The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-30
NOT 4 DULL MOMENT.
Alderman Rounds Continues Ills
Investigation.
A THREE HOURS SESSION FULL OF
INTEREST.

The Passages Between Alderman Leighton
and Rounds as Usual the Feature of
the acknowledgements of General
Mattocks Again Debated
Aldermen Rounds, Mcdonald and
Leighton, the committee investigating
the commission of public works, held a
three hours session last evening and it
was as interesting as the previous sessions
have been. General Mattocks called a
large number of witnesses, mostly city
employees, and they rehearsed the stories
already made public and told some new
features of the case. The committee met
in the Common Council chamber and
there were many spectators present who
seemed to greatly enjoy the proceedings,
especially the discussion between the
members of the committee with which
the evidence was interspersed. The
laughter and applause Of the crowd was
constant and unrestrained. Alderman
Rounds called the meeting to order at
z O'Clock and started the proceedings with
a statement which he said he made for
the benefit of the reporters. 1t was that
when the committee voted to make the
sessions public it was with the under
standing that the newspapers should
print reports of the meetings leaving out
anything in the nature of comment.
Then Gen. Mattocks read long list of
witnesses, most of whom answered to
their names and were sworn. Mr.
Thomas H. Randall, formerly street COM
missioner in this city, asked if he was
Obliged to testify and the city solicitor
who was present, said that the commit
tee had the right to summons witnesses
and that it was the duty of the witnesses
to answer questions. Mr.. Randall said
that if that was the law he was, of course,
willing to be sworn. The question of the
summonses was one that came up at in
tervals through the meeting. Gen. Mat
tocks stated just before adjournment
that seven of eight witnesses had not ap-
senger be given funds to tender them so
cents each to secure their attendance
2 This resulted in the mem bers of the COM
mittee putting their hands in their pock-
cts and placing the necessary money on
the table. Gen. Mattocks also raised the
point that if the committee wished to
have the evidence properly brought be-
for them, provisions should DO made for
the payment of man to hunt it up.
Gen. Mattocks said that as at present sit
uabed it was impossible for him to get the
evidence. People came to him with all
sorts of stories and he could not investi-
gate them. Many related to transactions
that were found to be all right. Gen.
Mattocks thought that three dollars a
day would be about the right amount to
pay for such assistance.
Alderman Leighton said that he had no
objection to the employment of such a
person, but he wanted it made clear that
Gen. Mattocks represented the chairman
of the committee and must look to him
for his pay. Mr.. Leighton said that the
expense of the investigation were already
becoming large. The bill of one of the
stenographers for reporting a single ses-
sion Of the committee was S33. This led
W q Stt1bClACnu ny IbUQuuS
that he had check in his pocket that
was good for it and he could put it into
either the Fourth of July celebration or
the expenses Of the committee. This re-
mark MI. Rounds afterwards repeated in
connection with o statement that he was
the man who had employed Gen. Mat
tocks. During the discussion of this mat
ter which came up at intervals all
through the session, Mr.. Leighton said :
II should have refused to go on at the
time this came, but for the fear that it
would appear that was trying to break
up the investigation.
Gen. Mattocks--I seem to be lawyer
without client.
Mr.. Leighton-I want you well paid,
General, but am trying to show that the
guilty party should pay.
Mr.. Rounds-Who do you mean, the
commissioner or his assistant?
Mr.. Leighton-I referred to the chair
man.
Mr.. Rounds-Do you call the man who
is doing the Investigating the guilty par
ty, or the man who is trying to cover it
ups
Mr.. Leighton-Don't you think, Gem
eral Mattocks, that the city solicitor is
the proper person to conduct the investi-
CATION?
Gen. Mattocks-Certainly I do, if he
is ordered to do SO.
The order drawn by the city solicitor at
the request of Mr. Leighton that the COM
mittee proceed with due diligence also
came UP, and Mr.. Morrill, made a state
ment Ia regard to it. He said that this
order was in his own handwriting and