The Cambridge City Council dead-locked yesterday on the selection of its next mayor, and a real battle appeared to be developing between the incumbent, Edward A. Crane '35, and Councillor Alfred E. Vellucci.

Crane and Vellucci received four votes apiece on each of the first two ballots. All councillors endorsed by the Cambridge Civic Association backed Crane, while four of the five independents lined up behind Vellucci.

Councillor Andrew T. Trodden, who held the deciding vote, seemed to be biding his time, however, as he cast his lot with Walter J. Sullivan on the first ballot and Daniel J. Hayes, Jr. on the second.

Although the next vote is tonight at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, it appeared yesterday that the selection process might continue as long as two weeks.

Vellucci, who, with five terms on the Council is second only to Mayor Crane in seniority, has been telling his independent cohorts for the past several years that he should be mayor.

The independents, however, have failed to support him wholeheartedly. As a result, in both the 1960 and 1962 elections Vellucci broke 4-4 ties with votes for Crane rather than back another independent candidate.

Vellucci Being Teased?

Although the independents cast four votes for Vellucci yesterday, one long-term observer of the Council commented that this might only be a move to "tease" him into supporting another independent candidate. The theory runs that Vellucci would be so angered at the CCA for with-holding the winning vote from him that he would turn to an independent.

According to this source, Vellucci must somehow get support of at least one CCA councillor if he is to win. Independent Trodden, it is reported, would never vote for him.