Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-03

At the last meeting of the Levy
Court, which was held two weeks ago
Tuesday, Messrs Armstrong, Mealey and
Gallagher were appointed committee
to burn the old and unnecessary books
and papers in tho office of the county
treasurer and county comptroller.
The commissioners were in session
until about O'Clock in the afternoon,
and it WAS suggested that the unneces-
sary books and papers in the two offices
he destroyed that night Mr.. Gal
lagher, however, was unable to be on
hand that night as be had been unwell
and had been under considerable strain,
and Mr.. Armstrong, having heard Mr..
Gallagher make such a statement, went
home and, being under the impression
that the obstruction would not take
place Immediately, did not 60 to the
Court House any more that night.
Mr.. Mealey, the remaining member
of the committee, was under the i'm
preston that II was the idea to burn
the unnecessary articles without delay.
81 as to relieve the Offices of the treas
urer and comptroller, which were then
overburdened with useless material;
and so he made arrangements soon after
the meeting for the destruction, and
between 5 and 6 o'clock the order of
the Levy Court was carried out, tho
burning being done 10 the basement of
the Court House.
Treasurer Dickey and Comptroller
Staats had previously collected all of
the old material in their offices, and,
whom the time arrived, there was
nothing to do but remove the collection
to the basement of the building. This
work was done ny Fireman Campbell,
under tho direction of Mr.. Mealey, and
ne aud Mr.. Mealey watched the books
and papers go up in smoke, the work
OF destruction being accomplished in
few minutes.
On the following day, however, all
sorts of rumors were afloat concerning
the little bonfire in the county build
ing. Republicans who heard OF it were
incensed to think that representative
OF their party was not present and had
not seen what was carried out OF the
two offices which are soon to pass Into
their hands. They had hoped to provo
some of the startling assertions made
by Republican speakers during the
campaign aud claim that evidence
which they had expected to obtain on
been destroyed along with other things.
Mr.. Mealay. the only member of the
Levy Court VINO Witnessed the burning,
stated to reporter of The Gazette
that nothing had been destroyed except
such articles as were absolutely useless,
and that nothing of value was dis
turbed. He could not recall, during
the conversation, just what was burned,
and referred the reporter to Treasurer
Dickey. He stated, however, that he
was simply carrying out the order OF
the Levy Court, and the absence Of the
other two members of the committee
was their fault, and not his. The con-
demned articles were turned over to the
court, and after the latter body had
decided that they should be burned, he
suggested that they be piled in wagon
and taken out into the country and
after being saturated with oil, set on
fire, and as the suggestion was not
Bcted upon, he felt no hesitanoy in
destroying them without delay.
II believe" he said, that Mr..
Dicley could have burned the books
and papers himself. as, having been
audited, they were his property, and
calling upon the Levy Court to put
them out of the way l considered an
act of courtesy
~ wish now, since have heard that
there was some talk, that | had de-
ferred action until the other members
OF the committee were on hand, but ut
that time l gave the matter little
thought. -
Commissioner Gallagher. who was
also seen by the reporter, said, as far
as he had been able to learn, the articles
- L. 10
books for 1875, the poll tax stub books
for 1895, about |. 100 special constable
commissions. which were two years old,
and which had been paid, and lot Of
old property and poll tax duplicates of
various ages and that all OF the stubs
had been pissed upon and found to be
correct by the auditors.
lie said he was unable to be present
when the articles were burned, as he
had been unwell and had informed his
colleagues that he would not be at the
Court House that night. lie and Mr..
Armstrong left With the impression
that the destruction was to take place
later ia the week, aud they knew
nothing about it until the following
morning.
Comptroller Staats, who was in his
office while the books and papers were
being burned in tho basement, stated
that the only things from his Office
destroyed were some old stubs dated
up to July LIST. 1896, which had been
settled and accounted for by the audi
tors. He collected the old articles
about his desk and safe and handed
them to Fireman Campbell. who was
with Mr.. Mealey, and who took them
to the basement.
According 10 Commissioner Gallagher
the unnecessary books and papers IN
the two Offices are burned every two
years, after the election and after every
thing has been accounted for to the
auditors.
County Treasurer Dickey could moi
he seen, as he is out OF the city, bul
his deputy, George j. Finck, statee
that nothing was burned but old rub
bish and useless articles which hat
heen numbering up the treasnrer's oliic'
for some time. He was positive tina
nothing Of any value was destroyed.
Carelessness in girlhood causes tn
greatest suffering and unhappiness il
after life. Little irregularities ant
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