The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-27
COHEN TO BE INVESTIGATED.
Councils Messenger Charged With
Opening an OhiciaI Letter.

Messenger of Council Isaac s. Cohen is
to be investigated by Mayor Meldrim to-
morrow. The investigation Is held at Co
hens request and is on account Of charges
made against him by Health Officer Lee
Hardy.
One day last week William Bennett, DR..
LeHardy's office boy, was sent down to
the clerks office with an envelope ad-
dressed to Mayor Meldrlm. Bennett re-
turned and reported to Chief Inspector
Melvin that he had handed the letter to
Messenger Cohen. who had opened it and
looked at the contents. Mr.. Melvin re-
ported this to DR.. LeHardy, who had Ben
nett write out statement of the occur
renee, which he inclosed with a letter to
Mayor Meldrim. The mayor called Cohen
before him and requested an explanation
OF his conduct. Cohen claimed that the
letter was not sealed, as stated by Inspec-
tor Melvin, and Bennett, and that he nad
simply raised the flap of the envelope,
saw that 1t contained lot of slips reat-
ing to quarantine, and then placed the
letter on the mayors desk. The mayor
reprmanded him for his indiscretion and
cautioned him to hold his inquisitiveness
in check hereafter
The messenger of council also acts a.
an eX-otiicio janitor of the city exchange.
There is closet by the stairs in the cor
rldor on the first floor where the officials
and employees In the building who ride BIZ
cycles, have been keeping their wheels
Friday morning the messenger went to
Or. LeHardys Office to carry a message
The doctor spoke to him about the letter
incident, and Cohen, not liking the doc
tors remarks, made a rude reply. DR.
LeHardy then spoke very sharply, and
among other things, it is said threatened
70 nave him kicked out of his position.
For the purpose of revengng himself upon
Dr. LeHardy and his Office boy, Cohen
changed the lock on the bicycle closet and
kept the key in his pocket.
DIR. LeHardy sometimes rides a wheel
himself and Bennett uses one regularly
They We're thus deprived of the use of
the closet. Later the messenger issued an
order that no bicycles should be allowed in
the hallway of the building. This would
compel Bennett TO carry his bicycle UP
two flights of stairs. Other officials and
employees besides those Of the health de-
partment kicked on this order and 1t was
generally disregarded.
Cohen addressed a letter to Mayor Mel
drim, requesting an official investigation
of the charges made against him by the
health officer, and also requesting the
mayor to issue an order empowering him
as messenger to exclude all bicycles from
the hallway of the building. Mayor Mel
drim replied, granting the investigation,
but peremptorily refusing to issue the or
der, requesting and nstructing the mes
senger that all officials and employees en-
gagged in the building should be allowed
to place their bicycles in the Railways,
and in the closet on the first floor also, if
they chose. Cohen was instructed to open
up the closet for the purpose This he did
but not with the best grace in the world,
taking care to move back in the closet
such old rubbish as he had formerly NOV
ed out to make room for the bicycles.
The investigation of the messenger of
council will not be so lengthy as that of
the fire chief, but It is of considerable in
terest Just now to the officials and en-
ployes in the city exchange.