Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-06-28

the workmen at the water filter, formed
tho basis of an investigation by the
members OF the Board of Water Com.
'missioners at the regular meeting Tues
day afternoon. The evidence adduced
at the meeting only tended to verify the
statements made by workmen TO u
reporter of EVERY EVENING, that
Edward Q. Pierce had paid money to
Charles w. Solloway, and that the
latter had accepted IL. Pierce paid SO q
week for three weeks. Milville Andrews,
otherwise Doc" Andrews, admitted that
he had gone to Pierce and suggested
that he pay the money to Solloway aud
the latter told the commissioners he got
the money from Pierce, as was stated.
The investigation was taken up after
routine business had been disposed of,
The board was in receipt of u paper
signed by number of workmen at the
filter who said that politics never en-
tered into their work and that Solloway
bad never levied an assessment upon
them. The names to the paper were
signed in lead pencil and many of them
looked as though they had been signed
by one and the same hand. The body
OF the paper was written in ink in a
hrm, running hand.
The certificate which thus endorsed
Solloway and the signers are as follows:
We, the undersigned employees at the
filter, mechanics and laboreTs, do hereby
state with truthfulness, that Mr.. Solloway,
foreman ut the filter, has never approached
us in regard to money as an assessment to
mold our job or TO give us employIn, mt,
nor has he ever intimated such. We have
never given him money as d bribe, well
Knowing that he has not the authority TO
Keep anyone whom the commissioners or
chief may order discharged. Neither has
he approached any of MS IN regard to poll
tics. We also believe that the published
reports are spite work, and if necessary
we will make oath to the above statement.
Yours very respectfully,
CHARLES PAXsoN, NELSON MoRRELL,
MELVIN ANDREws, HENRY A. SMITH,
THOMAS HINEsLY, EDwAID PIERCE,
JAMES DUMPsoN, JouN LYNN,
WIN. ID. MORROW, WIN, a. ANDERSON,
SAMUEL WALKER, HARRY w. BANKS,
huGH JOHNSTON, JoHN ZEBLEY,
LEWIS SPEAKMAN, WILLIAM j, CONNER
JoHN Il. CGossoN, JAMES 4. REILLY,
W. 5. BOILEAu, DANIEL b. CONNER.
ions SPRING, HARRY +, HoFFMAN
DANL w. FLETCHER,
The investigation was first called up
W AAbolltlAhs WIZ ElOkt
of the public charges made concerning
the workmen at the filter plant and the
statements that Edward Q. Pierce had
paid money to Foreman Solloway on
the suggestion of Milville Andrews.
| These three men were present at the
meeting, having been summoned to ap.
pear. -
Has anybody got copy of EVERY
EVENING I" asked Commissioner Hast
ings. He said he had been told of the
article in question, but hadn't read 1t.
Secretary Grohe said he thought there
was copy down stairs. He procured it
and gave it to Commissioner Hastings,
who handed 1t over to President Port er
with the request that II be read. Presi-
dent Porter then read the article in
EVERY EVENING, while Commissioners
Hastings and Pickles listened to the
statements made by Edward Lang and
Charles Paxton regarding the modus
"perandl of the workmen engaged ON
the filter plant. Solloway, Pierce ard
Andrews, who stood in a row near the
King street window of tho room, lis
tened attentively to the reading of the
interviews they had given the reporter
and which they knew full we'll were the
facts as obtained from their own lips.
When Mr.. Porter read the paragraph
i relating to politics getting into the
board, Commissioner Pickles gave Mr..
Hastings slight nudge and then both
chuckled perceptlbly. After President
Porter had finished reading the article
Commissioner Pickles denied that he
i had told Solloway that there twas
a a liYs 10, . ~. -Nl, :
4 he continued, 81 told Solloway this was
a very serious matter; that it wouldn't
be allowed. The principal thing in
4 employing men is get faithful workmen,
and have told Solloway this"
Commissioner Hastings-"I want to
say that there is good deal of rot and
H false statements that don't concern me
& In the article. But there is specific
4 charge which l am disposed for one to
3 investigate. All interested in this matter
8 should be here and measures should be
4 taken either at this meeting or at another
time TO investigate the matter. l. will
say that got letter signed by Ere
publlcan," relating TO something which
the writer said existed out at the filter,
n but tore it up and threw it in the
y waste basket II brought certain
charges but was anonymous and don't
propose to notice letters of this kind.p
n President PorteI-"I would like to
Know who has been employing the men
out At the filter. That is the duty Of the
4 chief engineer"
Chief Bond-"I have been employing
me men and Solloway has put some on
with my knowledge"
President Porter then asked Solloway
II anybody else except Pierce had given
MN money. Solloway replied that they
had not
4 Commissioner Hastings asked An
uTcws II he knew of anybody paying
money at the filter and Andrews said he
81 did not.
Commissioner Hastings-"Thcn you
Gehy the statements attributed to you,
Ndo your"
Il asked Pierce to give money to
SolIoway," Andrews replied (evading
.le question:. ~ knew Solloway was
hard up at the time; but l didn't do 1t to
prevent my being laid of. was laid
Commissioner Hastings-"Then you
ADMIT the statement is partially true2"
andrews, still lodging the question
l. nave no knowledge that any money
was paid, only what talk heard among
she men, but | suggested to Pierce that
NC pay the money to Solloway." .F...
n III reply to question of President
II Gter as to why he had paid the
money to Solloway, Pierce said he
heard that Solloway was hard up and
~ agreed to give him So per week.
commissioner Pickels-"rhen you
s. my s, MN the money out of mere frlend-
faip and not as bribe9
fierce-"lf anybody who was hard