"Hatchet Man"

Trodden said that the three councillors were illegally using Dunphy as a "hatchet man" in violation of the Commonwealth statute forbidding any councillor to "direct or request the removal or appointment" of a city official (such as the City Solicitor) for whom the manager is responsible. He notified the council that he would be a candidate for the position of city manager.

The solicitor's account was interrupted by cries of "Not true" and "That's a false statement" from Vellucci and Danehy. After Trodden had finished, Danehy arose to question him, but Trodden snapped "None of your business" and "I'll talk to you if I feel like it" in reply to several queries.

Dunphy said he had not met "face to face" with Danehy for several months. Danehy and Vellucci both denied putting pressure on Dunphy to fire Trodden.

Crane "refrained from engaging in this controversy for the present" for "personal and professional reasons." He later denied any "allegations or statements" that he met with other council- lors to influence the actions of the acting city manager.

"Laughing Matter"

Trodden received support from Hayes, Bernard Goldberg, and Cornelia B. Wheeler. "When you look at this situation, put it on a simple plane, you begin to laugh--What next?" Goldberg commented. "It's a laughing matter but I'm sure that Mr. Trodden doesn't think so and Mr. Dumphy doesn't think so."

"The travesty is that there has been caused a confrontation between two individuals friends in the true sense of the word," he continued. "There are those who have placed Mr. Dunphy in the position of the hatchet man."

Hayes recalled his prediction, made the night DeGuglielmo was fired, that "Heads will roll within two weeks." After charging Crane with conducting a "personal vendetta." Hayes introduced a motion to remove Dunphy "for his own sake."

Mayor Walter J. Sullivan, who stayed out of the fight over DeGuglielmo, agreed with Hayes and Goldberg that Trodden--"one very able and capable attorney"--should not have been dismissed. Sullivan, however, later voted to retain Dunphy in office, thus confirming the dismissal of Trodden.

Inflamed

An inflamed Vellucci took the floor to say that Hayes' speech "sounded like an oration delivered by Castro from Havana, Cuba." He recalled Hayes' vote of two years ago to "bounce out an honourable man" (former City Manager John J. Curry '19) and concluded "Now the shoe is on the other foot."

Crane--a close friend of Curry--reminded Hayes that "John J. Curry was a human being too." Crane said he had been given undue credit for." Referring to Hayes as a "political pharisee." Crane asked "How far are they going to push me as a person?"

After the bitter exchange ended, the vote came on Hayes' motion to remove Dunphy. Hayes and Goldberg voted yes, Wheeler voted present, and the other six councillors voted no