The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-11
THE COCHRAN CASE.
Brilliant Closing Argument for
the Defense.
WOLFE TO BE TRIED TUESDAY.
The Needs Of the Unemployed Advanced
~ . Qualification for Mere Diff
ferences Of Opinion.


defense of Jesse Cochran yesterday even
ing before Mayor Ronald with as tine a
speech as ever served to save culprit's
neck from the moose At its conclusion
the lobby applauded, but the mayor made
no sign save TO ask when will you gen.
tIemen be ready to so on with the Wolfe
case?n
After some talk between Attorney
Thompson and Corporation Counsel Dom
worth as to other engagements, Mr..
Thompson said he could not undertake
Wo!fe's defense if it had to be begun on
Monday. The mayor then named Tues
day morning as the time.
Mr.. Thompson reviewed the evidence
and asked the mayor to dismiss from his
mind the feeling that had been aroused by
his resentment at the dismissal Of City
the board should have had some respect
for the wishes of the mayor as the chief
executive. but Cochran was not charged
with having dismissed Thomson. He
was charged with incompetency and
neglecr. Mr.. Thompson laid down the
legal proposition that Mr.. Cochran had no
power as an individual. but only as
member of the board. He had no authority
to give directions to an Official. If he
were dissatisfied with anything that had
been done by a subordinate it was his duty
to call the attention of the board, at its
usual session, to the matter and abide the
decisions of the board.
Counsel referred to the pressure brought
upon the board to put large number of
men to work, and declared that il was to
the interest of the city to employ as many
men as possible in time of such strin-
gency, even if it cost more. 1t was a
matter of economy to build sewers to last
only twenty years, rather than to build a
very expensive system to last a hundred
years. He instanced the modern method
of using only one rowlock and half in
stead of two. as indicating q tendency to
economy rather than to that lasting dura-
bility which characterized the Assyrians
and the Babylonians, who built for future
ages.
Deprecating the introduction of politics,
he, nevertheless, asked permission to re-
fer TO the difficulties the board had to en-
counter and to the partisan animus which
ne said was at the back of charges calcu-
lated to injure the administration. He
very delicately referred to the mayors own
difficulty in doing what he considered 70
be right, and at the same time receiving
the commendation even Of his own party.
As an oratorical effort the speech was
admirable, but at no time did counsel re-
fer to the well-known facts. although he
cautiously admonished the mayor that the
accusations with which every one was
familiar had not been substantiatei by
witnesses or advanced in the official
charges.
The speech was in marked contrast to
that of Mr.. Donworth. who confined him.
self mainly to reading the reports of SINH.
lar proceedings in other places.
Mayor Ronald remarked that he had
permitted wide latitude in the Cochran
case. but in the Wolfe case he proposed to
apply the rules of evidence.
Tine testimony OF the few witnesses prior
to Mr.. Thompson's argument differed very
slightly from that given before.
Mr. Lampkin testified that he was as.
sis.ant to ]. y. Terry, who kept the books
on sewer work. He said that out of the
$4,000 appropriation on West street S14.-
904 Ia had been expended up to February
s, and out of S27.5o0 on the Front street
approximation $50, 6sl. 93 had been used.
r. +. Bogardus. as an expert, thought
that acids and gases woaid have very little
effect on the brickwork, owing to the
pitch and length of the sewers.
Superintendent Ryan was again called
as witness. but only cosroborated his
former testimony.
j. y. Terry testified as 10 the amount
OF too-s used, and explained that the
Front street sewer account would be
credited with them, as they were moved
to other streets. and would eventually be
charged up to the material account OF the
city.
Inspector Potvin was recalled, but only
testified to the amount OF pressure GER
tain brick would stand under buildings
and other heavy structures
Mr.. Pike. the foreman on Brook street.
testified substantially as the majority OF
the witnesses heretofore examined.
II Il L. - ..