Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-03-31
He Did Not Order the Experts
to Examine
PERRrs BOOKS f0RTWO YEARS
The Experts, Van Dugseren and Raiguei.
Say Emphatiealiy That He Did, and
There You Have It-Whicha


which order Was executed by Mayor
Uhl in May and June. 1891. Little in
terest was taken IN this ruraor and the
whole distresstul business was practl-
caily forgotten until Mayor Uhl IN
speech before large number of tax
payers declared that mot dollar had
been lost To the city by the dishonesty
Of democratic city Official" or words
TO the same effect. for which be re-
celved great applause. As usual In
such cases, IN all cases. The HERALD
was ineuisitive TO learn If what the
mayor said was strictly true. or whether
he was led 10 make the declaration as
. matter of patriotic enthusiasm, the
time and place being opportune. IL
will be remembered that IN the Perry
inquiry a return WAS made by the ex-
perts that the accounts balanced. IL
will also be remembered that the fact
leaked out that his bondsmen paid over
$4,000 To the city treasury to make the
books balance. The taxpayers were
saved financial loss by tnis piece Of
strategy and nobody felt disposed to
condemn the too palpab!e compound
ing of felony. Following this came
the Wright investigation and later the
Kruse Ipquify, IN both of which q
questionable state OF affairs was
unearthsd. On the heels OF these
three incidents Mayor Uni declared
that the city "hsd lost not
dollar by the dishonesty Of city off,
Gals"
Questions Were Asked.
The HERALD very promptly asked him
how be knew his declaration 10 be true
and ne has declined to answer, by re-
naming silent- Tie HERALD also sub
miiied the reasonable proposition
'.That if Perry stole over SIS 600 in his
second term, he must have stolen some-
thing in his first term, And asked to
know why his first term was not in
Quired into. To this the mayor made
no reply. nor indeed dio he pay any at
tention 10 the unmistakablc allusions
made to il.
The tax payers will not charge THE
HERALD with partisanship now that it
repeats the demand and asks whether
George II. Perry stole money from the
city treasury during has frst termf
The mayor saws the city "lost not one
dollar by the dishonesty of city
officisls." That was because Perry's
hondsmen paid $4,000 to cover his
thefts made during his last term Did
he steal during his first term? The
HERALD does not know, but IS IL not
reasonable TO suppose that he did.
The mayor processes not to know, but
r<f lcvot t,r ~
not reasonable to suppose that he is
honestly, or otherwise, IN ignorance on
the subject2
To confirm or deny the truth
of the report that the mayor in
ssIucted the experts not to extend
their inquiries beyond Perry's last
term, 8 reporter for THE HERALD was
detailed to interview the mayor on the
subject.
The Mayor Denies II.
He was found IN his Office where he
received the reporter with chIlllness
suggesting the presence of all lceberg
in the immediate vicinity. Without
taking q seat, for be was not asked To do
so. the reporter put the question
bluntly-
81. want to ask you, Mr.. Uhl,
whether or not 81 the time the Perry
investigation was made. you ordered
the experts making the examination of
the books not To go back into the first
two years Of his adminsstrationD
"My answer to that question is that
whatever did, did officially"
II want to know whether you did or
notg'
"THE HERALD has been pitching into
me OF late"
"I'm not responsible for that"
They sent you mere / suppose'''
eyes SIR"
"well. to your frs, question I will
now answer. Nor
During this brief interview Mayor
Unl nervousiy arranged the pspers on
hs deck and then sent them flying into
a confused mass ss with vebemence he
numbered mo" and closed the inter-
view.
vaa Dsxtsres says ne Did.
Not satisfied with the mayors posi-
tive assertion, the reporter visited the
Office OF J A.. X. Van Dugteren, over
the Grand Rapids National bsnk-a
radical democrat and one OF the ex-
perts employed TO make the Perry in
vestzstioB. He received The reporter
cordsIiy. inviting him 10 take q chair,
and the following interview was bad
'Mr. Van Dugtsren. believe you
nsde the examination of the books in
the city tressursr's Office At the tine OF
the Perry troublsF
"Ies sir.'
"Did yon so hack % The last two years
OF Perry's administration IN that eIsm-
nation
''No. sir. did not
"why didn't you go back into the
frat tive years OF his Administrations
II had orders not to-"
"Frcm whom did you receive those
ordersg''
"Frem Mayor Uhi-"
Rsisu-i csrrsssrss-. vss Dssseves.
The reporter also visited wiliisrn II.
Fairuei. who assisted Van Dugtereu.
"Did you, rhen nsp~ctns the books
Of ex Treasurer Perry. 20 back OF tie
last two years. be inquired.
NO. sir. I did rot"
"wss there any examination made
back Of that timef
NO. ssr, there wss not"
"Rhv wssn't there an examination
mate of the first two years Of BIS sd-
ministratour'
"we hat orders 10 examine the last
tso yesrs oaiy"
WAS there anything sad About es-
aiming tire fret tso yssfsf
II think We Rad some tslk about u,
hut ara net prepared 90 ssy wat THAT
tax ~ss. ~ course we we're expected
% follow cf'feTs. and He 9fd 80.
y ho gave you orders not 70 cram