Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-27
LABOR THAT WAS NOT DONE.
TIME BOOKS OF FOREMEN AND LY-
ONs' "RECEIPTs" COMPARED.
REPUBLICAN RALLY TONIGHT.
GANGsTERs MAKING DEMOCRATIC
VOTES FOR REPUBLICANS.
Employees of = Big Firm Denounce
Misrepresentation. of n Gang Or
san-Ex-Mayor Davis and
Hon. j. b. Upton Talk
to Big Republic
an Meetings.

to Big Republic
an Meetings.
The publication of the manner in which
". F. Lyons, Popocratic candidate for the
state senate against Hon. J. C. Horton,
succeeded in mulcting Charles A. Cunning
ham out of several hundred dollars is
causing a great deal of comment Natur-
ally it is of a nature unfavorable to Lyons
and the consensus of honest men of all
parties is that such a man should not rep
resent the people in any position where in
tegrity is an important requisite. Mr.. Cum
ningfam yesterday gave some additional
particulars which do not detract from the
rnsavory character of Lyons conduct and
which are substantiated by the findings of
the arbitrators who investigated the deal
whereby Lyons induced Mr.. Cunningham
TO give him the supervision of the erection
of Mr.. Cunningham's house.
Mr.. Cunningham said yesterday:
II have always been a Democrat and am
oHc lO-Ody, pul tlilS ID d QutSlOn OI
politics. am also in favor Of fighting my
battles within my party. I presented TO
the Populist committee, which subsequent
ly indorsed Mr.. Lyons candidacy, written
: charges to the effect that Lyons had abus-
ed my friendship and had acted in a man
ner which was not in accordance with bus
mess or personal honesty. My charges.
: however. though amply fortified by proofs.
were not effective and he was Endorsed.
when this transaction occurred, in 1887,
I was engaged in business. Mr.. Lyons had
boarded with me for some time, and after
he was married he and his wife boarded
with us. He proposed that We should buy
swo lots and erect two houses, so that we
might all be neighbors. He told me that
he could save the expense OF architects
Z Tees, could buy the material for two hoases
much more cheaply than for one, in pro-
portion, and that We could build such
house as We agreed on for $780, trusted
him implicitly, having no time to attend
to the details for myself. He negotiated
loan of 5000 with Sam H Bales and
went actively into the work of having the
two houses built. Unknown to me, he had
Mr. Bales deposit to my wife's credit in
the Kansas City Safe Deposit and Savings
bank the sum OF 5000, and drew the money
as it was needed, though he represented
TO me that he was drawing 1t from Mr..
Bales from time to time. He made reports
TO me from time to time, but when the
money was exhausted and the house was
still unfinished called a halt and started
TO investigate.
IT found out that had to hold the bag
for $500 or siOo of bills. It was agreed that
we should have the matter determined by
three arbitrators, by whose decision We
should abide. He did not abide by the
decision, which was in my favor for $40.
of which large percentage was money
not paid out by him at all. Large amounts
of material with which l was charged were
not to be found in the house and s105 of
labor charges were not represented on the
time book of the foreman who superin-
tended the work. was told by this fore
man, Mr.. Vaught, that straw men were
rung in on me.
took the matter into the courts and
had. the finding OF the arbitrators con-
firmed and a judgment entered in my IA
vor. Some time after this I learned that
he was lending money on chattel mort
cages and / had a number of accounts
garnisheed. Lyons filed a debtors state
ment to the effect that the money he was
lending belonged to his wife: that he had
disposed of his house only on his wife in
sisting that the proceeds should go into
another home. and that he had nothing
which could be taken to satisfy the garn-
ishment.
on 1lty kaJ ha rfx,il
ceedings, but at that time 1 still had a
few days within which II could institute
criminal proceedings. Before this time ex-
pired Lyons voluntarily offered to settle
all matters between us for $500, half of
which was in cash and the other half in a
note. which was subsequently paid. Ny
costs in the matter were $500, and even
on the finding of the arbitrators, which
was not far from 500 below my own fig
ures, 1 was out nearly $780, of which a
considerable portion went to pay for Ia
tor that was never performed, according
to the time book, and for material which
was never used in my house. For instance
paid $40 for lot of octagonal brick, but no,
a brick of that sort was put into my house
Mr.. Lyons house, next door, had, by a
coincidence, a lot of octagonal brick in IT.
The time book of the foreman shows q
number of instances where workmen were
credited with amounts which were only
ABOUT EaH Wndt Lyons receipts showed.
J. oliver Hogs Statement.
J. Oliver Hogg was one of the arbitrators
referred to. He said yesterday:
''Some time in 1887 Mr.. Cunningham, who
was only an acquaintance of mine, came
TO me and told me he had had Lyons super
wise the erection of house for him and
that he Cunningham, was in the hole.
took the bills which Lyons had rendered
for material and made a thorough examin
alton of the house. l found large quaint
ties of stuff charged TO Mr.. Cunningham
which was not in the house at all. Mr.
Cunningham soon afterwards told me hi
attorneys had advised him to arbitrate tn,
matter. He selected me, Lyons selected
Van F. Boor. and We two agreed on A
r. Chase, who had superintendent the con
struction of the city hall and the govern
Ynent building He has since died.
I'm my examination of the house fount
that lot of octagon brick was charges
Slp TO Mr.. Cunningham. There was no
an octagon brick in the house. A numhe
of newell posts, balustrades, etc. charge,
.lIp were not to be found but Mr. Lyons
house was fitted up with such improve
ments. investigated the labor charges
We got the time of the workmen from
the timebook of the foreman and tn
AMOUNT charged TO Mr.. Cunningham wa