New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-20
BRIBERY IN BALTIMORE.
AN OIL CONTRACT OPENS TIE WAY TO
INVESTIGATION.
MORE THAN ONE JOB LIKELY 10 ~ EXro=ED
-KEEPING BACK 4 BILL N COuN-
I'll < TO KNrn1tr, MnTEY

CILS TO ENTORT MONEY.
RaItlpor,. May lp-Thc Investigation of charges Of
attempts tn brbe several members Of the ti'y f"uu
cfs promises tn bring 10 Hight the peculiar operations
Of certain Democratic politicians who for years have
controlled municipal legislation. The lawyers Of N"
Reform feagus in recent muslcpal campaigns have
shs-n on to corrupt practices u tbeso boEEes IN tho
conduct Of elections, but this IS tho nrt time that
direct charges Of bribery have bCcn brought against
city ofcias Tho contract for supplying ih" oil lamps
In tho alleys and In tho suburbs Of the city with gAso
line amounts to about sl2 900 year local concern
called the Washington Automatic Gas COMPANY Of
which Charlie, =. NlcoIai Ia REPRESENTED the agrnt.
and Of which samuel j. RcSsner. member OF tho
Board Of CITY Flrr Commissioners, was formerly pTsl
dent and Is now said be principal stakeholder, had
monopoly Of the city gasoline contracts.
In the CITY Councils last year an effort
was made by the agents Of ih" United
OIL Company and another oil company 10 have the
city authorities offer the contract for compeiton II
was hi, fight Of the other cumpami's that led I" thr
present investigation.
Mr.. LOuI. y. PassarO, manager oi ihr Inii'N WI
Company, siatcs that James W. Mcilr"y, city cN
ainincr Of titles told him that b" could h'N" lh' OH
pending In the Councils committee nr romprtIil''
Kidding for the oil contract taken out Of cnmmi'r" by
paying T. Freeman Rasn 1900. Iasn Is senator ''"'
MANS chel lruT.nant Is' has sgiwahln inru"nc"
with the CITY Councils. He Is st Naval ohc"r "i IA"
Port under the Federal Government Tho charges
and counter charge, made before the invcstg ttimg
commiftec drag into the Hight OF the inquiry mann
nolIrci.ns S.nne other joEs Lrsidc- IA" oil contract
NAV be shown up III" inquiry mas just begun. III"
committee having only held two sessions. thar.o>
I Bonapartc tho Clvn Service r'iorncr. a member
~ the City Reform league Is conducting the cNlniha
uon NJ the witnesses AT the request Of the two Lr
rubIcan members 81 the committee, tho thirl n"m
Icr. a Democrat. having objected 10 Mr.. b"nal arr"
acting AZ counsel.
VI & Wc5b Of the standard Automatic Gas Com
many competitor for 10" contract. has proved To b"
ono ~ the most interesting wuc,-c, before the
,,,ttco He tells how Frr" Ra>Iu Informed him that
the gasoline matter had br"n SANDER upon ih" hcm"
cra,,c marty ever since there lamps n Hight and
that bc dA not car to sacrifice his Tcpuia'io~ and
did not want anything 20 do with II. Mr. Webb all"
tolls how he saw Hack" Quinn and sonny Mah"n,
two other DcmOcrais Of considerable inhucnce III"
savs that Quinn hrlpcd but Rasin and Mahon did not
come 10 tmc subsequently, however Mr.. Ec'c,ncr
rcpprtrd that sonny Mnhon all night and that h"
was going ~ nA u. Mr webb says that hc ana not
coinrrusntlon. The ordinance 10 open the contract
Ia com petition lay ~ commits" one cutlrr session 81
Tho councils and u f. common talh that ~ va
kept back I'm the hope ~ prclu: ihr United or some
Then II n Lud been reported by the committee, an
other fec would have brcn demanded Ia pass H. Mr..
Wcbh who Is a Democrat, admits that novel plan
vas adoptPd 10 rrWaN Councilman Berry for hi, good
work Tor the bili Berry candidate for Tr elrC
ZION webb suggested that an excursion might hr gu-
ir up for election day by which two hundrd colOrrd
voters could be oUuCcd away from the polls In hrrrN
,ard Their absence would insure his election
In CITY Han clrrles since the Gormau " Ring has
control