Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-09-08
A ROTTEN BOROUGH.

f''osN""'S hhutNththth OF New OrIRans
Connc'lmen Charged with Selling Thei,
Notes-hiany Others Believed to be Guilt,
Against Whom the Necessary EyIdenc,
Could Not he Secured-A ScatbInr D.,
nunciation.
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. i.-Aftcr in.
dieting eleven members of the city
council, including its president, and,
besides, the city engineer, the term OF
the grand jury expired yesterday and
1t was discharged by Judge Noise after
presenting report which is a mos,
scathing denunciation of the crooked
ness rampant in the city hall and ex.
plains why several indictments which
were expected could not be found, ow
ing to the inability to get evidence on
which conviction in the court would
be certain to follow.
The first subject treated of is the sale
OF railroad franchises by the city coun,
Gil for ridiculouslv low prices. An in,
vestigation of the books of the New
Orleans Traction Co., which now owns
nearly all the street car lines of tn,
city, shows remarkable discrepancies
For instance, there is the sale of the
extension of the franchise of the
New Orleans City e. Lake railroad
for which the city received 500.
600. The Traction company's books
show that 100000 was paid to Henry
Bier, the broker. for it, besides a com
mission of $4,000. The books of Mr..
Bier do not show where the Sl0O, OOC
went to, and he could not produce his
ledger, as he said it had been lost
The traction company's books show
the disappearance of $65, 900, which was
paid to Maurice J. Hart, who is the
manager of the Rosetta Gravel Co., and
who is generally supposed to have en-.
gineercd the railroad deal through the
council.
The gravel company's books do moi
show any entries of these checks. As
to contracts, the report refers to the
Jail contract and recitcs all the crook
edness connected with it.
A deal, which failed to 20 through
in connection with this contract was
to have netted this official and the
members of the special committee ot
the council $1,000
Favored legislation in the interest o.
a certain paving contractor Is strongl,
commented on, but there was no posi-
bility of getting at sufficient evidence
to indict for bribery. The fact thai
not one member of the city council re
sponded to the request of the gran(
jury to assist in exposing the crooked
ness among their colleagues is cited
and then the new garbage scheme il
treated to a severe roast. Franchises
granted to the Illinois Central road ar,
shown to have been given regardless o
the public interests.
Two indictments for bribery accom-
panied the report. One was agains
Councilman Dan A, Mayer and tn,
other against Alderman John NJ
Clark. The former was charged with
feloniously and corruptly proposing t,
receive bribe from Narcesse Lucas
for a steam boiler privilege in the saw
mill at the corner of Marais and st.
Ferdinand on December 6, 1892. Th,
consideration was 500.
The indictment against Clark was
for receiving bribe of s25 from w. NJ
b. Vardell, clerk of the National Ric'
Mill Engine Co., September 10, 1892
for favoring an ordinance giving th'
company permission to lay pipe from
its mill to the river. Mayer has beeI
indicted before, but this is the first in
dictment against Clark. He is the rep
resentative of the Ninth ward.