Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-14
CASE OF MIR. GRIMES.
He viii Not Resign Until He Has Been
Given a Full Hearing.
EVIDENCE BEFORE THE INQUIRY.
what tire Marsbaii-Ward Council
man said Relative To the Lencing
=, Nancy and the Shell Contract
He Helped the Employees.

Z.
x,,,h violating the ordinances OF the Guy
On receiving orders from employees Oh
che CITY Gas-Works upon their wages
for borrowed money, and win ha'"e
been a party 10 an alleged ifauuu'''''
contract with the city. Mr.. Grimes ieeis
confident that when the Common Cou"0"
shau have heard the testimony 'ha' He
,g,u adduce before II he will STAND III
much better light before that Douy'
ono fact which will weigh In MI.
cr,,.as,s favor is that the employees Oh
the works testified before the Commi''ee
ON Investigation that while the Marshaii-
ward Councilman did charge then' ehoi-
mons rates Of interest upon some Vi ''''
,,onev loaned them, he was their ffienu'
IA often LET them have funds. charging
mn interest at all, and never pushing
them for the payment of the same' IL
mas also stated by one or two OF these
,,en while on the witness-stand, that
Mr. Grimes I'm these transactions WIN
them had kept the High Constaoie iioh
their doors.
Mr. Grimes also contends that ne mas
never received one dollar dishonesty liolli
contracts with the city. He declared at
the meeting OF the Common Councli On
THURSDAY night that he would never re-
sign from that body until he had peeh
given an opportunity 10 disprove lhe
charges against him.
MR.. GRIMESS EVIDENCE.
Mfr Grirness own testimony before the
Committee on Investigation, so iar as 4,
bears upon these matters Is OF gene
interest at this time. II is gwen neleS
with as II appears In the oihclal report VI
the investigation. .. 60
In regard to the lending Of money 10
sas-works employees at usurious rates
and taking orders upon the wages OF the
men. Mr.. Grimes was shown some OF the
pieces OF paper signed by the employees
and DESIGNATED as orders, and was cues
toned by the City Attorney. Nheni the
Marshall-Ward member took the suahu nc
said: -
81 will state for the benefit Of the
committee that these are not orders.
THESE people owed me money. l had
these peoples negotiable notes, ana TINS
was satisfactory TO Mr.. Adams 10 take
these papers and copy of my isl.
don't know how many. but very few were
paid out In a month. Some OF them wouiu
not do q days work; and some Oh them
would work half month: they would
off. | have got a thousand dollars out
here now with men who have got into
me and would then leave. / would give
my list TO Mr.. Adams, and IL they maze
no time he would mark nothing there
But these lists will show that other peo-
pie were doing business besides me.
never sent TO them; they would come 10
me; and l would drive them away time
and again. Ii was case OF emergency,
gentlemen. / would not want TO have
anything TO do with them, because knew
that I'm the long run l would be loser.
] could give twenty-five or thirty men
that | have a list of at home that owe
money ranging from 50 up 10 SS5 and $40,
and l can't get anything out Of them
Mr. Meredith: What we are after IS
the violation of the ordinance, and the
fact is that the chairman OF the Light
Committee was one that participated
in 1t.
Mr. Grimes: / have told them that
IT was violation Of the rules. They
never gave me orders. l was anxious 10
get out OF IL. and i did get out Of II
TO a certain extent
Mr. Allen: Mr.. Grimes, you said just
now that you knew other parties that
did this business DO you know OF any
member of the City Council or any Of
ficer OF the city who was engaged In
Mr.. Crimes No, sir don't think
that / can say that anybody in the City
Council did. My career In the City Coun-
ell did not commence this. ] do this
business, and do 1t all over town. I lost
last year $500 In the Richmond Granite
Company--clean lost. / suppose every
men that reads the papers saw where
got Judgment against the Richmond
Granite Company. and ! never got any
of the money; II was a clean loss. Any
body In the city who / think is safe
will lend money 10. and take my risk Of
losing IL.
CHARGED A HIGH RATE.
Mr.. Meredith: But there have been
cases where you charged men 10 per cent.
month?
Mr.. Grimes: ! may have charged him
that much. 1t may he, though, that 1t
tapped over. A man might have Dor
rowed $50 from me, and might not have
paid no more than s. the first time and
the next month he may have squared II
up. That gentleman. Mr.. Tlmberlake.
has had as high as SIS. The other day
he came to me and wanted some money
10 help his brother in business, and |
not let MIN have IT, They worry me to
death. have TO go out of my Office and
lock the office up TO keep away from
them / have kept the constable away
from some of them. Some OF them
did not pay me. and some OF them
would lap over. I did not want these
people to come to me and borrow money.
i knew there was risk in It,
wanted to keep them away, but they
would sit down there an hour at time:
and good many OF these people-their
wives-would come here.
Mr.. Meredith: But they are now
drawing their own wages. Whether they
pay their debts or not Is another PROPOSE
Mr.. Grimes: Wen. guess there are some
men III these works that hardly ever
know what II II TO draw their wages.
Mr.. Meredith: But now. l am speak
Mr.. Grimes: Yes. sir. I still let some
Of them have money, because they are
good, honest men. They live beyond
their means; and Mr.. Jordan, the very
man that sat here. has been owing me
some money for certainly six months
last payday. ne said; 81 would like to
pay you some money. but | haven't got
It," ] said: Very well, pay me when
you get g." There amt one Of them
them. and II have not been a friend &c
them 1 will give them all the money
they have borrowed from me. interest
and all. l have been friend TO them.
have kept the landlord away from them
and gone TO their grocer and paid him
] defy anybody 70 say that ever robbed
them. or cheated them. or treated then
anyways badly. / have been kind u
them all. and they don't forget II wher
call on them.
THE SHELL CONTRACT.
Below is given the testimony OF Mr..
Grimes regarding the shell contract:
Mr. Meredith: Mr.. Grimes. how many
carts ala YOU have down there?