The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-17
DAY OF INQUIRY.
COUNTY COURT AND FIRE AND PO-
LICE BOARD WILL WORK.
Matter of the Cost of the County
Furniture Coming Up This Morn
inG-AmOs MOretOn's Case Tonight
General Gossip of the Various
Investigations.

Today and this evening combined
will be a day of Investigations. The
county court will lead off with an in
quiry in relation to the furniture con-
tract of the old county court with
the firm of Andrews & Co.
The court will assemble at 10 o'clock
this morning, and, if Weary and
Swiney, the expert furniture men
from Chicago, are ready to report,
will at once begin the taking of testi-
mony, which will require all day.
There will be no surprises for the fur
niture men, according to the state
ment of their attorneys. II is under
stood that the county attorney will
attempt to prove by the men from
Chicago, that the furniture Is not
according to the specifications; that 1t
was not all bought of the house OF An
drews & Co., but that many of the
pieces were from other places This,
it will be claimed, is Il violation of
the contract, which is said to have
contained a provision that each F.ece
was specially designed for the build
ing. If il can be shown that some
of the furniture was from another
house, or houses, the county attorney
is of the opinion that payment may be
refused.
1t is also claimed that if any Tart
of the furniture was not SpeclaIy
prepared for the building, it cannot be
according to specifications; ergo, ray
ment may be refused.
The attorneys for the firm expect to
show that the furniture was ali
checked up by the old county court.
That it was accepted, aid being &C
cepted, it was paid for by wi.rraht
issuing. This being true. the conten-
ton is that the present county court
cannot undo an act of purchase made
by predecessor. or course
if fraud and collision can be
shown, a different phase appears. But
the members of the old county board
express no fears.
There is no need to comment upon
the evidence before it is delivered. The
Herald will give the best reports OF
the investigation, and the pubic can
Judge of the merits of the case AFTER
reading it. The whole matter will have
to be iudicialIy determined after the
investigation. If the present court
concludes that it is warranted in say
ing the contract is void because OF
collision in making the contract, pc
cause of fraud in the delivery or
goods. then the Andrews company Will
go llIO the QlSlIlCl GOul anu nus
will begin in good earnest. IL the
county court does not take this action
the work will have been had for moth
ing.
The charges against Fireman Amos
Moreton will be heard by the board
of police and fire commissioners to-
night at the regular session. They
are to the effect that on the morning
of June he reported for duty in an
intoxicated condition. The prosecution
will state that Moreton was found
asleep on the hay in the shed at
little after 10 o'clock, and that liquor
was the cause of his drowsiness. He
will, on the other hand, produce sew
eral members of the fire department
who will state that he was sober all
the morning; that he attended TO his
work all right; drove his team out on
practice, and after it was over backed
them into the bar house-something
man under the influence of whisky
could not do. Moreton will state that
he was home the evening before and
sat up all night with a sick child; that
he was without sleep, and when he had
finished his practice he was so sleepy
that he went TO the place indicated and
tried to make up for the loss Of the
night previous.
The trial of Gilbert, Mowers, Clarke
and McMullin will begin on Friday
evening next. The charges have al
ready been explained in The Herald
This last trial promises to be a very
important one in this way. The
charges are to the effect that in June
a year ago, the men were unfit for the
duty which devolved upon them. 1t is
question whether the men who tes-
titled at the other trial can tell al
they knew a twelve month ago and II
is understood that counsel for the men
will insist upon no new evidence being
taken.
1t is possible, too, that the courts
may be appealed to in the meantime
and that writ of mandate may be
applied for to restrain the commission
from trying the men at all. In a day
or two this question will be solved
The charges against Chief Devine
will come up tonight and he will
doubtless set a time when he will be
heard. 1t is thought that he will take
the full ten days in which 10 make d
showing.