The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-08-13
ATTACK ON DEAD MAN
 RESENTED
Former Mayor Mulvihill Indignant Over Claim That Major Starr Became Unfairly City Engineer.
Says Attacks on Him Are
 Inspired by Factionists Because He Favors Nom ination of Lynn W. Will son.

Stirred to indignation by an attack on dead friend, Denis Mulvirill, twice Mayor of Bridgeport, and twice afterward the candidate of the Dem ocratic party for Mayor, dealt sharp ly today with attacks that have been made upon him, in print, by a mem Der of the Board of Aldermen. who signs himself "Gangster.
 The incident which stirred the May ors wrath, was an accusation that the late Major Starr obtained his po- sition as city engineer by sharp prac- tices
 "In the first place." said he, s'I don't consider it a very manly thing to make an attack on Major Starr, who is now where he cannot defend himself, and who must rest his case in the hands of his friends
 "Secondly,'' said he, T believe I owe it to my friends in the city of Bridge port to thoroughly explain this mat ter, and, thirdly, I deem it a. duty to myself not to sit in silence while ny rights in this matter have been wrongly invaded.
 On the night of the election of Ma jor Starr, if. my memory serves me. l, acting as Mayor and presiding over the meeting of the Common Council, appointed James A. Marr and Mich ael A. Kenuey, both members of the Board of Aldermen, to act as tellers. These men collected the ballots as 25 ballots on the first vote. Of these Scofield received 13, Starr il and there was one blank. Then, by vote of the Aldermen, a second ballot was or dered. The chair ruled that the ibal- lot was illegal inasmuch as there were 3- 1s~&- kT. men in the board. The body pro- ceeded to ballot again. The second ballot, if my memory serves me right, showed 12 for Scofield, F for Starr and one. blank. In all there were five or six ballots and the conditions of the second ballet continued until the fissaI ballot, when there were 13 for Starr disappeared. The election was de- cided in favor of Major Starr 4
 Horace G. Scofield took exception itb, the decision of the Mayor in ruling that Major Starr was legally elected. The case was taken to the Superior court decided that MT. Starr was law fully elected. MT. lScofield was not yet satisfied with the decision of the Superior court and he took the case to the Supreme court, which also de- cided that MT. Starr had been legally elected.
 q may add that no party question was involved here.< Both Messrs. Sco- field and Starr were Republicans and eminent engineers may also. add that B 1T. Buckingham was city clerk at this time. and saw the ballot, and he was friendly to MT. Scofeld, an assurance, I take it, that everything was fair and in order.
 Now, regarding my ruling, the 1yreud ft,ix alnr n er1Io
 An appointment reQuired by the charter Of a. city to be made by it's Common Council by ballot, can be made only in that way; but in the manner of taking the ballot, and in all other matters relating to the com pletion of it's choice, the Common Council proceeds as a legislative body and with the discretion and powers belonging thereto.
 "sIf more ballots are cast than there are members voting, the body may either decide to continue to ball. lot until result is reached thaf IS free from all taint or suspicion of un-. fairness, or if thet ballots improperly cast could not change the, result, that balloting may be treated as decisive; and unless this discretion is abused, the course actually followed and the appointment resulting therefrom will be upheld
 i. t.In view of the facts is it just or proper for Gangster' to make any at tack on the legality of the election of Major Starr for the city engineer ship?
 file may be bigger than the judges of the Supreme court, but I doubt 1t.
 "As for the case of MT. McKenna, sGangster' must remember that was not Mayor at the time that he was elected to the place left vacant by Major Starr's death. Mr. Mckenna was not appointed; he was elected by the Board of Aldermen. never. ap- pointed MT. McKenna to the city en- gineership.
 .At the time Major Starr was elect ed my son was a school boy in short trousers. I never had the slightest idea at that time of putting him in the engineers office.
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