The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-04-19
OVER AT LAST.

ALIENS REPORT SUSTAINED, BUT TIL
PROCEEDINGS AGAINST sUPERINTENIl
EMIT DISMISSED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
The investigation by the City Council o
the charges preferred against A. W. Smith
Superintendent Water Works, has at lengt
been completed. Athird special meeting wa
held last Thursday night, and all the mem
bers of the Council, togcthe. with the lawyer
OIL both sides and number ofspectators
were present.
Mr.. Jno. w. Abby was placed on the stant
and testified that he was member of tin
special Water Committee. and that lie knew
from personal observation that the report o
Donald Allen with reference to the puml
house, was correct.
r. w. Smith testified that lie had beef
employed in repairing old and putting il
new pipe about the city. Had twice visited
the pump house aud didn't think the pump
was working smoothly-didn't think it was
doing its duty. The house looked neat Had
never seen A. W. Smith undertake to repair
a pipe. Smiths bad management of hands
was shown by the fact that seven men had
been collected at one place to repair small
pipe.
r. w. Burke was called to the stand. Mr.
Evans asked witness If he had not expressed
the opinion that Smith was incompetent,
and il SO, upon what facts he based his opin-
ion. Witness answered that If he had ex-
pressed s,,h opiliion, it was based upon
what he han heard about the streets and not
from any personal knowledge.
Mr.. J. I. Byefs thought the report Of Al
len very far and by no means exaggerated.
In reference TO the matter of waste, he had
asked Mr. Wright. an employee of the c. &
o. r. R., if the city could not borrow some
waste, and he had responded, certainly
He himself had not authority to loan any
thing belonging to the Company but that he
would ask Mr.. Devine, and had no doubt
that he would be glad to accommodate the
city. Witness had certainly understood Mr..
Smith to say that he had applied to Mr.. De-
vine second time to borrow the waste and
that he 3D. had requested the return of that
which had been previously borrowed.
Council then adjourned until the follow
ng night.
FRIDAY NIGHT
The members responded more promptly than
and the Council got squarely
Town to business about eight o'clock.
Frank Smith was called, and stated that
ne had been employed in repairing the wa
,er pipes, &C., about the town. A. w.
Smith had directed his labors, aud he
thought, did it very well. Never had seen
Smith do a job himself. He (witness) had
repaired Mr.. Harrlson's hydrant in about
one or one and a-half hours, and had charg-
ID Mr.. Ii. $l.OO for what he had done.
Mr.. Evans then referred to the ordinance
md proved that the charge was cxor5itant
Ind should not have been over 60 cents.
Mr.. Evans then stated that rs personal
natter he desired Mr.. Harrison sworn. That
le had been misquoted by one Of the city
papers. in reference to the advice he had
given Mr.. H., ard that he claimed it but Il
natter of justice to himself that Mr.. II.
should state the exact conversation, rs far
Is he could remember, that had occurred be-
tween them.
G. NJ. Harrison was then sworn, and sta
led that he met Mr.. Evans only ten INMATES
before he entered the Council room on the
night Of the difficulty between him (witness)
md Smith. That he had told Evans that
Smith had cut the water from his hydrant,
because he had refused to pay bill for re-
pairs which he had not ordered. Mr.. Evans
in reply told him that the Superintendent
had no right to make repairs before notify
ing the owner Of the hydrant, and that the
advised witness not to have any difficulty
with Smith. 81
The matter having here threatened to as-
sumo wider range, Mr.. Harrison explained
that the examination was tlistasteful to him
from the fact that he knew nothing what
ever with reference to the matter properly
under investigation, 4. e., the incompetency
Of the Superintendent, and if he said any
thing prejudicial to Smiths case that it
might be construed, in view of the recent
as personal feeling, when really
the two, and that he (witncsD had frankly
himself in The wrong in at
lacking Smith.
Mr.. White. Smiths counsel, wanted every
thing connected with the matter disclosed,
and Mr.. Evans said chat il this line OF inves-
LEGATION was pursued he would insist on
probing to the bottom.
The President declared the intro uction
Of evidence not bearing upon the competen :
cy or incompetency OF the Superintendent
to be foreign to the subject, and the Com
Attorney expressed the opinion
that if the side issues were to be elaborated,
the beginning OF the end would be extreme
ly remote.
Chas. Hardy, the fireman of the pump,
testified: Know nothing Of Smiths manage
ment prior to within the past week or two.
Since that time have been at the pump
house and everything has been working
When I was at work on the
street Smith came around occasionally.
think with his experience he does very we'll;
he has not much experience, but is iinprov-
ing. Want of experience in management
has caused him to centre too many hands at
one place and thus get them in each others
way. He always seems to be willing and
In the past two weeks have
done ten or twelve jobs. Smith didn't help
me in any Of them and never saw him do
a Job of work. Don't think he could put in
a hydrant by himself. McKcever was doing
the new work and the old. Sometimes
had 10 work. McKeever was given it in
preference to myself. Have heard Smith
say that he didn't intend to get down ia
the ditch and do the work as regular thing
On cross examination witness stated that
he thought Smith had the mechanical skill
to do the work Oh the street.
VIM. McKeeyer testified; Am employed at
$50 month to fix pipe, &c. Smith was
with me but did all the work. He seemed
to take an interest in seeing what was being
done; think that one man and one assistant
ought to be able to attend to the pump and
o;t,, ooiJoot;o, ,f tI,n