The Washington times., 1914-02-10
Who Put Out
|TheLightS on
City Fathers
OF TakOn1a (?
2xton Interrupts Burst of Real
0ratoFy by Turning Switch
When Town Clock Strikes
the Hour of Ten.

The clock showed a few seconds of
The dispute among the men seated
a. ut the long table had reached that
b. nj where each seemed instinctively
o feel the presence of impending dis
As er. The tenseness was oppressive.
apparently careless of the effect of his
|Nv rds, the impassioned orator had
b. -ked his hearers up to a veritable
|frcnzy Of emotion, when. on The first
ST Uke of 10, a sharp, metallic click was
Pa ird from the back of the room, the
rs rds choked in the speakers throat,
+ ! the chamber was suddenly plunged
pr total darkness
such might well be a fragment OF the
p nuteS of the meeting Of the mayor
d council of Takoma Park, Nd, last
N EAt in the basement of the Presbyter-
ia Church, for. at the stroke of 10, the
li-hts were rudely turned out as the
town fathers were in the midst of a
d scussion of the towns business, pro-
Nnking results which looked serious for
q few minutes.
Chance For An Inquiry.
.sesponsibility for the outrage has not
been placed, and the council is unde-
cided whether it has power to investi-
gate the affair in all its aspects 1t is
Go lbted by some whether the inquisi-
&c ial powers of the body includes au-
[ r!ty to subpoena witnesses and COM
p them to testify against themselves,
2. ecially when it is altogether prob
a . that the blame might be found TO
7 { on the head of no less a person
n Town Clerk and Treasurer Ben G.
Wis himself.
ne man who actually turned out the
j. hts was the veteran sexton of the
] oSbyterian Church, Frank Bailey but
Z he hurriedly restored the iIlumina-
Il at the somewhat heated and un-
lbtedly vigorous instance OF Mayor
W. Williams, he disclaimed all re-
: visibility for the idea, saying that
J was acting under orders from Mr..
] Wis severe lecture by the mayor
! lied to change Bailey's version of the
, after. and when Mr.. Davis admitted
! At he was somewhat responsible MEM
t' S Of the council laughed and re-
5 med consideration OF municipal prob
laTns. Mr.. Davis is wondering whether
Y punishment is provided by the town
. arter for contempt, and intends to
* the matter up when he gets a
{ Ance.
Railway Asks Franchise.
harles Selden, jr., representing the
ompany, asked consideration by the
ouncil Of an application for a fran
'.se- to extend the company's tracks
2 0ng Carroll avenue, from the present
terminus of the line at the District line
to the bridge over Sligo creek. The
council laid a similar application from
the company on the table several
months ago, pending operation bv the
"ompany in the District \ District
anchise has been issued, and the couu-
. will act on the application shortly.
N'r. Selden said the road would be in
'eration in the District within ninety
ys.
4 request by the Chesapeake and
1tomac Telephone Company to be al
we'd to string its wires on ten poles
longing to the Potomac Electric
over Company. on Maple street. was
fused. An ordinance Of the town pro-
bits two sets Of wires on poles. and
company Will be notified that it
ust make application to erect its own
0les.
Improvements Authorized
An ordinance was adopted authoriz-
s Al. assessment Of 81, 1,3G7.46 to nav for
Gently installed water mains on Grant,
ancock. Park. and Flower avenues
Els amount Will De assessed against
e 2.S4SS6 feet of property benefited. an
.erage Of Is cents foot. The Iaving
water mains and sewers on Spruce
EeEue and the Improvement of Sligo
-enue were authorized
The treasurer's report showed A bal |
nee on hand at last report Of $g47. q: !
ceipts during the month, A.5l0.7g: dis |
rsements, $LSGlG2;- balance. S3,45S.GO |
Those present at the meeting were
Grabill. II. F. Tan. r. D. Rush. p |
Blodgett, and +. l. Lewton, and |
pwn Clerk and Treasurer Ben G. |
avis.