The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-25

| ed TO have paid tl.eirI bills. and showet!
an entry on their books OF the payment.
Valentine IL Roane showed an entry on their
books OF payment Of their bills. They claim
to have paid to Dir. Schaf1er. IL is only 9f
cents. n. Ncurohr had receipts for ;ll his
bills last year except the ono presented
against him, but said he was certain that hc
had also paid it. His gas had never been
| turned OF.
Mr., Reglh,uIl, being recalled. said that
there were twd bills sgainst William
E,lker that that gentleman cIained t6 have
paid, and said that lie thought he paid them
to Mr. Schatfer. a'. -"
| MIR. White. recalled fin answer to sques-
tions propounded by Mayor keileyl: Knew
of no gas bills being receipted or receipts
| signed in the Inspectors Office. The receipts
are signed in the rreaSureI's s Office by eitlier
Mr.. Greenhow or Mr.. CardwelI. . ..-
| @-st THE TREASURER TEsT1FEs.
Mr.. Greenhow. City Treasurer, Icing
sworn, stated that the receipted gas bills were
| all genuine, the difference in the signatures.
| being explained by tbe hurry of signing in
| several instances. &C.
Mayor Kelley called the attention Of the
| committee to the delinquent bills against Mr.
| A.. &. Frnnklin--three in number The
book containing the list of bills in the
Auditors office in the former investigation
| showed that these bills had not been paid, but
subsequently they were all checked off by
| some unauthorized person as paid. This
book wss exhibited and the 80 ~. ..-~
FORGED ENTRIES SHOWN.
Mr.. Franklin, who was called and eXaln-
| ined, remarked that he had not paid these
| bills, and the party who checked them of
made Il mistake in thinking that he had re-
| ccivcd this MONEY. The Treasurer has not
| received the Incncy, and all authorized per-
| sons III the Auditors Office say they know
nothing of the checks in question. Mr..
Franklin said that when his bills were men-
| toned to him by Mr.. BarSamin lie thought
| he had paid them, and SO remarked; but
| upon examination he could not find the re-
ceiptS for them. Had talk with Mr. Pryde
on the evening Of leaving the city for visit
to the country for several months, during
wbiClthe bills were made out, and Mr.. Pryde
undertook TO prevent the turning of the
gas during his absence. lie owed liima bill,
hut not aS much as the gas bills. There was
no understanding that these bills were to
offset each other. Knew nothing about the
checks. and had no conversation with any
body in the Inspectors Office about the mat
| ter. Did not know how auyhody's interest
in the office could have been advanced hy
paying or pretending to pay these bills. No
| body has intimatcd that be had paid these
| hills.
| MR. fRypE's TESTIMONY.
! Mr.. Pryde, who has recently been ap-
! pointed Gas Inspector Cice Mr. Melton. was
next called and examined. a few days after
lie took charge of the office Mr.. Mccarthy
told him that Mr. Higgins wished list OF
delinquent gas bills. Wished only delinquent
bills for 1901 and -. Was engaged
with Mr.. Mccarthy making out bills when
Mr.. Denegri c,lne into the Office and Ic-
queSted that the bill for $SS or so against
Mr.. |. y. Briggs should not be put OH the
list. saving that MIR. Higgins knew Of the
BILL Ind had told him OencgrD to 90 and
lHy the bill The bill was left OIL the list.
| Asked Mr.. Denegri why he should pay the
bill. #nd received the reply that he had the
| puyrncnt of il. Since that time Mr.. De-
| ucgri had paid portion. of this bill. but not
the whole of it, lie said that he paid only
what he had assumed to pay. Mr.: EIg-
| giDS spoke to the witness several
| times, and said that he wanted the
whole of the delinquent list. Did not con-
| slider the making out of the list DIy business.
| but that of Mccarthy, who was detailed for
| the duty l,v the chairman of the CO nnittcc
| un Light, although | assisted him. | think
there is It'll eight or ten dollars due OH Nj.
| Briggs bill. lis Sas has not been turned
ol, do not know of any other delinquent
| hill not in the list made out for the c,almlt-
| tee.
| Mr.. Kelley: How long have you been a
| tenant OF your present house. Mr.. Pildc!
Answer: Since February. 1871. Lived in
| the house nearly opposite for eighteen
months previous to that. After this iurc>'l-
cation began learned that there were two
| delinquent bills against me for 1SG '-oDe for
Fl .G5. and the other for Si.10-aId ! then
| ,aid them. used oil from february 10
September. 1871.
| Question What Is the date OF your k,>
payment for gas at your private re idence!
| Answer: About August, 1872. then paid
up all that was due from September, 1871, to
August, 1872. This was the only payment
made, and the metre was only taken when |
moved in. turned it on, but found 1t would
not flow through the pipes. made an ar
rangenleut with the owner, repaired the iH~
tures, and commenced using gas IN Seprem-
her. 1871. The first charge again It him WA,
made in August. 1872. In all that pcIio.l-
nine or ten months s-rlsed about 4.2D0 feet ni
gas. During this time other metres in
the neighborhood were regularly taken hy
| MesSrs. Mccarthy, SWeCtmar, and knowles.
Never asked any one not to take The state OF
the metre.
Question: How came it that they always
ma. sed your house without taking the state o.
| the metre?
Answer: Well, there was a sort Of under
standing that the employees Of the Gas Works
were to have indulgence shown them. Even
the Superintendent was allowed to let bis
bill run three or four or even five months. !
| Question: Tell me about the conversation
between you and Mr.. White, TO which he
| has alluded?
Answer: Well. on Sunday evening alter
this investigation began, and Mr.. White had
been removed. two gentlemen drove ly my
house i'll buggy. was sitting on the porch
with some friends. AS they drove by, |
heard my ilaIne called. Mir. Emmett Knowles
was with me. | went out and found it was
Mr.. White, when the buggy was stopped.
We had some conversation about the affair.
causes of it. He said that ne had said much
in regard to other employees in his wrath and
| excitement that could not be substantated.
| He then referred to two delinquent gas bills
for 80 that were standing against me, and
said that l had better so down and check
| them off rs paid. This insultcd lie, and l
swore that would see the id Gas Works
| in hell before ] would do anything OF that
| kind. / did not come down to the Office 10
| do anything Of the kind, and afterwards paid
| the bills.
Question: How about Mr.. Lallhr'> bill
Answer Il owed Mr.. Laube $l7, and by
consent of Mr.. Melton his bill was allowed