St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-06
WAR DECLARED AGAIN
Rollins and Rinker Are Again
Openly Arrayed Over the
Pumps.
Rinker Says He Won't Testify,
and Rollins Will Try CO.
ePeion.
Discharged Workhouse EN-
ployes Make a Kick to the
c. and c. Board.
Burglars Move Out a Whole
Tailor Shop--Hurrle Found
Guilty.

The recalcitrance of Engineer Rinker,
who had been summoned to appear be-
fore the committee on pump investiga-
ton. prevented that body from transact
ing any business yesterday. Mr.. Rinker
had said that he would not I've present,
and persistently kept his word. Chair
man Rollins and Aldermen Hunter and
Kiichli were the only members on hand.
1t was supposed that the mass Of teSti-
mony obtained in the former meetings
would be gone over carefully. but Mr.
Rinker's deli and the uon-appearanca
of Aid. BradiSh evidently interfered
with the chairman's plan for developing
additional testimony, as he ordered an
indefinite adjournment. 1t is the inten-
ton of the chairman to bring Mr.. Rinker
before the committee if he can be le
gally compelled to testify. whether that
gentleman will or no. The city atto;-
ney will be instructed as to Mr.. Rinker's
behavior, and the committee will douot
less be governed by his direction in the
matter.
Chairman Rollins spent some time
yesterday afternoon in trying to see
City Attorney Russell, but being unsuc-
cessful, finally decided to wait until ID
day to lay the matter before him.
Speaking on the subject 10 GLOBE
representative last evening, Aid. Rollins
said:
Il propose before this investigation
goes any further. to find out what Mr..
Rinker's refusal amounts TO, and
whether there is not some way to compel
him to appear before us.
when l introduced. in the council,
the motion under which this investl5a-
ton has been conducted | was not after
anybody nor did | accuse anybody of
wrong doing. simply wanted 10 get at
the truth in regard to those pumps. and
that is what the committee has been
working for all this time.
I'VE cannot. however, get at tie
truth if the city officials are going 10
throw every possible obstacle in our
way and refuse to act with US and fur
niSh US with the information which we
require. | think Mr.. Rinker has taken
a mistaken attitude in this matter from
the first. and in view of what has trans
pired think his conduct of today was
particularly ill-adviSed. His position
would lead persons not fully acquainted
with the facts in the case, to believe
that he has something TO conceal"
Mr.. Rinker'S refusal to appear before
the committee is due to the fact that lie
was not allowed to examine witnesses
during the investigation. This privilege
he was denied as early as the third or
fourth session by Chairman Rollins, who
stated as his reason that Mr.. Rinker
was not a member of the committee.
Later in the investigation. while Engi-
neer Tweedie was on the ST. nd. Rinker
again applied for permission to intro
duce little croSS-eXamination, and it
was granted until it was found that he
wanted to touch upon certain letter
from Tweedie. which was published IN
one Of the daily papers, and which
formed part of lively newspaper con-
trOversy between these two gentlemen.
Then Rinker was again sidetracked-
this time by Aid. Hunter, who insisted
that the RinkerTweedie imbroglio
should be settled outside the committee.
At that time, Rinker. i'll angry tones,
declared that he was Through with the
committee, and would have nothing fur
Their to do with it, but the members
regarded this declaration az bluff, and
did not attach much Importance to il
until it was reiterated in unmistakable
terms yesterday. Upon being questioned
yesterday, MIR. Rlnker said:
Il am ready and even anxious to make
statement in regard to this matter but
/ shall not make il before the committee
| shall go to the council, where, think
| will receive fair treatment.
when | first went into this investi
CATION was assured by members of the
committee that would be allowed to
examine witnesses, but before things
had proceeded very far this privilege
was denied me. and invldiouS remarks
as to my relations with the Worthing-
ton people were made by members of
the committee. | was denied an opp0r-
tunity to set myself right in this mat
ter, and feel that have been unfairly
treated. l shall positively decline to
appear again before the committee, but
shall go to the council for justice"
The legal phase of the question does
not appear to be clearly defined. City
Attorney Russell could not be found
yesterday afternoon. and had he been
it is doubtful if he would have given an
opinion Otf-hand, as the point involved
is very nice one. A prominent ator-
ney, asked to express an opinion upon
the case yesterday, said:
LAS far as the powers of the commit
tee are concerned, Mr.. Rlnker cannot
be made to appear, but perhaps the
council can reach him in some manner
AS to that should not like to express a
positive opinion without looking the
question up more fully, as the point is a
delicate one. MI. Rinker is a public
official, and under the charter has Ger
tain duties which he is required to per-
form. The charter also gives HIM Ger
tain powers which the council is bound
to respect. and | can think of no process
of law whereby he could be required to
come before that committee and testify.
1t is not as though he had refused to de-
liver public records or were withholding
public property. However, as a city
official. he is appointed by the council
and there is question as TO whether
that body could not compel him to tes-
tify on pain of removal from Office for
failure to perform his duty in refusing