St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-12
QUEER STATE OF AFFAIRS.
CITY WEiGHER ADMITS THAT He ASKED
CONTRIBUTIONS roo
FROM COAL CONTRACTORS.


Committee Investigating the
City Weigher of Coal Reveals
Questionable Methodist
don Moves to Abolish the Of
sdf
The special committee from the as
sembly appointed to Investigate the
charges made against j. c. Reichardt.
the coal inspector. held session yes
terday afternoon. The evidence heard
substantiated the charges, but as Mr..
Relchardt said he had the sanction of
the mayor in his plan. two of the COM
mittee were of the opinion that the mo-
tive Relchardt had in asking the fuel
contractors to pay certain price per
ton should be taken into consideration.
One thing was plainly brought out, and
that was that the city had not in the
past and was not now receiving
any benefit from the appointment
OF such official. Several contractors
testified that they had paid the former
incumbent of the office a certain price
per ton for each load delivered to the
city not because they wanted to but
simply to save their firms an eXpendi-
ture OF from $500 to $500 per year in
double hauling. The money was paid
to the former incumbent because he in
sisted on all the coal delivered being
weighed on the scales at the market
mouse. but was willing, if they paid a
certain price per ton, to allow deputy
appointed to weigh the coal at their
yards. This having been the practice
before, they made no serious objection
to the plan proposed by Reichardt, al
though they protested against the pay
ment.
Charles Ringwald. who was present in
the Office of Dowlan & Son when Reich
arut made the demand that he be paid
ten cents per ton on all coal delivered
to the city by the firm, testified to the
conversation. Reichardt, the witness
said, had told Dowlan that he paid
Haggenmiller, the former incumbent,
the same amount last year, and on
DoWlan denying the charge, said Hag-
genmiller had told him so. In case he
was not paid the price asked. Reichardt
said he would make Dowlan haul ali the
coal to the market house and have it
weighed there.
John Dowlan corroborated the state
ments of RIngWald as to the talk made
by Relchardt to him. He denied the
statements made by Reichardt at the
time, that he paid HaggenmilIer any
thing last year for the weighing of coal.
The talk of Reichardt made him so
angry that he used very strong lau-
guage, and finally walked off and left
him.
Reichardt, in his own defense, said he
only demanded four cents per ton from
Dowlau. He admitted he had made
mistake in saying to Dowlan that money
had been paid to Haggenmiller, as Dow
Ian did not have contract last year He
knew that the Pioneer Fuel company
and Edmund II Carlson paid Haggeri-
miller. and supposed Dowlan was doing
the same. Dowlan did not give him a
chance to explain his plan, which was
that the money he received was to'be
used in paying adeputy, duties being
too heavy for one person TO attend to-
Mayor WrIght,l witness said, understood
the scheme and said it would be- all
right. In answer to question of Mr..
Reardon, witness said that after he
found the four cents per ton scheme
would not work he had another talk
with the mayor, and the plan of having
the coal men in the yards weigh the
coal as deputies was prepared. This
did not appear feasible, owing to the
city attorney refusing to make out the
bonds for such deputies.
Henry w. Shade, of the Pioneer Fuel
company, called by Reichardt, said he
| had been asked to attend the meeting.
| Reichardt came to the cOmpany's office
and asked that four cents per ton be paid
on the coal delivered to the city for the
purpose of paying a deputy. Witness
| had'refuSed to make any such payment
for the reason that the bids were not
figured on basis of paying anything
additional for weighing. Reichardt said
they paid the former incumbent, but
witness said he told him they were
forced TO do so for self-preservaton.
Haggenmiller, witness said, had col
| lected from other companies furnishing
fuel to the city, and rath er than pay
double for hauling to the scales at the
market house the firm directed i'm to
pay the demands made by Hagen
miller. He had told Rechardt there
would be nothing paid him for weighing
| the coal. g.
Charles P. Carroll. bookkeeper for
| DoWlan IL Son, testified to the CONVEX
sation between Relchardt and Dowlan,
as previously related by kingwald and
| Dowlan.
E. l.. Spencer. of the Lehigh Coal
company, said Reichardt had come to
his Office with letter from the mayor.