Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-09-26
I
EkDA LIN
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The Investigation 0f Pm
FOUNDATION FACTS.

The investigation into the reported
deficiency In the police accounts was
begun according to announcement by
the judiciary committee OF the city
council at the council chamber last
night,
The committee, In the digniHed ap-
pearance OF its members. Messrs.
spoonts, Lasslter and Williams. seat
ed at the city secretary's desk, resem-
bled court of appeals. while the may
or pro TEN gravely overlooked the pro-
ceedings from his usual seat at the
mayors desk. The city secretary was
seated near ut hand. keeping official
record of the proceedings. Two stenog-
raphers completed the committee. Two
officers waited on them and the law
ycrs frequently addressed them as
your honors." while the witnesses tes-
titled under oath with as much care
and precision and were as rigidly GLOSS
examined as II the record was being
made FOR trial in higher court.
The trst witness introduced was Mr..
j. NJ Collier, city auditor. who, after
preliminary Inquiries, was asked TO
testify in regard to the supposed short
age and to give In detail the facts con-
corning the same, which he proceeded
to do, with great eNactness and strict
attention to the minuatlne OF circlm-
stances. 80 much so that his testimony
would Of Itself I'LL number of col
umns.
Concisely stated, his testimony show
ed that ut the beginning OF the inVestl-
cation the Joint committee composed OF
the finance and police committee had
discovered an apparent shortage OF
3l6ii by comparison OF the reports OF
the police clcrk. Officer Ferguson. with
accounts of the city auditor. that this
amount had subsequently been re-
duced to $7lg96 by Il deposit made at
the time. and that he had come in
possession OF n lot OF envelopes on
which were Endorsed notatlons Of vafl-
Gus amounts which they had pur-
ported to contain when placed In the
cash drawer In the chiefs office. and
that those envelopes, with various cir
lccted by tbs ENTHUSIASTICALLY Gi5wo
stltuted the main evidence upon which
H." invest igation had been begun.
When the discovery of the supposed
3lil6 was made, according to the tcs-
timuny OF MIR. Collier Mr.. Matln had
turned over as cash IN his possession
which belonged To the department
S22i3b. and stated that he owed the
cash box s2is,10, while Chief Maddox
had stated that he owed $4,000 which
he had used for paupers and fines
which he had stood good for, and
money borrowed from Matkln and Fer-
guson. These three sums aggregated
sS3g0h. A deposit OF this amount had
then been made. In the mean time an
other shortage Of Stl3 had been discov-
cred, leaving 3Tl9,9b, the shortage about
which the subsequent inquiry has been
made. These statements were sub
stantinted by the testimony OF X. NJ.
Van Handt, chairman of the polly
committee, who reviewed the proceed
ings of the investigation by the Joint
committee,
Answering a question asked In the
Interest of MIR, Matkin by his attorney,
he testified that MIR. Matltin had pro-
tested against the Introduction OF the
envelopes as evidence In the investiga-
tion, asserting that they proved moth
ing In behalf of MIR. Ferguson II
was shown that his accounts oorre-
sponded in the main with tho notatlons
on the envelopes, and that the money
for fines. etc, had been handled by
others as well as by himself. Including
Mir Matkin,
The only thing like direct evidence
tending TO show corruption OF any one
OF the three officers was a statement
made by Lace English, former pound
rustler to the effect that he had en-
tered Into an agreement with Fergu-
son TO hold out fees due TO the city
for stock taken TO the pound. He re-
latNu now ne nhu turned over II snhu
amount OF money ana received part
OF II back when he had subsequently
managed to turn II 10 the city again
as fees for fictitious stock. which he
claimed to have put In the pound, The
reason he did this was. he said to
ascertain II some one was trying to put
up Job on him. which he had been
led TO suspect from remarks by Chief
Maddox and others, to the effect that
the pound reports Were not showing
up as they should.
The committee closed It's session
about midnight. when It adjourned to
o'clock this evening,