Omaha daily bee., 1889-02-10
LOOK UNDER THE WOOD PILE,
For an Ethiopian May Be Concealed
There.
THE PAULY VAULT BILL ROW.
County Commissioners Allow tho
Claim After a wranglc, O'Keefo
Alone Protesting and Vot-
ing Against IL.
HE PAuLY VAULT BILL ROW.
a Lively Meeting,

|
board of county commissioners was one of
the liveiest held for many moons. 1t was
fight that grew out of the contract heretofore
mentioned between the board and the Pauy
Iron company, of st. Louis. Some
time ago the board decided to have
the vault in the clerks ofiCe OF
the district court filled with shelves,
and spaces for books and papers. The co n
tract for doing the work was awarded to the
Pauly Iron company. When the work w as
completed four members of the board, Mes.
srs Mou MT Anderson, Turner and Corrigan
held special meeting in the absence of
& commissioner O'kccfc, who was, it is said
was dupcd into staying away, and allowed L.C.
| Wundt, agent for the company, 81, 500 in cx.
cess of the contract price, which was s., 500.
The extra it is claimed, was for the build.
ing of small balcony, not included in tho
| contract.
There is a question now as to whether the
| board had any aut hority to tack nearly
| Sl5U0 extra to the bill of the Pauly com
| pany. O'kccfe contends that if the gallery
| had been made under the original contract,
| 10 be paid for extra, the sum expended is
| more than double what it should have
been Mount claims directly to tho
| contrary. He says the Job is cheap
enough. Anyway Hundt is said to have been
so much gratilied that after getting the
money he "blcw HIMSELF quito recklcssly
| for the benefit of several of the boys. Some
| of them, II is alleged, were complimcntcd
| with overcoats, others had suits of clothes
| thrust upon them and all hands enjoyed tho
revelry of high life for three or four days.
| A feature of the affair that has and is Caus-
ing much talk refers to County Treasurer
| Bolln's action in cashing the warrant of
| s., l26.25 immediately upon its presentation
| to linn by Wundt
| ance lately in the third house at
Lincoln, but returned home Friday even
ing, and was found at his desk yesterday.
He at first was so 10th to talk that some very
vigorous pumping had TO be INDUCED in.
ut is understood, Mr.. Bolln, that you
cashed the warrant of S5,l26.25 for l.. G.
Wundt Immediately upon its presentation to
youp'
"Yes, I did. What of itl"
people are talking seriously and wanting
to know why you did 50, when so many war
rants have been endorsed, by you, then
shaved at the banks because there was no
happened to have enough to pay this oner
AT the time it was presented the
personal property taxes were coming
in in quit, quite lively and the general fund
"I1ave any warrants been cashed since that
oner
''Yes, have paid out about $50 O0OOn
The reporter was informed yesterday that
Wundt mad been at work with his persuasive
powers, in the shape of n large wad of boode
on O'keefe, with view to hushing him up
and letting the row blow over; It is said he
as his per, cent divy OF the
$1,000 warrant. Also $500 If he would
agree to support an enlarge ment of the
county lall and assist the Pauly company in
getting the contract for doing the work
How the matter was brought before the
commissioners yesterday was on the reading
OF the general lappropriaton bill, which
amounted to S9 l0146. The appropriation
included the pauiey excess bill. Before it
was put to a vote Mr.. O'Iieeffe made pro-
test.
"That company has been allowed 81, 800 too
much money" said he. II will make q mo-
tion that the appropriation be not allowed
don't know whether will get second to
it or not, and don't care a.
mo swearing goes, Mr.. O'Keeffc,n was the
reproof from Chairman Mount,
well, it's all right" replied Mr. OKeeffc,
"bnt don't care a---'
"Just to get the motion before the board
will second it, said Mr.. Turner.
81 move that the appropriation be put on
its second and third reading and passed."
said Mr. Anderson
81 want to file my protest on allowing that
biE," replied Mr.. O'Keeffe and he produced
a little document which read as follows:
~ hereby protest against the action of this
board in allowing to the Pauley Iron com
pany s. 800 extra, being that portion of the
bill which is supposed to coyer extra cx-
penses for erecting balcony in the office Of
the clerk of the district court vault, my rea-
son being that account is excessive and con-
trary to contract
The protest was read and the question Of
allowing the extra was put to a vote When
Mr. O'Eeetfc voted he said the records
would show that the committee on court
house and jails, to which the matter had
been referred, had made recommendations
that the contract price be $l95 pile This
was acted upon and had the allowance for the
work not been excessive Mr.. OKeeffe
would not have made any objections. Again
did he swear. he was wrathy and again did
the chairman call him down. AS Mr..
preparation sheet, Mr.. O'Keefe did
he had done. If a bill was as to be BE- stolen
through that was good way to pay it, be-
fore any appropriation had been made for il.
He referred also to the curbstone work of
the committee, and Mr.. Andersons face
turned crimson red.
The question was finally put to vote,
which resulted in the allowance of the bill
and the passage of the appropriation, the
only may being that of Okeeffe.
While the others were voting in the affirm
alive Mr.. ORoeffe stated that he hoped
their bondsmen would have TO pay for the
allowance of the bill
Mr.. Anderson in speaking of Mr.. O'Keeffe's
absence as had been stated, said that he was
present at the meeting when the bill was
allowed This also made Mr.. O'Keeffe very
angry.
~ was not here" he retorted, land don't
want you to say that | was, You thought
you had me down to the Paxton bar in
drunken condition, but you got left That
should not have been allowed. Why,
Wundt didn't expect but $1,000, and
didn't want any more. Here you fclers have
given him 81 800 in excess"
Poor demented Billy Moran had to suffer
for lots Of things in the deal that the com
mittee could not account for.
"YOu all know that he is crazy, and was
insane then" would be the plea.
There is likely that something rich will
develop in the matter before it is finally
settled, though the bill has been allowed.
There was also wrangle on the passage
Of another appropriation bill for grading and
the like. The amount Of the appropriation
was 81, 40. In it was the fifth grading
estimate CT G. A. Jensen for work on the
hospital grounds The amount of the esti-
mate was s5l059. The objection made
for the allowance of this
claim was that the bill had
not passed through the proper channel. Mr..
O'Keeffe wanted committee to examine it
and make recommendations upon it, Not
this the appropriation was
passed, Mr.. O'Keeffes vote being the only
one
Some minor bills were presented and re-
erred, and the commissioners adjourned till
afternoon
A Weakness For Coats.
Harry GLAND, young lad with broken
tctrt aIa 81.