Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-10-26
the CLOSING ARGUMENT
Delivered, Saturday Evening, Be-
fore The Investigating Committee,
By Gel. Robert White, Of Counsel for the
PrOsecutiOn---An Able Presen-
tatiOn Of His Side Of
the Question.


the Question.
Il was iust seven minutes Of ten o'clock
evening when Mr.. Hubbard con-
,luded his argument on behalf Of the de-
endant before the committee of inveshgs-
ion, and gave way to allow Col. Robert
White, Of counsel for the Chief Of Police,
10 close on behalf Of his client Col. White
advanced to the centre of the open space
IN front Of the committeeman, looking
quite III, and many predicted thas his re-
marks would be quite brief in their extent.
He began as follows;
COL. WHITES REMARKS.
Ma. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF TIE
CoMMrTEE:-Before the presentation OF
the charges which the Council of the City
of Wheeling has called upon this com nit
tee to investigate, knew very little about
them. After they had been preferred,
Captain Porter Smith came to me, and l
thought, when / had heard him, that
it was my duty to him, to the
family which looks up to and
loves him, and to the constituency which
placed him where he is, that should lend
him thu feeble aid it lay in my power to
extend. 1t was in this manner that sp
pearsd, and SO, night after night, have
been here to go through the seige Of ex-
aiming witnesses and sifiiDg evidence,
and / have endeavored manfully to gel
through with this prosecution.
QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE.
Il viii not enter q complaint, yet de-
sire to refer to charge, made in o news
paper of this city, thar the Pearl Woods
document, the affidavit got into my posses
sion BY some improper conduct on my
part The facts are these: / arose from
nv seat at that table, went TO the Clerk s
desk for the purpose Of asking Mr.. Bin
CELL for the affidavit, got it, returned to
my seat, used it injthe examination OF wit.
nesses, and returned it, unblemished and
unblotted, to the Chairman of this com
mittee, and for this it is sought to be said
that did something impropsrl despise
the impatation and cast it from me"
Turning then to the matter before the
committee, Colonel White said
THE CHARGES.
"The Mayor of this city is not on trial
before you, as look at the charges. You
are simply appointed to investigate fully,
and report the facts to Council, be they
what they may, and upon the facts so re,
ported Council is to act, and / desire it Of
you, each and every one, that you do your
duty under the solemn oath you have
taken and report the facts in this case"
Stating that owing to the limited time
assigned him he would not have time TO
60 over the charges seriatim, the speaker
said:
AN ADMITTED CHARGE.
"Some of the charges contained in the
paper submitted to Council may be said 10
be minor ones. One Of them, relating to
the granting of permits, is admitted BY
the Mayor. The duty of the Mayor IN
the matter is cont ined in the city ordi
nances, in q very few words. 1t is sworn
duty, and no matter what his predecessors
may have done, this grand moral reformel
should enforce, under the oath he has
taken, the law. The ordinance ssys
1t shall be unlawful to offer fol
sale any article of merchandise without
having first obtained license from thu
City Council or from the Clerk of the city.
Nov, the Mayor has sworn to sustain anC
enforce this ordinance, aud yet, with hi
eyes open, snd pleading as justification thu
poverty of applicants and the actions o
others, this moral reformer transgresseS tn
laWl
THE MAYORS COURSE WITH THE CHEF.
There is another charged don't pre-
tend to quote the language, but simply thu
Substsnce-thst the Mayor of the city wa
trying to bring discredit and disreput'
upon the Chief OF Police ard his force
Nov, report the fact ss TO that subStanis
charge. Is it true or not that the Mayo
was trying to bring into disrepute tina
man sitting there, who has been bounded
in the public prints and cut Of them, fol
months and monthsH
Col Arnett said the effort he was max
was dissgreesble one, but it was bill
duty. and he did not propose to shirk it
Continuing he said:
The Mayor should, by all means in BIZ
power, aid and assist a co ordinate
brsnrh Of the city govern
ment, aud yet ghet DO We find
BE. upon the public streets, points out a
house which he believes is q gambling
house, and when Porter Smith said he did
not know Of anything substantistiDg his
belief and asked for the Mayor to come to
his Office and give his information to him,
the Mayor declined to 60 and declined to
furnish bis informstion Again, when the
Chief of Police makes known to the Mayor
OF his intention to raid gambling houses,
and sends an officer to recounoiter prepar.
story to that raid, Mayor Grub listens to
the tale of tattlerl Is that the way to
assist q coordinate branch of fhe city
government
Again he said
VAST NUMBERS OF CITIZENS
The Mayor went upon that witness
stand and said that, day after day, vast
numbers of citizens Of this city came 10
him and complained about the conduct
and negligence Of the City Sergeant ard
get, when pushed, he named Mr. Laughlin
as one such citizen, and could not name
another! And yet that Mayor, sworn
to support the City Sergeant, had never
gone TO Porter Smith and told him he was
net doing his duty. The Mayor knew that
Porter Smith had been attacked day by day,
and his officers interferei with, ana yet
that Mayor takes no step to aid that OFF,
GER in the discharge Of his duty."
Again Col White said:
ut is easy to make losd shouts; it IS
Easy to draw forth applause and laughar
all that may be tuhny-but it is manly
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