New-York tribune., 1909-12-31
SCANNE ELL SHUT OUT
HIS OFFICES SEIZED
BY J. G. COLLINS.
Superintendent of Highscays
Dismissed by Ahearn
Gets Court W1t.

HIGHWAYS, under Borough President Can
tor. but dismissed without trial by
Borough President Ahearn on January l.
1904. locked out of the office yesterday
George F. Scannell, who has been hold-
ing the highways job for the last -FOUR
years, and all day long kept any one
that looked like Scannell man out or
the office.
Borough President Cloughen dropped
around to see Collins yesterday forenoon.
and told him to go away. as he would
not recognize him.
Here is the order of Justice Davis, of
the Supreme Court giving me physical
possession of the office. Hadn't you bet
ter obey that and recognize me?" asked
Collins, grinning.
Il am advised by the Corporation
Counsel not to recognize you, and I'm
going to disconnect your telephone, so
that you cannot do business" said Mr..
Cioughen.
go as far as you like. john" said Col
Gns, but 1 guess you'll find that it is
The duty of good soldier to obey orders,
and I advise you to obey the order of
the court and recognize me-"
But Mr.. Cloughen almost Immediately
phone, and Collins did as well as he could
without it.
COLLINS READY FOR SIEGE.
i've got possession of the office and
| the payrolls, and am fortified by the or
| der Of Justice Davis said Collins last
/ night in his Bastile to Tribune re-
porter. Il am of the opinion that Mr..
| Cloughen will be sorry he didn't recog-
nize IN every respect the order of Justice
| Davis. My counsel will tomorrow ap-
| ply for an order for Mr. Clougheu to
show cause why he should not be
punished for contempt for refusing to
| obey the plain mandate of the court and
recognize me as the legally qualified
| Superintendent of Highways. However.
i transacted considerable public business
to-day [ signed a lot of permits and
! wrote some letters. The office is ono,
| for business to any one having actua,
business with 1t, but am going to keen
sharp watch out for a flank move b,,
! ueorse Scahnell and John CIoughen
Colhhs hight to recover his office and
| back salary is one of the most rer,,r,,
able IN the history of the CITY. He didn,,
| get 1t back until Wednesday afternoo,
Wnen. armed with writ signed by JUS
| tce Davis, of the Supreme Court ba
entered the private office of George F.
0caiiiiel'' on the sixteenth floor of the
fdrk row Building, turned out the
| cleaners. put new locks and chains on
| the doors and "bunked" on the hard
| floor all night in company with Thomas c
! Mcnamara, Herbert c. Smytb and
! Charles Sanders, personal friends Whom
Mr.. Scannell heard of the invasion YES
| terday he sought Borough President
| Cloughen, and together they went to the
| office of the Superintendent of Highways.
Cloughen got in, but Scannell did not.
OFFICE GAINED BY STRATEGY
Collins did not get the signed order
| from Justice Davis until 4:3O o'cJocl,
| The Corporation CounseIs office had
| been keeping watch of Mr.. Browne
| counsel for Collins, intending. If an or
| der were issued and they could learn of
lit, at once to file notice of apneaI
Browne and Collins gave the Corpora
! tion Counseis Office the Slip. AS soon
! as Justice Davis signed the order ono ~
the men decoyed the city's lawyer awav
while the signed writ went to Browne
and Collins, who were waiting in the
basement of the Park Row Building
AS soon as they. could get TO the six
teenth floor they hustled the clea ners
out of the office of Mr.. ScannelI and
prepared for a siege. To the doors open
ing from Scannell's office to the other
Offices they attached padlocks. chains
and bolts, so that when Mr.. Collins .apd
his friends lay themselves down To rest
they felt no apprehensions about in
truders. Yesterday. when they wanted
anything to eat they left men in the
room to guard against surprises
'If we had not obtained physical pos
session OF. the Office by December 81. that
Is. tomorrow night, we would have been
out about $4,000" said Mr.. Browne last
night to the Tribune reporter THE
statute of limitations would have run
against the collection of the salary after
Friday night at midnight We didn't
have any time to lose This case has
be en- thirty-three times N the Supreme
Court, eight times in the Appellate Di-
vision and twice in the Court of Ap-
peals.
LONG FIGHT FOR VERDICT.
"Mr. Collins has never lost hope of re-
covering substantial verdict. 1t took