Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-09
HASTINGS IS HONEST.
So Say All the Allegheny Market
Gardeners and Butchers.
CARELESSNESS WAS THE CAUSE.
The Auditing Committee Will Hold His
Bondsmen for the Amount.
MANY OF THE STALLS WERE NOT RENTED

The report of the Auditing Committee
that Market Clerk David Hastings, of ALE
gheny, was short S32, 900 in his accounts
created big sensation in Allegheny yester-
day. AS already stated, the Auditing
Committee found that there had been al
most no attempt at bookkeeping, and that
the records of the transactions between the
Market Clerk and the stall renters were in
complete. Where the committee found no
record of any receipts from stalls, and no
record of the stalls being vacant, they
assumed that they had been occupied, and
in the absence of evidence to the contrary
have charged the rent to the persons occu-
pying them, either at the present time or at
the time the stalls were leased.
A DISPATCH reporter visited the Allie
gheny market house yesterday and In talk
ing with the proprietors of almost every
stall it was found that the general opinion
was that Hastings had been very careless
and negligent in keeping the accounts but
there were very few who would say he had
been crooked.
According to the committees report, there
were 16 stall renters against whom there are
over $500 charged, which if paid are unac-
counted for.
RENTS CHARGED FOR VACANT STALLS.
OF these, James Reed is charged with
1928 "a. Mr. Reed sold out business some
time ago, and claims that his rent was paid
up in full and that 800 in excess was charged.
Charles Wehner is on the list. He has not
had q stand in the market house for seven
formerly occupied by Wehner, and claims
that he has paid up to last January. The
amount charg ed against this stall is s9l2. 1t
rents for s6C year. J. Gallagher is charged
with S535 back rent. j. Gallagher has occu-
pied his present stall for two years. 1t rents
for $40 year.
Richard Danvers is another delinquent;
according to the report. He has been dead
for ten years.
George Beilstein said he did not owe the
the city 500. He is charged with 1915.
George Baxter owes the city $3.50, says the
report He says he can show that he has paid
up to last January and so on through the
list. The butchers and gardeners say they
have DIr. Hastings receipts in full for every
payment and yet they are not credited
in the market clerks book.
j. r. Beilstein, who was said to owe S526
back rent, said yesterday: 81 have paid my
rent and have tine receipts to show for it. /
believe when this affair is investigated that
Hastings will not be short in his accounts.
There were times when half the stands in
tne market were vacant ana d. not THINK
he should be held responsible for rent he
never received"
THINKS HASTINGS WAS CARELESS.
A. Herchenroether-I do not believe that
Hastings has been dishonest He has prob
ably been careless and allowed things to get
muddled. The Auditing Committees ex.
perts took the chart of the market house
and figured up what the total rental should
have been had they been continuously occu-
pied, which they were not. This was the
sentiments of the majority of the butchers
and market gardeners.
Market Clerk Hastings will appear before
the Investigating Committee next Monday
night and give his eXplanat ton of the affair.
He says if it is shown that he is in arrears to
the city, the money will be paid. He said:
"Some of the stands that it claimed have
failed to account for were never rented nor
occupied during the time mentioned; some
few years ago more than one-half the mar
ket stalls were unoccupied."
H. Mcbride, the proprietor of the drug
store at the Federal street corner of the
Market House, said yesterday that he had
known Mr.. Hastings for IL years. and that
he did not believe there had been any dis
honesty on his part: He continued: HAST
ings has held the position of Market Clerk
for IS years. and it is we'll known that he is
no better Off financially today than he was
when he assumed the Office"
The bondsmen are W. B. Moore and George
W. Day, and it is understood that the com
mittee will call upon them to make good
the deficiency. Whether it was caused by