The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-12-16
4 m. o,.- Coanell !, vArr.ie.n.a d. !.


The case Of Robert O. Shiver. Edward
Hope. Rufus D. Sem, for themselves
and others, plaintiffs. &c. .hs' city Of Co-
lumbia, j. T.. Neagle, James M. Allen.
William Simons, Israel Smith. the Caro-
lima National Bank and others, dsfsnd-
ants., came up. yesterday. before Judge
s. w. Melton. sitting in chambers. This
is the case which Nc have as Journalists
already SO fully presented. It is case
of grave Importance to the public.
Messrs. Waties, Bachman, McMaster
and LeConts represent :hs prosecution.
The defence is in the hands OF the City
Attorney, James D. Tradewell, Eco,
assisted by Q. D. Melton. Esq, and
Messrs. Pope & Haskell. Whenever q
public body and faithless body like this
City Council becomes oornered and hard
pressed, they, OF course, seek the beat
legal strength they can get. They have
got much Of that element in the persons
of the able counsel that represent the
city and Messrs. Neagle and Allen, &c.
But sustained as we believe the proseou
ton is by the facts of the case and the
Justice OF the cause, we congratulate the
public on the thought that the we'll
known ability OF the counsel for the
prosecution will be equal to the ooca-
sion. They are double-jointed and dou-
bie-heaaed, because IF skc inherent
strength of their case.
We have seen the afidavits, pro and
con. Messrs. Neagle, Allen, Waring,
johnson, and Parkins, the architect, all
take the ground that, 80 far as they we're
concerned, all that was done was done
on the square, and that there has been
nothing wrong. TO the same effect
Aldermen Wigg, Simons, Smith, Mooney
and Taylor testify.
Per comtra-The affidavits of the pro.
secution fully confirm, in substance, all
we have charged in these columns.
Indeed. much that we have charged is
not even denied, except that the accused
dshy fraud il whole or il part.
1. Messrs. Troy and Fry. experienced
builders and contractors, whose skill We
are ourselves acquainted with, furnish
afhdavits to the effect that their estimates
as to the City Hall and new market en-.
brace the entire work, and include rea-
sonable and liberal allowance of COM
Fspsation to the contractors; and that,
according to their calculation and to the
best of their knowledge and belief, the
City Hall can be erected for $78. 900, and
the me'o market for $15,sOO. Now,
Aliens accepted bid being s13S. 900. and
Smith and Simons' being $18, GIG, it
thus appears that the city was over
charged in the sum of $62.S16 in these
contract awards. Is there nothing wrong
here2 $62.816 is big sum 20 the tax
payers of Columbia, inasmuch az it
would we'll nigh pay the current city ex-
penses for two years-not counting the
interest on the city debt.
2. Mr.. Edwin j. Scott testifies that
Alderman Wigg. abont week before
the contract to build the City Hall was
awarded to Allen, told him that the City
Hall could be built for about $40, 900 or
$4,000, and that in Atlanta. where the
architect resided, the same could be
built for $4,000.
8. Cyrus 81. Baldwin testifies that AL
derman Taylor told him that the CITY
Hall was to cost from $75. 900 to $50. 900.
Mr. Baldwin further testifes that Alder
man Wigg had told him that the cost of
the City Hall would be from $75. 900 to
$4,000.
4. Hardy Solomon makes affidavit
that the South Carolina Bank and Trust
Company, Of which he is President,
upon the promise of Aldermen Wigg
and Joe Taylor, to let that bank nego-
tiate the bonds that the oity proposed
to issue for the erection of the City
Hall, agreed to loan the city $40. 600;
and that the loan was made and paid.
Mr. Solomon further swears that, upon
his return from New York, where hs had
asoertained that bonds for which the
City Hall and its rentals should be
pledged, could be sold for from ninety
to ninety-five cents to the dollar. he
found that the City Council had made
their arrangements with DR.. Neagle.
Inis was the issuance in private and
without law Of $3.50, 900 seven per cent.
city bonds, and the pledging OF tho same
to DIR. Neagle for thirty cents on the
dollar. 1n other words, the city borrows
$7o, 900 from DR.. Neagle at fifteen per
cent. per annum, and gives him the
right to sacrifice the bonds if his money