The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-28
M6Srss ab6iit the cas- 1ihbrogIiB.
THINGS GETTING MORE INTERESTING
The Investigation In the Inspectors
Office Closed.
FouRTH DAYS ttRt.fhtf,1IkGg,

| ShiSC SiOSCus
| ,ls, FOURTH DAYS hRt,cbEp1kss,.
Mayor Kelley and the Committee oil tsei
| trenehmeut and Reform were busily engaged
Yesterday in making further inquiries into
the alleged gas frauds. The testimony ID
given In substance below. So .st ~al /
During the examination of witness. Mr.
Schafier came into the room which, was occti.
pied by the committee. and with smile
handed Mayor Kelley his private meter-book,
| which he desired to be locked mp, thus pre-
venting other attentions.
FIVE DOLLARS WORTH OF GAS. - :
just before the committee met for work
| Mfi R, Gatlfight came In and said as he was
! IL ii htifrS be #pHtd Hike to tell all he knew
about his bills. Ee stdtad that III. April hast
he broilgiit his gas bill, for about SEQ, WITH
a IS bill, to the office to pay the Treasurer,
but found it was after Office hours and there
was no one there. He went into the In.
| spector's office, and handed the gas bill, with
the money, to person whom he took to be
Mr.: Schafteri who was there. asking him to
pay it; which he PROMISED to do; saying at
the same time that it was often done, and
that he would return the receipt with the
proper change. Subsequently he called once
or twice for the change and receipt; but
found Schatfer out. Met Mr.. Melton;fhe
| Inspector, in the Office on one occasion, who
| told him that the receipt was locked UP. Mr..
! Gathright then told him to let it stay, and
| that MIR. Schaffer could pay the next mouths
bill also with the change and hand over both
| receipts. No bill was presented to him after
| wards Tor for the next month"; and he con-
cluded that both bills were paid, as the gas
had heo,, Inv off
better until within the last few days, when
delinquent bills for both of those months
were presented to him.
ANOTHER BIG FRAUD ALLEGED.
Mr.. Pryde took the stand at the concltI-
sion Of Mr.. Gathright's statement, and said
that he bad discovered another fraud since
yesterday. After Mr.. Briggs left, and in con-
sidelatiOn Of the fact that Dir. DeDegri had
said that he had disconnected with Mr.
Briggs's supply. he pride thought it his
duty to 20 and examine the meter. Found
| that the premises near Fifth and Broad
streets were supplied with gus which did
not go through the main meter which
supplies Briyg>'s house. Mr.. Prydc fur
ther stated that he got Mr.. John Bowers,
practical :gas filter, and went to the prem
ises again, and found the connection taken
over the bakery into Mr.. Denegri's room. and
burners for illuminating the room. Next,
saw Mr.. Denegri and inquired whether there
was meter there. Said yes, and showed
me the place. It was numbered 81 ,3jt, and
the gas consumed was sc; 400 feet. Witness
next asked when the meter was put In.
Denegri replied, "December 1870" Wit
ness then remarked to Denegri thatsince Au-
gust, 1866, &c, 300 feet had been consumed. Mr..
Denegri next showed witness memoranda on
| the wall. with previous consumption, of
22.lOO feet. Mr.. Pryde next came down
stairs and found Mr.. McNeal, who remarked
to Mr. Pryde that Mr.. Denegri had told him
| that he didn't owe any more bills, as he got
| his gus from the city.
Owen McNeal, of 42U Broad street, de-
posed came to my present place in .Ianu-
AIRY, 1872. Ny sister lives there, and visit
ber every day. have paid for the gas that
| consumed. Mr.. Denegri gave me to llD-
derStand that he WAS not Using gas that L
| paid for. Some time last winter we were
| down iu the cellar and he showed me how
| the disconnectton was made tn order that !
| might be Under no apprebensions that he
was using gas that had to pay for. His ex-
| planatiOn was satisfactory to NE, and was
| rtassured. l understood. from Mr. Briggs
that previous to that time he and Denesrl
had been using in conjunction.
| PAYING BY PROXY.
| P. Finnessy sworn.
| Mr. Kelley: Did you ever give any money
to anybody III the Inspectors Office to E,y
your bills?
Mr.. Finnessv: Yes. sir ; OH n,ie occasion
gave Mr. Emmett knowle: money to pay a
bill. He did SO. and brought ME the receipt
1t was in the latter part of 1871. think. On
another occasion he was at my house with
the bills. and said, "Emmett, wish you
would pay this bill. You know
| YOU OWE ME A BILL, . ;.
andit is time to settle it, He said oil right, and
Us the gas has not been stopped Oft reckon
it's all right. TO the best Of MY knowledge
ne has brought me the receipt since that time.
MIR. Kelley Mr.. Finnessy. have memo
randa of two bills of yours, marked "paid
to K. +. Knowles" don't know where
got the information from, but you can look
them up. They are for january and tebtt,.
airy, 1871; and alho,ints $3.50 and Sl.sO.
Mr.. Finnessy Some timeago MIR. Knowles
came to me and said he was in trouble and
wanted ne to give him Il certificate. ! told
him he must write il and Pd sign it. He did
write 1t, but when came to read it found
could not sign it; so took the pen and
wrote something of this kind Mr., EN-
NETT Knowles has paid my bills on two occa-
sions."
Mr.. Melton was called and examined about
Mr. Gathrfght's statement -....,...s-..
Mr. Kelley Dir. Gatbright states that be
has paid to ali empIoye in that office q So
note to pay his gas bill that he has 10 re-
celpt; that the promise was made to him
that his change would be forthcoming; that
his gas has not been turned Off; and that
two delinquent bills haYe been presented to
him.
Mr.. Melton: 1 remember the circumstance.
Mr.. Gathright came into the office, Us he told
Inc, and gave the money to one of the yorlrr
men, whom he described very minutcly. /
knew at once that it was not Mr. Schatfer.
but Mr.. Sweetman. lam sorry to have to
call his name here. When Gathriyht told
me he had paid the young man, l told
Sweetnan to go at once and pay the bill, or
the gus would be turned off. Sweetnan said
| be would do so the next morning. When
Mr. Gathright called again, and something
was said about the change, he said, "Never
mind that, let it go on to the next BILL" l
donot know #hi ther the bills have been paid.
! lfhe gas books were here examined and
Mr.. Finnesey's bills were found to be mark
ed paid.] --,-.
| EE, NEWSPAPER TRADED FOR CAS-
Mr.. George X. Crutch6eld, Jr., was next
sworn and questioned in regard to a hill
against him, which had been put on the de-.
liDquent list. He stated that he was not
aware that he owed it. Had on seyernf occa.