Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-03
ALL0FFICERS UNEASY.
No Man Holding Public Position in
Allegheny Feels Safe.
A COMMITTEES WELL-LAID PLANS.
How the Majority Faction in Allegheny
Fell Into Trap.
PRECEDENT IS NO EXCUSE FOR CRIME

Official life in Allegheny is anything but
agreeable. No one, however innocent,
knows when the mistakes-Of his career will
be flashed before the public as crimes. The
suffering OF the guilty is still more severe
Besides the punishment of an uneasy con-
science the man who knows he has done
wrong now realizes that before the new year
comes he may be behind iron bars without a
saw.
That the Citizens Reform Association is
in business for purpose and with deter
mination backed by cash and brains is evil
| dent to all. 1t is the old Committee of
| Fifty with a new name and large quantity
of the elixir of life injected into its veins.
Its history is somewhat obscure but none
the less interesting. 1t came into life just
before the city entered the second class.
The fight that was then made on the gilt
edged government that was planned and the
| success with which big salaries and high
priced officials were thrown overheard is a
part of the history of Allegheny. Pol
itics was revclutionized in one nights
meeting of Select Council, and the
men who led the reformers' forces
are the ones who are now working
night and day to straighten out the city's
affairs. Before they attended that meeting
Of Council, they had been in consultation
with the Executive Committee of the Com
mittee of Fifty and the changes they desired
made were written out on slips of paper
One of those slips provided for an amend
ment enlarging the powers of the Auditing
Committee.
The Trap Worked Both Ways.
Previous to this time the Committee on
Wooden Buildings and the Auditing Com
mittee were the storing places for men who
did not march in the ranks of the majority.
Messrs. Clifford and Henricks had fire.
quently been in those obscure committees
and were thus forced into in
activity. Last spring they were placed
in the same tomb. They were not
popular with the people in power
and were just where it was thought
they could do no harm. 1t was Just what
they wanted The Committee of Fifty had
arranged that the Auditing Committee
should be one of the most important. 1t
was planned that they should carry out the
present investigation, and Messrs. Clifford
and Henricks were entrusted with the work.
How we'll they have succeeded will be
known first when the jury's verdict is
given.
A part OF the programme mapped out at
the meetings last winter was that w. NJ
Kennedy should be the next Mayor of Allie
gheny. He is one of the leaders of the re-
form movement and a prominent member of
Councils. In the fights against James
Hunters leadership he took an active part.
He is open in upholding the present in
vestigatiOn, and will make his political
fight on his record in Councils.
Yesterday another bomb was exploded
when an affidavit was made public in which
Lewis Koerner testifes that during the
Mayoralty campaign he was promised the
appointment of Chief of Police by Mayor
Wyman in return for promise by II. o.
Price that the latter would not publish
the fact that he had paid 81 900 to Wyman
and Murphy for the privilege of running a
wheel of fortune Koerner claimed that
charging Wyman with having accepted
bribe, and that he had intended doing SO
until Koerner was promised position.
The Mayors Positive Denial.
When Mayor Wyman was asked about
the assertion yesterday he said he had never
received money from Price, and therefore
the affidavit was false. 81 have no in
tention of running away" he continued,
with smile, "and am ready to meet all
charges. Nothing criminal has been proven
against me, and if it is found that it was
not lawful for me to retain witness fees I
am able to return them. This whole thing |
is being done for political effect, and am
not afraid of it.
In explaining the charges about the wit
ness fees yesterday, Mayors Clerk Hum |
neshagen said that Mayors Wyman and |
Pearson had simply followed precedent. 'It |
has been customary" he continued, "for |
the Mayor to collect witness fees whether |
case has been tried or withdrawn, because |
all witnesses summoned are entitled to so |
cents pay. or course, great many wit |
nesses do not call for their money and it |
becomes clear gain for the Mayor. With |
regard to the erasures, they were only |
made on the blotter. Another record is
kept with pen and ink. Erasures
were made when fines were remit
inent party or when the Mayors |
judgment induced him to do SO. am not
the practice, because believe it
is hardly proper, but it is done in almost
every city, and could not be considered
criminal
Sorry for His Friends.
Chairman Henricks, of the sub-Auditing
Committee, was very conservative in his
statements yesterday. He said he was sorry
that his position required him to unearth
things that would work against the interests
of his friends He thought that following
was no excuse for wrong doing. The
auditors report, he said, showed condition
of things in the Mayors Office that is a dis
grace to the city, and because it had been
practised in the past was no reason for allow
ing it to continue in the future. with
regard to the affidavits of Koerner and
Braun" he continued, 'their charges are
being investigated and will only be re-
ported to the Auditing Committee in case
they are proven without doubt. A supple
mental report will be made to the sub-com-
mittee next Friday evening, and if what we
have in hand now turns out as we expect
more startling revelations will be made
then than have yet been mentioned The
entire Auditing Committee will meet next
Monday night and some plan of action for
the punishment of guilty parties will be de-
termined on. This work is not being done
for political effect, but, of course, it may