Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-13

that he would thank the Secretary Of the In
terror and let the matter drop. On Wednesday
or Thursday of this week saw Mr. Reed, and
tod him regretted, on his account, he had not
get Mr.. McClelland's address, but that he now
proposed to file his answer with the Secretary OF
the Interior and end the case. This is, In sub
stance, all know about the subject"
Chief Engineer Cron1n says: Il have the
honor to st..te that l Immediately reported to
tie president Of the board Of fire commissioners
at tle time Comnissorsr Re- Reed propesesd m ss 70 mr.
engines"
Tnder date of August 9Th, Acting Secretary
A. Bell addressed a note TO the Commissioners
OF the District, stating that "under the provis.
ions Of the act OF Congress, approved March Sd,
1879, tpamphlet statutes, chap. 1872, p. 4os,l the
pointed Mr. William B. Reed, OF the District OF
Columbia, to be fire commissioner OF the Dis
trict OF Columbia, to represent the interests OF
the general government on the board of fire
commissioners for said District"
Under date Of August II, 1879, Secretary
Schurz addressed a letter to Commissioner
informed that William B. Reed had denied, un-
der oath, that he had at any time made the cor
rupt proposition alleged by John McClelland.
proof. in support Of the charge referred to at
fectiDg the character OF Mr.. Reed, could be SUBJ
stantiated there could be no reason for further
delay in his appointment have fully consld-
gard them insufficient as additional proof to eS
taslish the charge made against Mr.. Reed,
which he has explicitly denied under oath. The
charge raised is very indefinite. The date of the
alleged proposition is not given, not even the
year when it is claimed to have been made.
There is nothing sufficiently definite in the af-
f6ayit of Mr.. McClelland or the letters filed
to corroboIate the same, that would justify me
in affixiDg stain to the character Of a gentle
man who, as far as / am advised, has always
borne a good reputation in the community In
which q MpClpllaDd states that
told MIR. Cronin, the chief engineer of the fire
department, of the corrupt proposition made to
him. Why inform subordinate OF the board,
when sense of public duty should have i'm
PEELED him to inform the District Commission
ers, who alone had power to act in the matter?
Mr. Cronin states that he soon afterwards told
Mr.. Morgan, president OF the Board OF Fire Com
nissioners. 1t would appear from the state
ments made by Mr.. Morgan that he took no
official action thereon, either in presenting the
same to the board or to the District Commits
SfonerS. Ii the charge was even conveyed, as
alleged, 1t must have been regarded as trtfiing
or untrue, or those who profess to have heard
it neglected their duty In not presenting It
in such official shape, at the time, as would
have enabled Mr.. Reed to disprove 1t, or the
authorities to establish its truth. While desire
to guard with jealous care, the purity of the
service, am not unmindful Of my duty to pri-
vate or public character when charges OF cor
ruption are raised against it. I have therefore,
in view Of all the circumstances connected with
Cognress @ approved app March Sd, 1873, Commissioned
w. B. Reed as a member OF the board of fire
commissioners for the District OF Columbia to
represent on said board, the interest of the
The papers in the case, including the above
correspondence, were submitted to the PreSi-
dent Of the United States month or two ago.
About two weeks since he requested the Dis
trict Commissioners to recognize Mr.. Reed as
member of the fire board. Fire Commissioner
Hume was absent from the city at the time.
Shortly after his return he and the other two
mpmhprS-MpSGrS RQf0n and COlllnS-let al,
the office OF the District Commissioners and
wrote their letter OF resignation published in
THE STAR Of wednesday.
1t will be remembered that recently charges
were preferred before the Senate District COM
mittee against Chief Engineer Cronin, which
were referred to the District Commissioners and
port of the investigation made by the fire board
to the District Commissioners and by the latter
transmitted to the Senate District committee is
an affidavit having bearing on the fire COM
missionershtp controversy. The following is a
copy OF 1t:
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. g. 1880. - Martin
Cron'n, esq, chir engineer tire departnaent:.-
known to you Of the facts and particulars in
which you had been brought up on charges as
also as to me writing and signing my name to
that statement published In the Sunday capa.
Quantrill invited me up to the United States
Capitol to the room called "Foreign Relations, y
to have talk together, and that he would get
went to the Capitol the next morning, and on
my way met Mr.. Quantril and also MI. Spring
man, who escorted me to the above named
room, and when got inside the door Mr.. Guam
tril locked it and took the key out and put it in
his pocket, then handed me paper, pen and ink,
and said l should make a statement In my hand
which was dictated to me by springman and
Quantrill, the latter named took possession
OF it and said he would wait on the District
Commissioners about the affair, and Mr.. Spring
Of IT. IN have nuhltShn6 and nv
doing this it would fetch you up on charges, and
sooner than have this Investigated the board Of
fire commissioners would resign, because he
when they would resign MI. Reed would get his
seat In the board and he, Quantril, had docu-
ment signed by 4s Senators for the fire commits
sionership, and after they were In the board
they would damn soon get you out OF the way;
also, Mr. Quantrill told me to come up to the
Capitol to see him every day. Iwent to see him
afterwards, and the next thing he wanted me to
do was to bring charges against MIR. Hume; that
he had concluded to wait until Congress got in
session so as to make the affair look bad In the
himself, saying that If you was not dismissed on
these charges that he would stop all appropr1a-
t1ons for the fire department, and that he would
Congress adjourned, and that Mr.. Bacon was no
fit man to be on the board; he also said that
he would get committee from Congress to in
Uestigate the fire department, 50 as to make
calls at the head Of the department, and that he
would let the board of fire commissioners see
that he had influence enough to break them up,
and let every man in the District see their dirt
However Mr.. Quantrill never got me that posi-
tion, because I would not swear to the state
ment gave TO him and because would not.
bring charges against Mr.. Hume
Very respectfully, JAMES T. MURRAY.
N. B-Ihis letter am willing to make oath
to at any time, and any further particulars ad-
dress Jno. Murray, who will deliver to me, cor.
7th street road and Grant ave. NV, city.
I,James T. Murray, do solemnly swear that
the above statement is correct.
JAMES T. MURRAY.
Subscribed and sworn to this 9th day Of Feb
ruary, A.D 1880. Before me:
F. w. JONES, Notary Public for D. OF C.
A PERMANENT EXHIBITION IN BRUssELs.-Mr.
John Wilson, U. s. Consul anG now in charge at
Brussels in his despatch to the Department