The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-31
Little Done at the Kinsley Investlga.
ti0n Last Night.
SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION
1t Led to a Very Heated Discussion
During Which AttOrncv e. c. New.
comb Said Some Very Unpleasant
Things About the City's Chief Ex.
ecutive..Mr. O'TOOle Declared
That He Will Force Certain Words
Down Mayor Bailey's Throat.

The session was held in the mayors
Office. Colonel George Sanderson
president of select council; James }.
Grier, president of common council; Z.
T.. Chittenden and ]. J.Loftus, chairman
of the respective streets and bridges
committee. who had been invited by the
mayor to sit with him as advisors. We're
all present at the appointed hour, 1.SO
o'clock. Mr.. Kinsley was there with
ex-City Solicitor 1. H. Burns and
George NJ Watson as his attorneys.
The Sunday World, which printed the
charge upon which the investigation Is
based, was represented by John H.
Blackwood, NJ. j. O'Toole and Attorney
+. c. Newcamb. H. c. Hatton, clerk
of the common council and street cQn-
missioner's clerk, and City Controller
E. j. Robinson were present as wit
nesses. The mayors private secretary,
r. ]. Beamish. c. A. Battenberg; who
acted as official stenOgrapher, and rep
resentatives of the daily papers were
the only others present.
Mayor Bailey opened the ball by an
| nouncing that he had been instructed
by select council to investigate charges
| against Street Commissioner kinsley,
contained in recent issue of the
Scranton Sunday World. He was pre-
pared to proceed with the investigation
| ana WOulQ WelcOme SuSSeStioNS ds W
how 1t should be conducted.
| Colonel Sanderson-I suppose this pro-
ceeding is to be confined to the Sunday
| World charges.
| Mayor Bailey-That is my idea.
Colonel Sanderson-I ask this question
because / want to know before agreeing
to act what the breadth Of the investi-
| cation is. If you confine yourself to the
| charges contained In the Sunday World,
| ! am wiling to serve. If you go outside
| that / must decline to act with you, as
| do not think it is our place to go beyond
what we were directed to do by council.
The Mayor reiterated his belief that
the Sunday World charges were the
only ones he had to deal with. At his
suggestion Secretary Beamish read
the communications which passed be-
tween the mayor and councils regard
ing the matter. First was read the con-
current resolution directing the mayor
| to investigate the street commissioner
department.; then the mayors letter
asking for specific charges, and finally
the resolution of select council.
SELECT COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
| Resolved. That It is the sense of the Sc
| lect council that the charges made by the
| Sunday World against Street Commis,,
sioner Kinsley, should be investigated
| by the mayor.
MI. .CnllteIutH-lt SStho W e''N
Sunday World charges should form the
basis of our investigation that we
should not tie ourselves up by limiting
the investigation to these charges: ac-
cent these as primary charges AM II thcy
lead to any Others let us investigate theHi'
Colonel Sanderson-I am not willing
without q distinct authorization ana III
struction from councils to so into gen.
eral overhauling of any department. 1t
is repulsive to me to go into any draShet
business and l do not propose to do 1t
without being ordered.
Mr. Newcomb-What Is yo,r Idea. Col
onel Sanderson, in regard to me scope OF
| this investigation? Would the pay roll
| for the street department during Mr..
| Kinsleys term be subject OF investlga-
| tion?,
Colonel Sanderson-I understand that
| the charges are that he used his own teams
on city work. Further on In the article
| are statements of rumors that there were
assignments of wages to men closely as
sociated with Mr.. kinsey; that he had
used city teams on the excavation for the
rockingham theater and charged the
work up to the city; that he had a clerk
made by councils and that the clerk, was
on the pay roll as laborer, and that Mr.
Hatton, the person designated by corn-
ellis as street commissioners clerk was
virtually fired out. None of these, how
ever, were made In the shape of charges
and do not come under the scope of this
investigation.
MIR. Newcomb-wouldn't the scope CT
this investigation take in the pay roll
during Mr.. Kinsley's term?
Colonel Sanderson-The charges that he
used his own team on ci:y work are
definite and specific. The TEST of them
are merely given as rumors.
Mr.. Newcomb-It seems to me we will
not make much progress in this investiga-
ton II you persist in this antagOnistic
air. You take mistaken view Of the
tar I holt fp1, n
been made which have attracted the at
tention of councils to such a degree that
they ordered an investigation it seems to
me that you should go about the invcs.
believe you should investigate the depart.
ment.
COLONEL SANDERSON'S POSITION.
Colonel Sanderson-My position is not
that of one who would shield anything
that should come out. merely have
personal repugnance to participating in
a dragnet inquiry and prefer not to do SO
Mr. acknowledgment of the
paper are present Why not let them put
the charges more clearly or more speci-
fcally IL they can do so?
Mr. Newcomb-That's my idea, but q
member of the committee wants to limit
roll.
Mayor Bailey-Here! I am waiting to
go on with this investigation. Where are
be in writing?
Mayor Bailey! want the charges con-
pared to present them.
Mr.. Newcomb-Very well. I would now
ask II the management Of the Sunday
World will be permitted to be represented
Mayor Bailey-I see no objection.
Mr.. Newcomb-Well, / will say in the
outset that this sitting Of the investiga-
tien will not be borne BY the public. ;,
that you are before the mayor. You
have got to observe decency, at least. If
not respect. Confine yourself to the case n
or you will be removed from IT.
Mr.. Newcomb-The Sunday World asks
for the pay roll Of the street commission.
er's department.
Colonel sanderson-What for?
Mr.. NewcombITo show that there were
worked for the city.
Mayor Bailey-Just hold on Was that
charge N,r printed IN the World?
tbat Mr. M, Mews0mbmr YOU think. Mr.. Bailey,
high handed manner you may find your.
sell mistaken. i appeal to the members
of this committee. Here is a copy of the
pay roll which wish to offer e
Mr.. Chittenden-Let the clerk read a faw
pages of 1t and then we can Judge as 10
whether or not we should admit it, "
Secretary Beamish was about to pro.
ceed with the reading of the document
when Mr.. Burns interrupted with the
remark that the charges In the Sunday
World were what council had instruct
ed the mayor to investigate. A copy
OF the World was at hand and the
simplest way to get at the charges
would be to take them as they appear
ed and weigh them.
VERY HARSH WORDS.
Mr.. Newcombe in his most caustic
manner remarked that all with the ex-
ception Of the mayor wanted to make
an honest investigation. He intended
to proceed farther, but was Interrupted
bv the mayOr with a ronlv <o %ho neeo..