Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-03-26
COMPROMISE LOAN.
SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO Be NAMED BY
COUNCIL
To Go Into an Investigation Of the Matter That the
Guilty Person May be Located, if
That be Possible.

L
of Council. last night, over the discrep-
ancy in the accounts of the compromise
loan of the city.
The matter was brought up by Mr..
Harrell, who took the floor about nine
o'clock and said:
Mr.. Chairman, move we suspend
the rules. have the report of Expert
Brock brought in, and go into Commit
tee of the Whole on the compromise
loan matter The Committee on FL
nance knows nothing more about that
matter than has been published, but
there seems 10 be a demand on the part
of the citizens, as expressed through
| the papers, TO know who stole Slj, 900 Of
the city'S money. ] am in favor Of Il
point blank vote on the question of who
stole the money. make that motion. :"
The motion was adopted, and the
/ Branch resolved itself a Committee of
the Whole, Mr.. Cruise being chosen
| Chairman.
Mr.. Maxwell said he didn't think
there was any necessity for spending
much time over the matter The report
was pretty clear. There was expended
by the Clerk. on the demand of the
Commissioners, about S4l 900. Col. y.
! Wilkinson got that money, and that
was all about it. As to the bogus bonds.
about $1,000 was realized, but there
was nothing to show which Commits
Sioncr got it, or which Commissioner
made the eraSures ON the bonds and
coupons. 1t was beyond the power Of
! the Committee to SO say who the guilty
party was,
The Chair said he had sent for the re
port of Mr.. Brock, and it would be read.
Mr.. Harrcll said so much had been
said about the matter, and so many in
situations had been made, reflect
| ing on the Finance Committee, that
he thought he would have the matter
rcSurrectcd and allow some members,
who were IA little sharper than the
members Of the Committee, a chance TO
air their knowledge. He said he didn't
know who the Mr. Martin was, signing
COMMUNICATION in the paper, but he
was in favor of sending a special COM
mittcc after him and other interested
taxpayers and have IL fully explained
that all the Finance Committee knew
about the matter was what Mr.. Brock
had told them. and all he had
told them had been printed
in the papers. and was published
property. He had been approached by
relatives Of one OF the late Com
mSSioners, now dead, and they desired
yindicatiOn. 1t was with this idea,
and in obedience to this demand, that
he had brought up the matter. He
could not go from house to house to tell
people what the trouble was and where
the responsibility lay.
The report of Mr.. Brock was then
read in full by the Clerk. as has been
printed by this paper, the definite loss
to the city being Sl4.956.69, with fur
Their contingency Of Sl.5Gj.
Mr.. MaXwell-Mr. Chairman. | claim
the report is not exactly correct. There
is calculation for interest on spurious
bonds. | never saw loss which would
accumulate. either by interest or any
thing else. ! think the report is errO-
ncouS TO that extent. The $1,000 !
have referred to was undoubtedly OBJ
Adllfu w NIL W llhltiruil4 A- HIS illhbl 81
mcnt shows that, but we can't say who
changed the figures on the eleven bonds.
OF course, | understand the position OF
the heirs of the INSTRUMENTATION
Of them like TO say the other changed
the figures. The committee can't say
that. and | don't believe any one else
can say so.
Mr.. Harrcll said he must disagree with
Mr.. Maxwell about the interest. He
thought Mr.. Brooks statement was
exactly right. In reply to this, Mr..
Maxwell said it would be just aS proper
to keep on charging interest for one
hundred years to come.
Mr.. Iarrcll thought Mr.. Maxwell was
advancing an insane idea, and Mr. Max
well said he knew Of some insane ideas
advanced by a gentleman not very far
from his desk.
The Chair here called the members to
order. and Mr.. O'kanc asked If it would
not be proper to send for Mr.. DobbinS,
the Mayor, and others and see just
where the liability was. He wanted To
see the matter cleared up.
There was considerable discussion on
this point. during which Mr.. Cruise said
the loss could be proved, almost to
certainty. on a certain individual. The
committee recognized this. and had there
been any chance for recovery, the
committee would have recommended ac-
ton. As it was the man who got por-
ton of the money was dead and his cS-
tate was bankrupt The same thing
was true of the other. His estate was
also bankrupt.
Mr.. Howell here interrupted to say
that an heir Of one OF the Com
miSsioners had told him that if it could
be shown his father got dollar Of the
money. he would make ii good.
Mr.. Cruise said he was glad to hear
that, but unfortunately Mr.. Brady did
not manage the loan; the other Com
missioner did the work. At meeting
Of the Finance Committee Of the last
Council. Mr.. Cruise said he had noticed
the bad numbering on some Of the
bonds, and Col. Wilkinson had been
asked to explain the thing. The Colonel
made a ready explanation. which every
one accepted. The last report
from Col. Wilkinson came in
just as the last Council went
out. II was put in the case in the
Clerks Office, but when looked for later
it was gone and Mr. Cruise did not think
il possible to determine who changed
the figures. He saw no chance for the
city to make her loss good.
Mr.. Harrell said provision out to be
made for changing the Clerks books.
Mr.. Maxwell let the Finance
Committee do that.
Mr.. Harrell. (sarcastly)-No, sir; !
want this attended to now. From what
the papers and members OF Council have
said, think the members Of the Fin
ancc Committee ought to be watched.
! think they are incompetent
Mr. Brandfass moved that a commit
ftec of three be appointed to fix up the
books, and make any recommendation
proper.
Mr. Harrell-Why is this thus? Why
this effort 10 dodge the issue? What's
wrong? Are you trying to get behind a
bush. too? This thing Of dilly-dallying
around with a special committee is all
foolishnesS. Let's go to work and fix it
now. The first thing you know TAX.
payer" will be accusing YOU OF Sinking
your duty.
Mr.. Brandfass-Mr IIarrell seems to
have come here cooked and primed for
row. fail to see why he objects to a
committee, and ! also fail to see who he
is hitting at.
Mr.. Ellingham thought the matter
ought to 60 to the Finance Committee.
Finally the Committee Of the Whole