Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-07-09
FOURTEEN THOUSAND.
PARTIAL REPORT OF THE GAS IN
VESTlGATl0N,
The Committee Yields to the Pressure and
Tells a Little Of What II Knows
Fourteen thousand Dollars Of
Enforcement Discovered.

Fer some time past, the public gen.
orally and Council in particular, have
been clan. oring for a definite knowledge
OF what has been done and what dis
covered by the committee engaged IN
investigating the gas office. Only one
thing was known, viz: that a high
figured clerk was at work. The COM
mitteemen said it was TO not prejudice
or affect the trial of the accused embez-
zlers that a report was not made. But
the pressure was so strong, that par
tial report was last night submitted TO
Council, as follows;
Your Joint Special Committee 10 in
vestigate the affairs OF the city's gas
works, beg leave to submit a partial re-
port of their work, which is still being
prosecuted with diligence and effect:
Soon after the commencement OF their
investigation, a systematic plan OF en-
bezzlement was discovered in the books
of the Secrctary's Office which have been
partially examined as far back as the
wear 1872, showing uniform embezzle-
ments month after month from that
time until January of the present year,
when the frauds were discovered and
the Secretary and Collector were re-
moved from Office.
Excepting Is months ofthe time-yiz.
from October 1874 10 October 1875, and
from October 1877 10 April 1878, lior
which period the Registers We're
destroyed the fraudulent entries
and abstracting of monies belonging
to the city, were of easy detection. IN
fortunately, however, the period OF eigh-
teen months, as above named, cannot
be gone over without great painstaking,
il being impossible TO unravel the theits
therein embraced without commencing
with the street books for those months
taking item by item, and then con-
structing therefrom an entire new "Reg-
ter" which, it is believed, can be done
with a precision amounting 10 absolute
certainty of what the truth should be.
But this last named labor, your commit
tee do not feel willing 10 undertake with
out consent of Council; and To obey
your judgment in the matter, a resolu-
ton upon this subject will be found APP
pended. -,
The total amount of money embeI2lel
from the gas office thus lar discovered,
aggregated in excess Of Sl4 900, and To Sc
cure the return of which sum 10 the
city treasury from the guilty parties,
civil suits have been instituted
and attachments served on
sundry parties, the particulars
OF which civil action are now matters OF
record in the Clerks Office OF the Circuit
Court OF Ohio county.
Besides this, il is we'll known TO your
honorable body that John l.. Maxwell,
Secretary, and Andrew King, collector,
have both been arrested on criminal
warrants, have had preliminary trial be-
fore Justice, were indicted in numer-
Gus counts by the last Grand Jury, and
are now under bonds and awaiting trial
in the Circuit Court
Your committee feel that it is sim
pie act Of justice to make known In tins
formal manner the valuable services
rendered by the clerks, Messrs. Harry
Caldwell and VI. b. c. Wright. The
resignation OF Mr.. Caldwell as clerk Of
the committee 10 assume the duties OF
Secretary of the gas Office, necessitated a
search for competent gentlemen as hls
successor, who could take up the thread
of the difficult work where il had been
so admirably left of. This resulted in
the appointment OF Major Wright who
has shown by the character of his labors
for the city, that the confidence reposed
in him by the committee was not unde-
serving or misplaced. The character OF
the labor in which he is now engaged is
of the highest importance. Ii is suf-
ficient to state in this regard that your
committee intend to make complete
and satisfactory showing Of all the mat
tiers entrusted TO them.
Ii is recommended that the following
bills be paid: Joseph Graves, g: Wm.
Hare, 1925; NJ. b. g. Wright, $4,000,
which are for expenses necessarily in
Cured in the performance Of duty.
You are respectfully requested to adopt
the following resolution:
Resolved, That the bills mentioned in
this report, amounting 10 S.}5l.25, be
paid to the parties above mentioned.
Resolred, That the Joint Special Com
mittee on the City Gas Works he in
structed TO extend their labOrs 80 as TO
embrace the periods covered by the
burnt Registers
[Signedl
JAMES +. REEVES, Chairman,
+. G.. CRACRAT,
john III. HALL,
JOHN w. SCHULTZ,
RALPH ARKLE.
The report was received and the reso-
lutions adopted.