Evening journal., 1894-02-01
THOSE TWO PARK LOTS
The Finance Committee Or
dered Their Purchase.
CITY COUNCIL DID NOT PASS ON IT


Park Commissioners william NJ. Candy
and Dennis j. Mention Tell what They
Know OF the Purchase Before an In-
=vestigating Committee of Councilman.
The purchase OF the land lying between
the Brandywine and Wawaset street, aud
Van Buren and Adams streets, was in.
vestigated last night In the Coun-
Gil chambers Mayor Shortlidge, George
II Bates, George w. Bush, City
Councilmen ONeill. Tyre aud Ratledge,
the Council committee Of investigation,
City Solicitor Elliott, William G
| Spruance, counsel for the purchasers OF
the land under discussion Dennis j.
Mention aud William NJ. Candy, who
made the purchases, were present.
Mayor Shortlidge presided.
The original resolutions asking for the
appointment Of an investigating com
mittee were read, aud then Mayor
| Shortlidge said that he refused TO sign
the order to pay for the park when first
asked because the amount exceeded the
sum named In the ordinance Mr..
Candy asked him II he would
be willing to sign the certificate, II the
excess was deducted, but he did not an-
swer. Instead, he said there was a rumor
that In the purchase Of some park lands
some people had made money. lie meant
Kirkwood park. and the sum said to have
been made was $4,000 Mr. Candy said
be was sorry TO say that such was the
case.
At the next meeting Of the Park Com
missioners Mr.. Candy asked him TO sign
| -. 4 -. - n
land between the Brandywine and
Wawaset street and Adams and Van.
Buren streets. He refused on account
of tine rumors In connection with Kirk.
wood Park. that the price paid for the
land was exhorbitant and because he
believed the land should have heen
secured by condemnation. IL was his
intention to have all purchases inves-
tigated, for the truth will hurt no one
who has been honest.
Mr. SpruRnce, counsel for Messrs.
Candy and Mention. SAID that the duties
OF the committee were confined by the
resolution to the purchase Of the last
tract of land. This Is a Joint committee
J clothed only with the authority under
! the resolutions to investigate one pur
chase, although City Council has sine,
passed a resolution looking toward the
} extension of the investigation The
way to do is TO investigate the mattel
one at a time, for a defalcAtion or fraud
3 at one time does not prove fraud a
} another time
2 Mr. Bates ssid that he drew the reso-
luton and he understood that the on,
( purchase was to be investigated Thi
q p rticular purchase should be disposed o
because some one is daily losing the in
5 terest upon it. He moved that the com
mittee proceed TO investigate the Wa
K waset street purchase. He would
7 willing then TO proceed with other puI
!. chases. The motion was carried
e William M Candy, the president Q
y the Board OF Park Commissioners, was th
d frst witness. Mr. Candy said that ever
e item Mayor Shortlidge had stated wa
s true, except that he did not RENE mbe
saying that any one made none
b out of kirkwood Park He did
e say that there were circumstances con
9 nected with IL that he regretted. II
j. was willing to have the matter investi
o gated In answer TO Mayor Shortlidge
e Mr. Candy said IL was true that tw
:, persons made 50, 600 out of the purcnas
b OF Kirkwood Park, though the transac
4 tion was not dishonest.
d Mr.. Mention in his statement said tina
d he bad talked with a number OF th
membersIof Council and they agreed this
!. IL would be best not to condemn the lanc
J. The Finance Committee directed the pui
! chase Of the lot They said not to pa
more than $i4, 600 for the lots. He di
not know whether Council had author
lied the purchase Messrs. Mention an
Candy arrived at the value Z
IS the lots by their own judgment an
s by asking the price of other lots and
consulting other people Two years b.
,, fore he had tried TO purchase one of th
IS lots and was asked $4,000 for II. Il
thought the land could be secure
j. cheaper by purchase than by commil
sion. In this way the land was secure
3, outright, while by commission II coul
n only be secured for a certain purpose
and not outright
Philip r. Clark, the real estate agent
, stated that he first sold the property
:. exchange for farm. There was the
" $4. 600 against the property at that tin
" which was paid of Mr.. Candy frs
= offered $4,000 for the property whe
1850 was asked. Later Mr.. Mento
offered So, 500, which was paid. It cou
not have been bought for less
The committee will meet again th
X evening after the meeting OF Council.
81 BITTEN BY A RABlD CAT.
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