
that as an elective officer he was some
thing more than bookkeeper or clerk,
that he represented the tax payers
and owed them duty. The supreme
court had since decided that his duties
were largely ministerial, and that he
has not the power that he thought
that he had He had therefore author
lied the speaker to say that he would
perform his duties hereafter as direc-
ted bv the council and be guided by
the advice of the city attorney when in
doubt. It would be a nice conclusion
if both sides would withdraw the
charges and affect reconciliation. MIR.
Hodapp would withdraw the charges
made in his answer, in anticipation, OF
the withdrawal of the charges against
him. He might not have been CONVEX
SAINT with all the matters that appear
ed in his answer.
Alderman Atchison: sHe believes the
charges made in his answer not true y
Mr.. Davies: 81 haven't asked him
what he thinks; am not authorized to
say. 1t would be a pleasant ending
of the matter if it could be dropped
now, for IT is not pleasant for the
citizens and not for the best interests
of the city to continue the proceed
ings."
Hadn't Read the Answer.
Mr.. Davies held whispered CONVEX
sation with Mr.. Hodapp, and then
said to the court: 81 am authorized
to state that Mr.. Hodapp did not read
over the answer that he put in, and
did not know a word of what was in 1T
until he heard it read in court"
Mr.. Goddess. "The statement of MIR
Davies that the recorder did not know
what was in mis- answer is not true;
and it puts me in rather unfair posi-
ton All of the facts alleged in the
answer as to the acts of the council
were given me by the recorder in his
own handwriting and he knew they
were going, with the answer"
Mr.. Hodapp: 81 don't want the
court to think that I am turning down
my attorney. 1 engaged Mr.. Geddes
L., x.,bof inf tim he