Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-03

that contract was askeu Dy = Mr. Stal-
wagon, OF Philadelphia, who had written
10 Mr. Thomas Z. Campbell. the then
president Of the Common Council, ask
ing TO be notified when the contract
would be awarded 4 so-called investI-
cation was held By the Gas Committee.
n was carried on In the most useless
and perfunctory manner Tho chairman
% the Gas Committee at that time was
Mr. w S. Gum. Instead OF assisting
such an Investigation. by having Mr..
Campbell state what he had done with
the letter. he impeded II by asserting
before the committee that Mr. Campbell
had Informed him that he had never
received any such letter from Mr. stall
wagon. BY the testimony OF Mr. Camp
bell. herewith submitted. II Will be seen
that Mr.. Campbell denies ever having
made any such statement.
DISTRESSING FAILURE OF MEMORY.
lt viii also appear that when Mr.. Gum
was asked TO account for his statement
about what Mr. Campbell had told him,
he could only assert most distressing
failure OF memory. From his statements
II would appear that his mind was al
most a perfect blank az 10 the whole in
Vestigation. From the minutes kept OF
that investigation II seems to your com
mittee that Mir. James T. Ferriter alone
OF that investigating committee showed
any desire TO have the fraud properly
inquired into. Your committee believe
that II n proper investigation had been
made in 1890 the exact correction of
all parties 10 the fraud would have been
made known.
Your committee submit herewith a
copy Of letter dated April %. 1892. from
the Western Gas Construction Company.
the builders OF the water-gas plant. 10
Mr.. W. G. Adams. Superintendent. stat
ing at what prices they would furnish
certain apparatus needed for the said
plant. 1t would seem. from n reasonable
construction Of that letter. that the city
paid that company more for its water-gas
plant than the company stated in
that letter Il wonld. Your committee.
however, has had no opportunity or
means OF taking any testimony which
would shed any light upon that letter
The Western Gas Construction Company
was awarded the contract upon a bid
put in by II after all the bids. IT'S own
Included. had been opened. 1t made It's
second ana lower bid upon the assertion
that Its president had been Informed by
telegraph that the company could get
certain material at lower figures than
those upon which IL based its first bid.
THE ORDINANCE VIOLATED.
Your committee finds that the city or
violated every month from the day OF its
adoption until the election OF the present
superintendent. Not only did Mr.. Walsh,
the foreman. take orders from the en-
ployees of the Lower eas-works for a few
dollars each month during that period,
but Mr.. john Il. Grimes chairman of the
Gas Committee. received orders upon
the wages of employ ees at the gas-works
for money he loarNd them during that pc
Hafs.E IA 2
little over SEQ a month. Your committee
called on Mr.. Grimes to explain why he
had so fiagrantly and frequently violated
this ordinance. His testimony is here
with returned. He attempted to excuse
himself upon the ground that he did it as
a charity TO the employees at the
gas-works, who needed money. Your
committee, however, submit that no act
can be a charity. capable of covering
even one sin, when the fruit of the
charity is usury at 10 per cent a month.
The evidence shows that in most of the
loans made by Mr.. Grimes ne charged
the enormous and shocking usury Of 10
per cent a month. Whatever may have
prompted Mr.. Grimes. IL was not charity
that stimulated him TO SO persistently
violate the city ordinance above men
toned.
Your committee further reports that the
SHOWS
Mr.. John Mann, a member Of the Board
Of Aldermen, in contracting for and doing
the brck-work for the water-gas-plant,
violated the State statute forbiidnc coun-
cilmen TO contract with a committee
or an agent Of the city. The evidence
shows that Mr.. Mann knew that the
statute forbid his making such contract.
Your committee submit that Mr.. Mann in
so contracting acted Improperly: espe-
cally So as he was a member Of the very
committee ordering the work to be DONE
While your committee think that NIr.
Mann acted with improperly, yet they
deem IL just to say they have no reason
10 think that he did not give the city the
work he charged for. His charges
were based upon the calculations made
by Mr.. Charles Boiling AT the request
az Mr.. Mann. before he undertook the
work.
An inquiry into the sales of junk from
the work developed an utter disregard
by Mr. r. J. Walsh of the interests OF
the city. When old metal was sold It
was never weighed. az the evidence shows.
but once. CSee the testimony of
ID. o. Carlton and II. L. Marston)
The reason given was that the city had
no scales large enough to weigh
wagon. OF course, the iron could have
been weighed before il was put on the
wagon. Whenever sold 10 Mr.. T.. j.
Facan Il was never weighed. But on
one occasion a load was sold TO Messrs.
Watts q Can. and an employee of the
works sent with the iron to see it
weighed at The buyers establishment.
When the same employee was sent TO
correct OF MIR. Pagan the money due for
Junk he was given no hill. but was told TO
ask Mr.. Pagan TO send the money. The
books at the gas-works show no sales
of junk. But Mr.. Adams admitted in his
annual reports that in that period OF
nearly eight years he received from the
sales Of junk siiG.2i, which he turned into
the Treasury. He made no returns for
1894 or 1895.
WALSH EQUALLY CULPABLE.
When your committee came 10 ex-
anime into the removal Of coke from
the works by a man named Ben Townes.
the conduct Of Mr.. Walsh shows still
greater violations Of the trust imposed
in him. \ great deal of testimony was
taken on this question. The evidence
so taken must satisfy any one that this
man Townes stole from the gas-works
large quantities OF coke partially burned,
but good and suitable for use BY the city.
and also quantities of coke that had never
been used at all; and that this
stealing was done by Townes with the
knowledge and consent Of Mr.. Walsh, the
then foreman. (see the testimony Of
II. Throgmorton. NJ. VI. Jordan, w. s.
Undertake. George Wills. G. Jordan.
William y. Allen, c. Hampton. Robert
billiard, u. +. Mann, John Whitlow, and
r.. O. Goodman) 1t was found impos-
sible to get at the amount Of coke thus
stolen from the city. But on one occa-
sion three Of the witnesses-Throgmort
Wills. and JOrdan-counted thirty-fve
wheel-barrows taken Of western coke that
had never been used-about one hundred
and forty bushels.