The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-10-24
CARROLL'S CHARGES HEARD
HEALTH C0MMIssIOSERs HOLD
 ANOTHER INTERROGATION.

Plumbing Inspector Eidridge Accused by
 Anthony Carroii-Eidridge Makes Gem
 Hearing.
 Commissioners Blake and Fleischner were the only members of the board of health who were absent from the meet ing of that body yesterday afternoon. when the charges against Plumbing In- spector John D. Eldridge by Anthony Carroll came up for investigation. Mayor Sargent presided and besides the severel commissioners there were present. Anthony Carroll. Joel F. Gil- bert. John D. Eldridge and number of the master plumbers of the city. all of whom had been subpoenaed to ap- pear as witnesses in the investigation.
 After the meeting had been called to order the investigation was commenced with the reading by Clerk Bailey of MT. Carrol's charges against the plumbing inspector. The charges. which are voluminous and cover sev- eral pages of closely written type written copy, set forth that the plumb ing Inspector has been performing the duties of his office, dishonesty and neg flgently ever since his appointment in July IA, 1891; that at previous meet ing of the board MT. Eldridge made a statement before the board which he knew was false in connection with the inspection of sewer connection at 101 Elliott street, claiming first that he had made the inspection and subse- Quently that he had not.
 The charges further set forth that one William J. Pagan was the contrac- tor who made the connection and that Eldridge knew that he was not licensed plumber and was not employed at the time by Foskett & Bishop at the time he did the work: that the plumbing inspector allows several sec tions of the plumbing ordinances of the city to be violated every day; that Eldridge appeared before the commit tee on ordinances stating that he rep resented the board of health and advo- cated measures which were in many ways detrimental to the public health of the people, but in aid of the master plumbers.
 It Is also charged that since the day of his appointment Eldridge had never suggested anything that could be called for the benefit of the public health but what had been in reality a detriment to it and that he was en- deavoring to defraud the city by con- veying a false impression regarding the great amount of work done by him in order to have less work and an in- crease of his salary.
 Plumbing Inspector Eldridge's de- fense was of the nature of g. general denial. He claimed in his own behalf that at the meeting of the board re- ferred to in the complaint he stated that he had duly inspected the inside plumbing work at 101 Elliott street, as soon after his appointment he had found it impossible and impracticable to inspect the outside work and had given his reason therefore.
 He also set forth that he knew that Pagan was a. journeyman plumber. that he had worked for several licensed plumbers and that he had told him that the work was being done for Foskett & Bishop. In support of this latter statement MT. Eldridge intro duced 8 copy of a communication from Foskett & Bishop, which stated em- phatically that the work on the Elliott street house had been done in their name. MT. Eldridge also stated that he had no knowledge of the plumbing ordinances being violated daily and that he and Commissioners Blake and Fleischner were appointed a committee of the board to appear before the com- mittee on ordinances and that to the best of his ability he then and there stated the views of the board upon the questions then discussed.
 Contractor Carroll conducted his por- ton of the case personally, calling each of his witnesses and asking them the questions to which he desired answers After the charges and denial had been read, MT. Carroll called his witnesses, as follows: William J. Pagan, William Burke and Philip Col well. Although all had been regularly subpoenaed, MT. Pagan was not pres ent and MT. Carroll refused to go on with the case until he was in attend ance. -
 'I don't propose to be kidnapped in any such manner" said MT. Car roll, Pagan is my principal witness and can't go ahead until that time."
 After a brief delay MT. Pagan put in an appearance and the investigation was commenced.
 William J. Pagan was the first wit ness of the investigation. He testified that he. worked for Thomas Cunning until about the middle of August, and that he had dona the plumbing work at 101 Elliott street, and that he did not know who the contractor was, but that he was hired to do the work by one william Burke. After the work was finished he asked Plumbing Inspector Eldridge to inspect the job, but could not remember the date on which he asked him. He also told Eldridge that the work was being done for Foskett & Bishop The job was done in their name and entered in their name, MT. Burke having received that permission, 70 he said, from Foskett & Bishop. He | said that to his knowledge the plumb ing inspector only inspected the connec- ton once after it was all completed.
 Philip Colwell testified that he had put | in the sewer connection at the house in l question, and that he had been given |