The herald., 1897-11-20

essary. Just why Cooper did not go to
him is shown in Cooper's affidavit, and
he tells an interesting story
Director Adams, against whom the
gravest charges have been preferred,
has refused to make any statement for
publication. He claims to be acting un-
der advice of counsel in the matter and
promises to make his statement today.
AXTELL REFUSES TO TALK
Building Superintendent Axtell is al
most equally reticent. He has been Civ
en- every opportunity to clear himself if
possible by making statement for pub
lication.
When seen at his residence on East
Twenty-eighth street last night he re-
fused to answer the charges.
my counsel has advised me to say
nothing at all about the affair."" he said,
emphatically, "and, although the news
papers have givert me every opportunity
to make statements and offer eXplana-
tiOns, l have been advised to keep my
mouth shut and 1 shall do so. / will
neither deny nor affirm the charges made
against me, and the first parties who
shall hear my statements are the grand
jury l have already answered some
Of the accusations in aff1davits made to
two members of the board"
Here Mr.. Axtell hesitated and said
that he did not intend to say anything
about these affidavits and desired that
no notice be taken of the latter part
of his speech.
"As to anything about blackmail," he
continued. they have made their
charges. This thing will soon be cleared
up and l have no fears as to the out
come"
Mr. Axtell, when questioned closely,
stated that the newspapers had un
doubtedly been as fair as they could be
under the circumstances, considering
that appearances so far were certainly
against him. He declined to say
whether any of the charges had any
truth in them, or whether he considered
them to be part of conspiracy to oust
him from office.
INVESTIGATION STARTED
Directors Conrey and Davis set on foot
the Investigations that have resulted in
the calling of today's special meeting for.
the purpose of making public the entire
matter and deciding upon some means
of Furnishing the guilty persons. They
have not been in possession of the facts
for any length of time, but as soon as they
learned that attempts at extortion had
been made they began quietly getting
together all the facts so that at the
proper time they could be presented be-
fore the board. AS they state in their
communication to the board, whict'pre-
faces the following af1idavits, their pur-
pose was simply to clear the board as a
body OF any possible completely or sus-
picion of completely in the matter.
1t was through them that the several
principals who were approached and
Janitor Cooper went before the grand
jury. What they learned was reduced
to writing in the presence of witnesses
and sworn to by the persons who had
been approached, and these affidavits
We're filed late Thursday afternoon with
Secretary Johnson of the board of edu-
cation. This was the first official action
that had been taken, for they filed the
cation. This was the first official action
They would have been considered at the
next regular meeting of the board on
Monday nightd but as soon as President
Mathis learned of the matter he called
the special meeting. Just what Messrs.
Davis and Conrey learned is best told
in their own statement and the a11ldavits
of the others, which follow:
DIRECT CHARGES MADE
LOS ANGELES, Cal, Nov. IS, 1897.
To the Board of Education of the City
of Los Angeles: AS members of this
board of education. there has been sub
mitted to us evidence tending to show
misconduct on the part of c. II. Axtell,
the superintendent Of buildings and jan
itors for this board, and on tho part of
J. F. Adams, the member of this board
elected from the Seventh ward This
alleged misconduct is connected with the
business of this department and is of
SO serious nature that 1t has become
our painful duty to present the said evil
dence to this board for investigation.
The said evidence on it's facc.indicates
that on or about June 26. 1897, the
said AXTELL. WITH THE KNOWI.-
EDGE AND APPROVAL OF THE SAID
ADAMS. AND ACTING FOR HIM
SELF AND THE SAID ADAMS, EX.
TORTED AND RECEIVED FROM E.
Fl. COOPER, THE JANITOR OF! THE
SENTOUS-S SCHOOL, THE
SUM OF SIXTY DOLLARS for and
on account of the reappointment
Of the said E. e. Cooper to said position
as janitor for the ensuing school
year. That on June 2S, 1897,
upon the recommendation of the
said J. F. Adams and of the COM
mittee on janitors of which said Adams
was a member, the board of education OF
the City of Los Angeles did reappoint
said E. E. Cooper to said position as
In pitor of tho Gartoyc-ctroot cobool
That the said sum Of sixty dollars eX-
torted and received by said Axtell from
said Cooper was received by said Axtell
not only for himself, but on account of
the said Adams as his associate in the
transaction, and some portion thereof
was paid over by said Axtell to said
Adams. That the salary Of said Cooper
as janitor of said school, under his re-
appointment, is the sum of sixty-five
dollars per month, payable out Of the
common school funds under the control
of this. boarCA and that the demand made
upon him as aforementioned was for
zone months salary" That the said
Cooper now holds his position under said
appointment and under contract with
this board, pursuant to said appoint
ment.
This evidence also indicates that in
the month of June. 1897. and prior to the
annual election of teachers for the
schools of this city, the said ADAMS
AND AXTELL ENDEAVORED TO
ExTORT FROM ONE MARK KEEP
PEI ONE MONTHS SALARY OF HIS
POSITION, BEING THE sUMOF ONE
HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOL
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