The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-11-08

encO of the Board, and in fact .tated
By one otiIs members that all the stone
was put On those stciions by order Of The
Board.
as 10 The letting crths contracts, The
argument to show that Ferrel dIscour.
aged bidding and was In collision With
Hervey, reminds one strongly OF the
famous argument In Bartiell Us. Pick
Wick. "Chops aud tomato sauce" Ia
equalled by the "lteIn that Is conclusive
to tho mind" Of the gentleman, namely,
TINT Hervey got the contract on
several sections by bidding a cent
or half cent lower than the next
higher bidder. II IL Conclusive EVIL.
dence OF fraud" that uerYPy got SEQ.
tlon 8 by undertaking Branstrop one
cent, and section Z by undertaking
Preltyman one cent, and again, fraud
is Just as "conclusively proved" by
the fact that no stone was ordered by
the superintendent on these sections.
What q deep laid scheme Of Villainy Il
must have been to 60 10 the trouble OF
getting the contract for Hervay and
then not give him any work to do on
the contractH Nothing less than the
"best energlesn could smell a mice In
that. Why Ito the most natural thing In
the world that the bids OF men who
Know their business should be close to
each other, The strange thing wonld DO
To ind them differ widely. Why you
are told that one man often beats ans
other ny q quarter OF cent. Section /,
which Mr.. Lunsford let for 81 70, was
bid OIL under Ferret, as follows: For
1851, nY Branstrop, at $3.50: for 1867
and 1883, by Kennedy, at 81 5SK. All
these men put on stone under these
contracts. HerVey was always o bid.
DER. Was It strange that for 1869 Mar.
shall should bid 81 IS and Hervey
u 6711. So with other sections.
The bids for 1860 are In the posses.
sion OF Gov. Stanton, and In his abs
sence from the city, my efforts
to obtain them have been unsuc>
oessIul. But do not see that fur-
Their reference 10 them Is very neces,
sary, az the bids for other years
fully establish the (polnt we make,
In the bids for the last four years
there are scores Of cases where one bid
Is cent, three-quarters OF o cent, O
hal cent, lower than another, and sew.
eral where two men make the same
I'D. Here are some OF them for 1866:
BranStrop und0rbIds Kennedy one cent
on section l; one-hRIf cent on section 2;
three quarters Of u cent on section 0.
BEanstrop uuderblds HerVey one cent
on section 8, and Feltman and Krum.
me each u halr-cent on section Z, their
bids heInE the same. Krumme under.
bids Kennedy three.quarters OF cent
on section 8. .,.'
For 1907, Kennedy underblds Hervey
one half cent on section l, and one cent
on section 3. Kennedy underbIds Her
vey and FeltInan each one cent on SEQ
ton o, their bids being the same. Ken
nedy nnderblds Feltman one-half cent
on section 7, and underbida Krumme
one cent on section 10. On some seq
lions Kennedy IL In like manner IN.
derbldden. SO with the contracts for
1868.
1.-THE gentleman must have myste-
rlous explanation Of this very simple
thing, let him suppose that other bid
ders acted like George Roth, the "pro.
per person." and told Hervey what
they expected to bid.
But Mr.. Ferrel didn't open the bids
In the presence Of Mr., Lunsford's two
unknown citizens. Maybe Ferrel
didn't think he needed watching, But
he offers you every book and paper he
has ever had, and Mr.. Lunatord takes
good care not to let his papers, includ-
Ing the bids he received, come into the
hands Of his successor or be seen BY
the public.
The idea Of Ferret inducing Roth not 10
bid is exploded by Roth's own testlmo-
ny and that of all the witnesses examln-
ed on this point. Roth Gays Ferrel said
nothing to him about 1t. It would have
b5en very foolish in Mr.. Ferrel, II he
we're such a great scoundrel, to prevent
Roth from bidding at the rate OF 81 so
for the first six miles, as he says he ex.
pected to, for the bids Hervey actually
made on those six miles average 81 49,
only just cent lower again than Roth,
That cent again. We are afraid we've
furnished some more Conclusive evi.
dence," for what an enormous amount
OF collnsiou there must have been be.
tween Ferrel and Hervey to enable
Hervey to bid not onlyjust cent low
or than other men who did bid, butjust
cent lower than what another told
Hervey he thought he Woutd bid!
desire. gentlemen, to make few
general observations about this case as
developed by the testimony.
One Ia that throughout this whole
case 1t has not been charged, attempted
In proof, suggested or even inslnuated
that MIR. Ferrel has ever attempted or
wished to conceal anything he has done
or omitted 10 do aB a public officer.
This fact affords n useful ommentarv
on such OF these charges an imply fraud
and corruption. When his enemies
sought evidence OF Mr.. Ferral'G short.
comtngs where did they look? Every
thing they have to urge against him,
they have found In his own con yersas
ton, his acts done publicly and in
the face OF the community aud the
face Of heaven, his own written state.
mentS made under oath aud placed on
public record. Does IL guilty man work
his tniquity In this why? Does he who
hae doue wrong willingly otter himself
Ha witness, submit himself 10 cross.
examination by legal ability az distin-
guished as that here employed against
him, and expose himself 10 The pOsslble
contradictions OF these eager prosecut-
Ing witnesses, whose activity for bis
ruin never relaxe62 Does the guilty
man go further and place upon the viii.
ness stand those most familiar with his
habits and practices as Superintendent
OF the road and those who, II he be
guilty, must DO his confederates, and vet
are now without Interest In his bshalt7
The supposltion that a guilty man
could act In this way violates every
law OF human nature. lie whose deeds
are evil loves darkness; be draws a veil
Of privacy about himself and hIA acts:
be shuns the gaze and the conversation
OF his fellow.neu. Fraud Is, In It's ma.
ture, silent and hidden; Its existence Ia
impossible 10 broad blaze oflight such
as surrounds and reveals 10 you every
act and almost every thought Of this
mans official career.
There Is another consideration puual. |
ly inconsistent with the supposillou Of
this mans guilt, and that IL that wa
nowhere hnd inlimated against him the |
very otfenses OF which man such az
they represent him would DO guilty.
Tho annual tolls on this road when he |
took II were s. 300 per year; gradually |
they have Increased TO 81 600. The
keepers at the several gates are entirely |
under the control Of the Superintendent, |
they owe TO him their official existence
and their daily bread. A designing SUI |
perintendeHt could put at these yates
keepers who would be his mere fools. |
aRA En1 In lnh 4. tSt |