Evening journal., 1893-06-01
THE MAYORS TROUBLES
Robinson Says He Warned the
Mayor.
WILLEY's UNQUALIFIED DENIAL


volley and Leave for Their Homes,
The Mayor Did Not Keep His Private
Account at Robinson's.
The dark clouds which have been
lowering about the $50, 600 belonging to
the Knights of Pythias. have not been lift.
ed any by to days developments. If the
money is ever recovered il will only be
after months of litigation between
Mayor Willeys bon dsmen and the
Supreme Lodge
Mayor WIlley's Allegations.
Mayor Wiley gave an interview to a
morning paper in which he intimates
that the Supreme Lodge officers had
warning from him that the funds were
10 Jeopardy The following is the ex-
tract Of his allegations:
"Other officers of the lodge were
aware of where and how the money was
deposited. The amount becoming large,
!, as an officer of the lodge, sometime
last fall wrote to the chairman of the
tlnance Committee, suggesting that
TINS money should be permanently in.
vested and for him to say whether it
should be invested OF remain where 1t
was, and expressing my wish that ii
should be invested. and received from
him reply that he was in position of
indecision as to what would be the best
arrangement to make; that the present
arrangement was as satisfactory as any
that could be made.
Il afterward sent him list of bonded
securities in which to make permanent
investment of these funds. / again. in
March of this year, wrote TO him that |
had the funds deposited in the
banking house of r r Robinson & Co..
and that he, as chairman Of the Finance
Committee, should make inquiry as to
the responsibility of this house, and that
had never since / held the office Of
supreme master Of exchequer used any
OF their money in any way, except as
directed by the Supreme Lodge.
In answer to the letter / received a
reply from him, as chairman of the
Finance Committee, that he had entire
confidence in the safety of the funds and
requested me TO obtain certilcation
of the amount on hand subject to
call at 4 per cent. interest and the
time these funds had been deposited in
that house. l obtained these certificates
and took them with me to Nashville and
submitted them to the committee, and
after my books had been examined and
approved by the Finance Committee in
the early part of April of this year, |
showed them all of the deposit and check
books relating to the deposits with r r..
Robinson & Co., and the Finance Com.
mittee then advised me that they had
concluded not TO permanently invest the
funds Of the lodge, but to leave them
deposited where they we're.
his sureties Responsible.
With reference to this knowledge
Supreme Chancellor Blackwell SAYS:
They feel, to say the least, that II
has been piece of carelessness on his
part, and he is responsible for it. The
Supreme Lodge left him at perfect
liberty to place it where he pleased,
holding him and his bondsmen responsi-
BILE. No attempt was ever made TO in
tluence him in this respect
on for Their Homes.
When an EVENING JOURNAL reporter
reached the Hotel Willis about 10 o'clock
this morning he found Chairman
J. B. Brayton, of Newport, R. /,
Albert Steinhart, of Greenville, Ala
and Supreme Keeper Of Records
and Seals R. L. G. White, OF
Nashville, Tenn, satchels in hand
and waiting for car to take them to the
P. W. 4 B., station, as they were going
home The reporter jumped on the car
with them and interviewed them on the
way down and until the New York ex-
press started to pull out from the
sheds.
The main idea was to find out from
Mr.. BraytOn, chairman of the Finance
Committee, whether Mayor Wiley had
correctly represented him in his as
sertions above quoted.
"Mr. Brayton, did Mayor Wiley ever
write you letters leading you to infer
that the Knights Of Pythias money in
his hands was not in safe depository
Never, sir; neverw
The reporter then showed him ths
mayors interview
II deny the interview in TOTO" b,
said 'If had supposed the fund wai
in an institution such as Robinson & Co
have proved to be, l would not hav,
advised or consented to have even $5, 00l
of our money in such depository"
"When we were engaged in examining
the accounts at Kansas City it wa
suggested"
''By Mayor Willey2"
''No. 1t was suggested that, as W,
had large fund, that we secure it il
some permanent and safe investment.
wrote to Brother Wiley to send me lis
Of such securities as he might deem saf
to put our money in. He sent me lis
of what he regarded as safe securities
It was not done at his suggestion at all
but at the suggestion of the Financ,
Committee AS | said before, he sent M
the list and he did not say word about
the fund being in danger and had NJ
idea that it was in such small and rottei
institution as it seems to be. He neve
intimsted to me that there was an,
risk. On the contrary, he said, on inquir,
as to the standing of Robinson & Co.
that it was an old firm of fifty year
standing. He regarded it as one Of tn
soundest institutions in Delaware; an,
that the firm were correspondents witt
or agents for Drexel, Morgan & Co
That is what he told me-
"Do you think he has tried to chea
the Supreme Lodge p
"That can't say. I don't know" wa
the evasive reply
''Have you those letters he says h
wrote YOU p