The morning call., 1894-06-26
STOLEN DRAWINGS
Some City Hall Prints
Are Missing.
-.
DESIGNS ARE SENT EAST.
Architect Shea's Charges to Be
Investigated.
=: :'... -
O'BRIEN's EMPHATIC DENIAL.
tie Says He Has Some interesting
Facts in Readiness for the
Grand Jury.
O'BRIEN's EMPHATIC DENIAL.

The trouble in the architects Office OF
the new City Hall Commission has reached
very acute point. Charges and counter
charges have been brought. and now mat
. ters have reached such an interesting eli
max that both sides to the controversy
threaten to bring their stories to the
Grand Jury.
-All this trouble has been due to the
proposed dome, and the statue which is to
~surmount it. When the award of the
statue was made to Marion Wells by the
Commissioners some adverse criticism was
: passed both on account of the manner Of
rhe award, and the character of the de-
sign = accepted. These criticisms greatly
apgefed the Commissioners. Several of
-. the draughtsmen in the office gave some
Information about what had taken place
: in"the architects Office in regard to the
dome statue.
Shortly after the publication of the
article they were discharged by the aTchl-
tect, whose action was subsequently con-
firmed by the Commissioners. The dis
charged men were Theodore Laist and
Smith O'BreD, head draughtsman aud
assistant. respectively.
After their discharge the drauEhtsmen
claimed that they had been discharged out
of spite and revenge Oh the part of the
Commissioners, who had been adversely
criticized for their inartistic judgment
The Commissioners were accused with
ordering the summary dismissal OF the
men,.
The reason given for the discharge of
the men was lack OF work, but when other
men were appointed to their places some
question was had as 10 the real motives.
Then the charge was made that Architect
Shea and the Commissioners had acted in
spirit of private revenge.
ooid hot
real reason for the discharge of the men
was on different and more serious grounds,
and that he was preparing some charges
to be brought before the City Hall Com
missinners at their meeting this morning.
He charges the discharged draughtsmen
with discOurtesy TO visitors at his office,
among the acts alleged being discourtesy
to COmmt ssiOneT Cresswell. Another
charge is the performance of private work,
and the making of private drawings during
business hours at the new City Hall. Shea
saws that when he came in the office he
would find the draughtsmen doing business
at times with private clients when they
ought 10 have been attending to the city's
work.
The most serious charge of Architect
Shea is the abstraction of drawings from
the Office belonging to the city. In the
first place he accuses Laist with sending
TO the East for publication In an Eastern
.. journal all of the original drawings of
the tower and dome, stating specifically
that eighteen IN mum ber were taken from
the Office and sent East. The drawings
are:Very valuable and the property of the
city. Shea says they were not sent by his
authority. Besides this, a number of
rough sketches and blue prints have dis
appeared from the architects office. and,
though be does not openly accuse the dis
charged men of taking them. he says the
matter will certainly bear investigation,
Ii ia. this gil binet q hi0h will he faE kan
by the Commissioners this morning.
:Ex-Head Draughtsman Laist could Dot
= be seen yesterday, as be is away at the
Yosemite, but Smith OBrien, who is
affected by the charges made, when seen
last. evening said: Architect Shea says
what:is not true when he states be ever
: Tebuked me for being discourteOus III the
:. Office, or for neglecting my work. AS
. matter of fact | have had no dealings with
:; contractors. or others coming into the Office
!: draughting-room and not in the outer
:: Office.
: .''The iusinuation that I distracted any
drawings from the Office is simply untrue
and his charge that ever used the city's
:: time for my own work is equally untrue.
=, MIR. Laist Is at present absent from the
city, as Mr.. Shea is aware. In his absence,
" | may say, believe the charges against
him are as unfouDdei as | know those
against myself 10 be. When Mr.. Laist re-
turns be will answer for himself.
"Mr. Shea himself, l know, has in
structed Mr.. Laist to make designs for
private residences and other buildings
during the time he was supposed to be
working on the dome drawing. To this
am prepared to swear if at any time it be-
comes necessary. AS to Mr.. She IS state
IDent that Mr.. Laist and myself were only
draughtsmen, not designers, l would like
to know the difference between the two
,;functions. Will Frank T. Shea please
sta e " no designed the dome of the new
:: City Hall
When he says he did not authorize the
q. sending of the drawings to an Eastern
architectural paper to be published would
simply ask that Mr.. LASTS statement be
taken on his return to the city. l believe
satisfactory evidence can be produced on
that matter fully justlfying Mr.. Laist
':lf the Commissioners should bring this
matter 10 the attention Of the Grand jury
it would afford me great satisfaction to in
form them of the parts which MIR. Shea
and the draughtsmen have played in the
discharge of the duties Of the Office during
the past year.
"In conclusion, [ wish to say that auy
one who states that have distracted any
drawings from the architects Office is stat
ing a falsehood."