The evening world., 1894-02-06
GRAY is SURPRISED.
Investigation of the Fire Depart
ment Unexpected by Him,
He Prefers the Grand !ury to inc
Commissioners OF Accounts.
VIII Consult ~ Lawyer mud. Per
hnps, the District Attorney.

Thr action of Mayor Gilroy yesterday
in dcc!dln% To investigate ,nS Charges o..
alleged acknowledgement in the r'ire Dc
%partrnent made 10y cN-tirc commits
siDner Gray in iia ,ct,or Of resignation,
seems to have caused as mitch HSrrriac
10 rX-cummiss,oncr Gray himrcir as to
the politicians Who were discussing It
this morninE.
u investigation has h"ru referred
Ivy the Mayor to the Commissions or Ac-
counts hut whether that body or the
Grand Jury WI first take hold Of .ho
subject is n matter yet ~ I've determined
COMMISSIONS Gray, among o'ACr
B.. 'nGs, charged that excessive rri""s
vera ncitm paid by the p1partprut tor
nearly all It's supplies. He "lan charged
that In one instance a public record had
been destroyed, .hc record being "A pro
cost written by him against the audit
ing Of a bill which he bci'cyol to be
excessive
The destroying Of Il public record js
"A criminal o~fronsc, and Vt Is ON tina.
ground that the Grand Jury may nrs.
he called upon TO take action. District
Attorney Fellows said yesterday that If
any such charge is made 20 him he win
AZ once lay It before the Grand Jury.
From what cx-co,nmlssioner Cray said
This morning. it Is evident lhnt Col.
Fellows VIII hc taken At his word, as
Mir. Gray seems to have litt,c faith In
II Investigation NhtCh tive OumiS-
sioners Of Accounts wiz undertake.
That is The hldv which always re-
ports Fnvfrabl% upon an h"partmGn :
porter today. '"WIhNo' I are re-" CON-
missioncrs and what arc their powers?
II do MT know whether | slHil appear
before them at all or not, rs | have yet
to learn what COOL can hc aCComDi'shr l..
am. outside III" .~cDar.nih"O; nrW and
they, have no power OYER nae to summon
me before them on otherwise. Tnt case,
however, has got II that sage whcr" |
must eugaGe counsel. ! am nat u lawyer
myf",f and know nothing OF ny r.ents
i IS probable thai m re light viii he
thrown on the subject.
IT understand th't COMMISSIONS
public record has been dsatroyoi. WIZ,
we. shall see about that later. tniHS
col. Feliows's state mont trlt J." VII
take the mnttcr to the Grand ,iur" II
the District Attorney.
at would scarcely be :air." added Ny.
Gray, TOR n to say auythiHE aoou,
the charges a. present. J IL rtOugh
that when 7 entered the Dopart;ncn;
found a condition of affairs that d.
manded immediate att"n ion. i~INorbitnnt
price, were being paid for ever? thing.
and this | offered to prove by two vii
neSRes.
1T was the intention that there should
b. no publicity, and a resolution was
passed that no one should atteHd The
meeting called for the purpose of hearing
the charges but myself and the two Wit
nesses referred t.? That meeting, as
NEAtt t,AN VuEn. i,a11 ,t~,, a-.
and | was surprised to lind over ons
hundred people present. | never brought
them there.
Under the circumstances it would
not be right perhaps for me to let tn"
matter rest where It is. ! will know
will take"
Up to 1890 o'clock the Commissioners
of Accounts had not been officially mott
ton of the Fire Department accounts,
At Rat hour Commissioner owens called
nj the Mayors office to ascertain what
steps should be taken.
"l cannot say at present Commis'
As Il rule our examiners take testimony
In secret and the whole subject becomes
public later through our export. In this
case, however, tn" charges being made
by an eX-Commiss!oner. it IL probable
! that the investigation Will be public"
Although Commissioner owens said his
department had not been officially in,
formed by the Mayor OF any intended
investigation. Commissioner Wah!e init
mates the very opposite.
at work since Friday. If they discover
any dishonest deals We will order n
public hearing at once, sitt the mat
ter to the bottom