Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-24
MR. GRIMES DEFENCE
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PACED
when a vote OF censurs or a reprimand


| OF information obtaiuGble, we are
| advised that II has not been an I'M
| common thing fer members or the olly
! Council Of Richmond TO be personally
| Interested In purchases made BY the city
! I'm her various departments. We are not
| here 20 arraign members OF TINS or
any past bodies. and call for their eXpul-
sion, because OF the violation by them
Of this law; but We are here TO protest
that this man shall not be made
scapegoat for the sins of others, VINO
are equally guilty OF the indiscretion
with which he stands charged.
THE QUESTION OF QUANTITY.
~ The fourth and last charge is
| that Mr.. Grimes sold TO tho city, py
means Of the contract awarded Smoo''
lust referred 10. a quantity OF shehs iat
beyond its needs. In other words, tha'
| taking advantage OF his oIneiaI posi-
| tion he compelled the city TO purchase
sbells beyond its necessities, and that
I'm consequence the money OF the tah-
nayers has been unnecessarily expend-
"a The evidence with respect to THIS
| charge. as already adduced before the
committee Is certainly OF very lncon1-
| plete and unsatisfactory character
I, appears from the investigations
| tina, for the year beginning October
1888. and ending October, 1884,. the year
inst anterior to the SmOot contract, thoIe
was delivered to the city at price o. 5R
| cents per bushel. about $4,000 bushels or
| shells. That when the Smoot CONTRACT
went into effect. I'm October, 1894, all OF
| these shells had been consumed with the
| execution of a very small quantity. Under
| the Smoot contract about 5000 bushels or
shells were furnished the city. IL Is
true that these shells were furnished du-
ring the six months Immediately following
the date of the contract in October 1871
| but the reason for this. as we WIZ snow
| by evidence grows out OF the fact mat
| IL Is during these months that shells can
| be purchased from oyster-dealers through
| out the city, and thus the parties having
| this contract with the city made Their
| deliveries TO the city, so as not to be called
! upon to make deliveries during the sum-
| mer OF 1895, when the supply might De
| exhausted, and they would be compelled
/ TO bring shells here from Baltimore ana
| other points. as was the experience or
/ MIR. MONTGOMERY who had the contract
| during former years. Even with the sup
ply thus furnished, II will be in evidence
| that in the month OF February 1885, the
| authorities OF the gas-works had TO pur-
| chase 100 bushels OF lime, because OF
| their inability 10 provide lime fact enough
| for purifying purposes from the shells
! so furnished: that the old administration
Of the gas-works. in the spring and sum-
mer of 1895. adopted the use OF pyrites IN
the place OF lime, and thus I'm n large
measure dispensed with the necessity OF
shells: and but for this change the shells
| so furnished under the SmoOt contract,
| aggregating, as we understand. $500
| bushels. would have been I'm round num-
| bers about the amount furnished during
| the preceding years. and efficiency
| and no more than a suf'iciency-for the
needs OF the institution.
"As we have seen" Mr.. Munford
continued "the city actually got the
| shells at lower rate than she had
ever secured them before. while the
amount delivered during the period when
they could be obtained with greatest
ease was not so great as to raise the
nresumption that the city was being
made liable for something for which
| II had no use much less TO establish
| fraud and venality upon the part Of air.
| Grimes.
"These are. therefore. the charges. and
| these are the answers which we make
10 the same Mr. Grimes denies any
/ charge or suggestions OF Venality, ana
/ ne submits that while guilty OF the
wrono of having been interested in a
| contract let by tie city. that no loss
| 10 the city was occasoned therefor
HAS DONE HIS WORK WE'LL
'In conclusion. Mr. President. | sub
NIT that a reprimand or vote OF cen
sure upon Mr. Grimes's conduct would
be a full vindicauon Of the law ana
| I'm every way a sufficient punishment TOT
tbe offence OF which he Is actually guilty
| T know John Grimes. lie is as good
| man as any Of those who are now
/ CRYING Cruelty him! Cruelty himF For
thirteen long years he worked at those
! Ares down al the gds-works. ana ne
/ worked his way W I'm the world by MS
! ovvn honest effort. while we were asleep
AZ our homes he was down at those
! fires turning night into day ana ne
! has since then elevated himself 10 one
~ the most responsible positions IN
tho Commonwealth Of Virglnia-that or
/ messenger TO the Auditor-d position IN
witch he handled every dollar OF the
| states revenues without the loss OF
! shilling to the State. In thls place
| the LEGISLATURE recognized Mr. crimes
worth. and by It's own act Increased MS
/ salary-the first case OF this knd / kho"
! Of" 49,,
Mr. Munford closed his remarks by
oroin urging the Council not TO inlet
| the maximum peralty upon Mr.. Crime
| for something which was at most OH!
! an offence.
SHOULD BID NO ARGUMENT.
| Mr.. Meredith arose at the conclusion OF
| Mr. Munford's speech. and said ne thoushs
| some plan OF procedure should be adopted
! before going into the examination iuI-
| ther He thought no arguments should De
| made except when conflicting questions
arose He then asked Mr.. Munford IN
regard TO the four charges. Did Hr.
| Grimes deny receiving the rate OF interest
| referred 10 in the chages? he asked. MI
| Munford replied that Mr.. Grimes dehleu
receiving a cruel rate OF interest. VI
| COURSE II he had received any AT al IL
was usurious.
Ii was decided that the witnesses snouio
be sworn. and Mir. Bloombers being a
| notary. was asked to administer the oath,
| which he did.
THE FIRST WITNESS.
Mr.. REYNOLDS was first put on the stand.
and Captain Wise questioned him. He had
been employed at the gas-works IN ourn-
ing lime for many years. but was now
/ the carpenter at the plant He did not
| know how many bushels OF shells he hs
burned during this time, nor could ne
| give the yearly average. Whatever guam
tity had been supplied. however, had been
consumed Mr.. Meredith then examined
| the witness. During Mr.. Adams's superin-
| tendency he had been employed In burn
| inc lime. He said he remembered that
! when the Smoot contract went into enect
| there were very few shells. When ques-
| toned as 10 what he meant by rev
| shells" he said a thousand or two bushels.
He said when the water-gas plant was
started, at first more shells were used
than before. but this was not the case
| long. The witness contradcted himself
/ once or twice In the examination