St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-03
Expectation That Official Acts
Of a Councilman Will
Be Looked Into.
Certain Rumors az to Why
Minneapolis Purchased an
Incompetent Engine.
Stories in Connection With
the Building Of Carts at
Shakopee.
Possibility That the Grand
Jury Will Make an Inves-
tigation.

1t would appear that there are some
very rocky shoals ahead in the near
future for leading alderman and a
coDfrere of his, and that his actions in
connection with q number of official
duties which he has performed may
have an airing before the grand jury.
A gentleman who is in position to
know of what he speaks says that it is
the impression of the men who have
made the investigation, and who had
the matters brought before the grand
jury in connection with the crookedness
in fire department circles, that this
alderman is at the head of the whole
trouble, and is the one who should bear
the brunt of the blame.
Il will tell you about this affair."" said
the gentleman with the inside facts.
1--WE know that Runge is good fellow,
and tn It he has been an easy-going chap
with the members of the fire depart
ment. While he is undoubtedly a good
fellow, that does not qualify him for the
position of chief of the department.
We appreciate the fact that things
got running rather loosely and
he could not help them from doing So.
He had too many friends in the depart
ment and in office, whose friends were
the ones who were doing the thieving at
the fires and conducting themselves in
generally reprehensible manner. He
could not call these men down without
getting himself diSliked by their power
full friends, and then he had a number
of pets, too. They made him think they
were friends. while they were ''doing''
him all the time. He had DO discipline
over the men in the department, and
they did as they pleased.
LAS to the alderman in question, there
are great many things about him and
his methods which will be looked into
by the grand jury if am not mistaken.
And the more they look the more they
will find to his sorrow. The grand
jury Is composed OF the representative
men of the city, and they are
looking out tor the welfare of
the city and their interests as
| citizens. This is matter OF the
| purchase of an engine from a st. Paul
hrm. The engine could not be steamed
up on the trial in less than forty min
utes-time for whole block to burn
down, while any other engine in the de-
! partment is ready in three minutes at
the most. Ibis engine was VIGOROUSLY
unable to do the work which was set for
it to do, but the city bought it. There
are whispers of transfer of $1,000 to a
couple of the aldermen-it is not neces-
sary to give nameS-in connection with
the purchase OF the engine for the city.
AS to the payment of 500 for the
| carts which were made at Shak-
| Opee for the city, and which builders
| state could not be made for less money.
| there is little story. You know that
| the city has number of men who are
| wagonmakers and mechanics. These
men are subject to calls the same as
| any OF the other firemen, and are paid
| by the city whether they are called out
| or not. These men have made large
number of the carts now in use by The
| city. They took plenty of time for the
work, and it was we'll done. The
cost Of the material for the making of
| these carts was not more than $500
each, and therefore this sum was all il
cost the city for them, as the men who
made them would have to be paid by the
city whether they were working
on the carts or not. On the
new carts made at Shakopee the
| workmanship was SO inferior
that at the time the grand jury was max
| Ing Tile investigation tney were being
repaired i'll the shops. they are not of
the same size as the other carts were
either, in spite of the endeavor to have
them made like the others SO that broken
parts could be used taken from the
other carts In case of necessity.
There are stories, which | under
stand the grand jury Will investigate,
and probably has been So doing already,
about the reason that these carts are
ordered from the firm in Shakopee, and
to the effect that certain packages of
! greenbacks were transferred from the
safe of the makers to the pockets of
certain aldermen.
lit is my understanding that the
grand jury has taken under Amusement
the question of this alderman's connec-
ton with these things and that he will
hear from that body.''