The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-04-14
.THE MAYORS REPORT.

TIE MAYORS REPORT
CONCERNING skneEANr sMIrH
IsFinalIy Tackled by the Council Commit
tee on Rtsetio1s. Which Holds star
Chamber sesAion over 1t-Reportsts
Bounosd-smlth Makes speech.
Atlast4he Council Committee on Elec-
lions las held a meeting and considered
the report made by Mayor. Grub to
Council concerning the gamblers and the
apparent friendly attitude Of Chief Of
loffce smith towards them, q report that
was for number Of days the absorbing
topic Of conversation in the city. 1t was
referred by the partisan Second Branch to
a 5 TO ! Democratic committee in the
hope that 1t would there be etfectually
s1uelChed; but the Mayor was not TO be
shut off in this manner and had the COM
lnittee summoned so often that at last the
members evidently came to the conclusion
u at they might as well meet and tackle
the thing, for last night every member was
present at the City building.
The meeting was held in the First
Branch chamber. TWAS the first meeting
OF the committee. The members are
DIessrs. HarreIt, Farrell, Kenny, smithand
Gavin, Democrats, and Mr.. Gilleland, Re-
publican. The committee organized by
electing Mr.. Peter Farrell chairman. The
report OF the Mayor, which had been re-
ferred to It, was then read,
4 PRRTTNENT.INQuIRY.
Mr.. Harrell, who has the reputation Of
trying to be fair in considering all ques-
tons that come before him as Council
man, at the conclusion OF the reading
asked the very pertinent question, "What
has this committee got to do with it2 Do
they want US 10 act upon the financial por-
ton Of the report as well as that pertain
ing 10 the Chief Of Police?"
Mr.. Harrell was at loss how to act and
!. the other members did not appear to feel
able to help him. Had Mr.. Harrell asked
his questions at the time tho report was
sent by the Second Branch to the Com
mittee on Elections 1t might have been
that the various matters referred TO would
have been sent to the appropriate COM
mittees.
Mr.. Gavin made motion after Mr..
Harrell had spoken, that the Mayor and
| Chief OF Police be invited to make any
statements they might desire before the
committee. This motion prevailed aud
the Mayor was given chance. He stated
that ali hehad 10 say was before the com
mittee in his report he had nothing to re-
tract or add.
at this juncture Mr.. Kenny called the
attention Of the Chair to the fact that q
reporter was present, and stated that he
, did not think committee business should
be open TO criticism, and limited that the
reporters absence would be more accept.
] able than his company. This caused q
little embarrassment, bat It was finally
J arranged that the reporter could stay
. until Captain Smith had made his state
ments. l
TuR CHIEFS PLAZA.
Porter cleared his throat and then let
fly speech that resembled closely one oil
bis old time Council oratorical efforts. He
] thought that he had done his duty; it was
, true, he-continued, that the Mayor had
spoken to him on the subject Of gambling
several times away from his (Smith's)
office, and he thought il the Mayor want
ed TO talk to him on The matter, heahould
come to his office. II was the duty OF the
, Mayor II hc knew these things 10 exist 10
make complaint and swear out the war
rant; the whole thing from beginning to
end was marked with venom sufficient
. to make ainan's blood boil he was ready
to be investigated !; be did not think man
who gave only one twentiGth the bond lie
did, shonld exercise such power over him;
DO did not care the snap Of his fingers for
the Mayors report; he feared no inyesti-
CATION.
These pyrotechnics being concluded,
the committee wrapped itself in the
awful mystery of star chamber session
afraid evidently TO let the public know
/ what it was gong to say or do.
, Clerk Galligan remained to do the
clerical work and Solicitor 0'keefe was
present to instruct the committee on the
legal points involved in the report.
Later on, another reporter OF tbs In.
TELilGEScRE undertook 10 report the pro-
ceedings. As he entered the room Clerk
Galligan was reading portion OF the
Mayors report in burlesque.dramntie
tone ofvoice. Mr.. Gavin interrupted and
asked the Chair TO do its duty. The Chair
did not catch on" to the meaning Of this
until tialligan said in tone sutlused with
sweet chewing tobacco, "Fire the re-
porter.n Mr.. Farrell then said that the
committee had decided to hold secret
session and reporter No. 2 went out.
Solicitor 0'Keefre then proceeded to
expound the ordinances as he under
stood them, and then the committee
talked for over an hour in a low tone Of
voice.
THE DECISION WITHHELD.
At last some decision waa arrived at,
but. what It was no one will know posi-
lively until tonight, when report will
be made to Council. Every member Of
the committee was sworn to secrecy, and
althouph pumped in various ways moth
ing definite was learned. One report was
that the committee had taken action that
would salye both the Mayor and Chief
over and satisfy them, Another report
was that after d long vrangle the commit
Tee decided that the only thing to do
was to send the Mayors report
back to Council with the recon-
mendation that that part relating to