The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-10
STARTLING DISCOVERIES
Of the Council Gas Investigating
Committee st
At an All.Nlght Session Saturday
s.a.s ). Night.
Arrest Of Maxwell and King for Ar
~ son and EmbszzIement.
Held in $4,000 Each for a Prslim.
mary Hearing. T..
Talks With Gas Trustees, Members
Of the Committee and Others,
On the AIl-AbsOrbins Topic of the
a0 Day.

l
orally entertained, and very freely ex
pressed, that the investigation would b.
slow and tedious, and no developments
were expected for a long time to come
In fact, judging from the action o.
the committee, at the last meeting
OF Council, In asking Tor author
ity to incur what expenses might bC
considered necessary TO assist in tho pros
ecution Of the investigation, they them
selves had no definite idea Of the magnitude
OF their undertaking. Therefore, when tn
committee, before getting fairly settlet
down to the work before them, founl
such positive evidence against Mr.. John D
Maxwell, the Secretary Of the gas oilice,ant
hisassistant, Mr.. Andrew King, asto caus,
their arrest away in the night on charges
OF arson and .embezzlement, the most in
tense excitement prevailed through
out the city, and although citizen
generally had been free in exprcssi M
themselves as confident Of crooEednesS 0
some kind existing in the gas Office, the!
rejhardIy prepared for the prompt mt
vigorous action Of the committee. Th,
arrest OF Maxwell and King was the eX
citing topic OF the day everywhere, and i
every quarter OF the city were heard anxi
ons Inquiries as to the nature Of the eyi
dence discovered by the committee againS
those gentlemen. The high standing O
tho members OF the committee, and tht
confidence reposed in them by the public
as gentlemen OF excellent judgment ant
careful business habits, were taken rs cyl
dence that the most damaging and posi-
tive testimony had been found ere they
determined upon the course they had pur
sued.
TIE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE
consists Of ythS following gentlemen: DR.
James i. Reeves, Ralph Ankle and Simon
Horkheimer, Of the Second Branch, ant
Messrs. L. q. Cracraft, John II. Hallyand
VIM. Schultz from the First Branch. TIT
committee met q day or two after their up
pointment and. organized by selecting DR.
Reevesas chairman. Mr.. Harry Caldwell
was employed as clerk, and Alfred Rhein
strom'as stenographer. This meeting wa
held ut the office of Mr.. Cracrait, on Chap
line street. Subsequently the committee
rented the room over Pcterson's insurance
office, on Main street, near Twelfth, ant
held their first meeting there on Thurssls,
evening last. The books Of the gus office
which were damaged somewhat by fire OIL
the evening OF the Goth Of January last
were kept in the safe OF the Exchange
Bank for safe keeping, and were taker
from the bank to the committee room
when desired blythe committee for exami
nation.
Messrs. Maxwell, and King were sum
moned before the committee on Thursday
night last, but rs the committee sat will
closed doors, the nature OF their evidence
has not been made public. It Is under
stood, however, that they had nothing o
any particular importance to cay in nd
tlitiOn to what they have already sale
Through these columns in relation 10 thu
mystery connected with the burning Of
the books. They were examined n
length upon theirmethods,of doing bust
ness atthe gas Office, tho manncrin Which
the records had been kept, and other dc
tails connected with the management
the works and Office. ..s
/ s,runn.v p ,,,, u ,,Sr
.,,s.,' IT, ~" $50 n,n'
AZ 2 SloSk snatp, Ine Go'ntn't!oe agaIn
asse ni " pr9ceGtn ~, T.t s1e IaSestl "
memherS he;n" nresent and t%e co ." MI
tee ut once proceeded 10 business Cant
George AEctulIy,io f the police force, wa
LA. - y
truders, and tho white muslin curtains It
the windows were drawn close TO prsyon
adventurous reporters from pecpins in IN
on the labors OF the committee,
| During the early part Of the evening soy
eral witnesses were examined, All,
Their evidence was taken In mi
Inv Mr.. Alfred Rheinstrom. The steno
grapher. These witnesses wore: Mr
George Hannah, book .keepor at the taoI
factory; VIM. (ireayes, who'll 30 per.
sistently claimed the existence OF frau,
and CORRUPTION at the Gus Office. and clam
oretf, forl an investigation, and 10 wiion
tho public is largely indebted for hasten
i ing the threatened Investigation OF the ga
affairs Of The div; Mr.. Thomas McNa6b,
who discovered tho lire st Tho ros ofIic'
4 on tho evening OF the 06th ult., and Mr.
Robert Purvis, fireman at the gas works
The purport Of the testimony OF tlest
witnesses has not been divulSed by thC
committee, and tho writer confesscs Ink
entire Ignorance as 10 lis Importance.
=. ,m,ntvcrs ar snort rbsrs. = ~ q
N"sat ~, W ' s'v1ahDs'-S'
WeTc louna ~ INC eommlttee 10 NE books
ana records Oh the gas once iromthe com com
menGement Oh INC investigation. The
members, however, were very rctlcent
and us the CLERK ana s,enogapher wert
under oath not 70 GiHuige me proceedings
these discoveries were not known out
SIDE oil tue, sacred precincts ollie commit
zee room But on saturday night, attel
ing witnesses nau TetlLe.1' anu the com
mlt!ee again turned tnelr attention TO the
BOOKS, INC tdiseoserloS preyiolsly rinadt
were not 9nlS confirmed putt most Ros!
i've ana ny n!amaglng Proofs OF ira1tl were
iolnd. Ihere remained not particle oil
StoIan {;scsaS ~ tto NY. nav a. Gee'l
cLarar,er bs;ps SssroysteS TIa an 'g"a
$50 SS'.io 1SSH'S,,EA' tHD tHHsut