The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-11-11
BEI,LAIRE.

Strongly 10 the Late Secretary OF the
Gas Company nv n Defauiter.
So many startly events have occurred in
this city recently, that 1t was common re-
mark among our citizens that the public
would be no longer shocked ut any occur
renee. The last event, so entirely different
in its nature, and being from such unex-
pected quarters, astonished and panied to a
greater degree than anything that has gone
before. On Friday night at little after 10
o'clock II. D. Meek, Esq, to whose genius
and vigor the Gas Works OF the city owe
their inception, and who has been their
Secretary ever since the.origin, ,wasarrested
on the affidavit Of f. G. Morgan, as Presi-
dent OF the Board Of Directors, for arson.
Said arrest was made from the following
facts:
On the Saturday evening Immediately
preceding the October elections, Mr..
Meek came up as candidate for
the nomination OF County Sheriff, and
Justice OF the Peace for the city. The lat
ter nomination he succeeded in obtaining,
and on the following Tuesday, defeated his
opponent, Mr.. J. J. Powell, n very popu-
lar candidate, by l50 votes. Considerable
comment was INDUCED in, as to the
amount OF money spent in the campaign,
and as to where it was obtained. The
matter Of the talk came up at meeting
OF the Board, and at Mr.. Meek's own re-
quest, a committee was appointed to ex-
anime the books, the Secretary asking
few days to finish posting. This was
cheerfully granted, the delay seeming
plausible from the following considera-
ton: Mr. Meek was acting both In the
capacity Of Superintendent and Secretary
Of the Gas Company, and the old bench OF
retorts having gone down few days be-
fore the new bench was heated up, much
OF his time was occupied in necessary at
tention at the works ofthe company.
twas noar the beginning Of the present
month when the extension was granted.
On Wednesday evening last, the night on
which the fire took place, the Secretary
explains the fact OF the company's books
being found out OF the safe by saying that
he left his office for the works, which are
several squares distant, intending to re-
turn. As he was detained there until
late hour, the books were left on his desk
where he had been posting. But that the
books were not on the desk during the fire
appears tromthis: Mr.. II. NJ. 1ngler, one
OF the Water Works trustees (the Water
office being in the same rooinl, at the earli-
est moment OF accessibility to the
room after the fire, in his anxiety to see II
the Water Works books were uninjured
went TO the safe which Immediately joins
the cupboard where the fire originated.
In doingso, lie stumbled over the books
upon the floor at the foot OF the cupboard,
evidently having been piled upon the fire.
1t being dark, he supposed that the desk
containing the books OF the Water Works
had fallen TO pieces, owing to the heat OF
the fire, and hurridly gathered them up
and.threw them on the desk which was
ten or twelve feet away. The fire, itmust
be understood, originated at tho foot OF
the cupboard, ten or twelve feet from the
stove, and at about the same distance from
the Secretary's desk, had been started on
the floor, in all probability with lighters,
and on Il was found the books which the
Secretary had left lying on the table. The
Secretary in company with another person,
remained in the Office, after the fire, until
morning.
AboutS o'clock Friday morning, the
doors OF the office were locked by the
Presidents orders, the books put into the
hands OF committee for investigation,
and Mr.. Meek temporarily suspended.
This committee discovered l04 pages to
have been cut out Of the cash book, and
the cash account TO have been removed
from the ledger in the same manner-all
since the tire-and the meter book is miss
ing.
The Secretary was asked TO come in and
explain the missing leaves, but replied
that he could not, and strongly asserted
his innocence. On this evidence Mr.. Nor
gan, the President, swore out an affidavit
for his arrest, he having been found in
bed.
At the suggestion OF the Board, he was
taken TO room where only three mem
bers OF the said board were present, with
the hope that he might confess to those
who had always stood by him, and whose
confidence he had always shared. Mr..
Meek's explanation OF the books having
been found on the. fire and not on the
desk, is, that during his run in the fall
campaign he made many enemies, and
from the fact OF his often having left his
docket on the desk, some OF his enemies
threw what was supposed to be this book
upon the fire.
He said, "Though 1t looks hard to ex-
plain, know my own innocence" The
Indictment was then read to him, he plead
ing not guilty, and gave security to the
amount OF 500 for his appearance on Sat
urday al one o'clock. The following are
his sureties: James Fitton, II. G. Wilson
and Wm. Mac. Meek. During Friday
night he went to "the undiscovered coun.
try" and left his bondsmen with forfeit.
cd rccognl2ancO, after which forfeiture his
hondsmen made themselves safe By at
tachments on Ills personal property.
lie leavos widow and two children. The
family, on both sides, occupy respectable
and worthy positions, and the sympathy
on oil sides Is heartfelt and OF the deepest
kind. II Is sad, indeed, that young man
Of such genius and promising usefulness
should have been 50 unfortunate. At 9
meeting OF the Directors Saturday night
Cyrus Strahl was chosen Secretary ant
Superintendent,
| A rumor is current on the streets tha
, Mr.. Meeks has drowned himself some
4 Il til