Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-13
REFORMERS WRANGLE
About Employing an Attorney in the
Allegheny Suits.
THE COMMITTEE BLOCKS THE GAME
Elphinstone and Iangftt Must Battle With
Old Attorneys.
THE REFoRM ASSOCIATION ELECTION

The Allegheny Reform Association, which
is second edition of the celebrated Com
! mittee of Fifty, has lively fight In pro-
gress on the inside which will likely re-
quire a reform movement within the assocla-
tion to get settlement. The trouble is OF
several months standing, but has been kept
religiously quiet. When the association
was organized it was supposed that it would
take'up the Allegheny investigation, bear
the expenses not provided for by the
city, and De in fact what it is in
name. Promises were made with as
much flourish as an advertisement for cir
Gus and for several months it was thought
they were being carried out to the letter.
One of the assurances was that attorneys
would be secured to assist City Solicitor
Elphinstone in prosecuting Mayor Wyman,
ex-Mayor Pearson and Market Clerk Hast
ings. Money was solicited from the MEM
bers of the association to get an attorney,
but as yet none has been engaged.
Attorneys Have Not Yet Been Employed.
1t was supposed, and was allowed to be
considered as true, that Mr.. Langftt was in
the employ of the association, but, in fact,
he is paid by few prominent Allegheny
citizens who are not members of the
Reform Association and who expected
the latter organization to secure another at
torney. Langftt was to be considered an
assistant, and it was supposed the associa-
tion would secure some one of the most
capable attorneys in the city. The Execu-
tive Committee, which has charge of all
business of the association, has been asked
several times to take some action, but on ac-
count of a dispute among the members
nothing has been done. Following are the
members OF the committee: John Walker,
Chairman, Theodore SDroul, James Bovard,
n. Patterson, James W. Collins, j. Gilbert
Follansbee, w. Il. Thompson, NJ. Ponte-
fract and James McCord.
The first attorney it was intended to en-
gage was John Robb. The fee was fixed
and it was announced that Mr.. Robb was
retained. John Walker, the Chairman of
the Executive Committee, opposed engag-
ing him, however, and backed bv Mr.. Ponte-
fract, brother-in-law of Mr.. Walker, they
succeeded in blocking the game until Mr.
Robb was engaged by Mayor Wyman.
W. r.. Thompson Wanted to Secure Robb.
W. r. Thompson was very anxious to Sc
cure Mr.. Rbbb and even went so far as to
write letter to him asking him not to
associate himself with the case of the ac.
cused Allegheny officials until a final de-
cision would be reached in the Reform
Association. Mr.. Robb would not delay,
however.
Immediately after he was engaged by
Mayor Wyman meeting of the Executive
Committee was held to secure some other
attorney. Mr.. Walker and Mr.. Pontefract
still objected and succeeded in carrying
their point. Meetings have been held fire.
quently since, but nothing has been done
except to create bitter feeling. 1t is thought
the case against the Allegheny officials will
be reached early next week, and, as it looks
now, there'will be only Attorneys Elphin-
stone and Langfitt to enter the contest with
such "old timers as Attorneys Marshall,
Robb and Major Montooth. Elphin-
stone and Lang6tt are both young men
and neither are known as criminal court
lawyers. A meeting of the Executive Com
mittee will be held soon to see if another
attorney will be engaged, but it is hardly
likely it will carry.
The Reform Association held its annual
meeting Monday and reelected its old
officers. No other business was considered.