Siege

"I am the Superintendent of Schools of Cook County. I demand to enter my office," cried Noble Puffer on the eleventh floor of the County Building in Chicago one morning last week.

"The Superintendent of Schools of Cook County is Otto Aken," said a voice in the office. "You can't come in."

Off went Noble Puffer to seek the aid of the sheriff. Had he not been elected last November to succeed Otto Aken? Was this not the day his term began? He had and it was, but the sheriff could not help him. A court injunction forbade that official to dislodge Otto Aken.

Since four-fifths of Cook County, Ill. consists of the city of Chicago, which has a school superintendent of its own, life in the County Superintendent's office has its dull moments. For six years those moments have been enlivened by paunchy, grey-haired Otto Aken and dapper young Noble Puffer. Up to 1933 both were assistant superintendents. When the Superintendent died a Democratic school board appointed Mr. Aken to fill out the unexpired term. But before the next election wily Noble Puffer elbowed his superior out of Democratic graces, won the nomination. Superintendent Aken accused him of falsifying the records, fired him. Thereupon Noble Puffer won the election.

Superintendent Aken took to the courts, got an injunction on technicalities restraining the sheriff from ousting him from his $12,000 per year job even when his term ended.

There was, however, no restraint on Noble Puffer. Rounding up his wife, his lawyers and a party of burly friends, he returned to the office. Picking up what records they could lug, the Aken forces retreated to an inner office, barricaded the door.

In the outer office, Noble Puffer entrenched himself. He cut off Mr. Aken's telephone. When Mr. Aken's secretary left her desk, he popped his own secretary into her seat. Finally he took out what records had not been carried into the inner office, shortly announced that in eight months Mr. Aken had used up all but $69.50 of the year's appropriation for extra office help.

In the inner office, equipped with bath, Mr. Aken made the best of his isolation. Leaning out the window, he shouted down eleven floors to newshawks on the street: "I'm in the real office with all the records. I'm carrying on the job of County Superintendent. See, I'm working on my annual report."

At night Otto Aken and Noble Puffer napped on couches. In the morning Mr, Aken unlocked a side door, leading from his office to a corridor, to admit his wife with a razor, waiters with food. Newshawks lounged in the outer office, taking periodic statements from Mr. Puffer. Pending a court decision, it-was beginning to look like a two-week siege when, shortly after 5 p. m., nine men strode into the office. One of them unwrapped a sledge hammer, battered down the door.

"I'll come out," squealed Otto Aken. "I have been ejected by force and by force alone. This gives me the protection of the law." Mr. Aken walked out. His henchmen were dragged out. Then the nine men wrapped up the sledge hammer, strode away.

"My goodness!" exclaimed Noble Puffer, moving into the inner office. "I have no idea where those men came from."

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