The Portland daily press., 1897-11-08
STAPLES INVESTIGATION.
The Full Text Of the Charges and
the Answer Made.
MR.. STAPLES SAYS THAT HE HAS
FILLED HIS OFFICE PROPERLY.

The Hearing Will Be Held Tonight-Judge
Symonds and w. G. Chapman VIII APP
pear for Staples-City Solicitor Nor
rin VIII Represent the City.
AT a meeting of the city government
this evening the charges against Sup
erintendent George S. Staples, of the de-
partment of public works, will be pre-
sented, and there will be hearing there
on. City Solicitor Carroll W. Morrill,
will appear for the committee making the
charges. and Judge Symonds and ex-City
Solicitor MILFORD G. Chapman for Super
intendent Staples.
An interesting hearing may he ex-
pected.
The exact nature of the charges and
reply have heretofore been a profound
mystery. City Solicitor Morrill, declined
to make them public, and no one else of
the city fathers seemed able to. Mr.. Nor
rilPs position was perfectly proper, since
it would have been bad taste for him to
make the charges public before giving
them to the city government.
The charges and answer have been
filed with the city clerk, and are under
stood to be in his Office now.
The PRESS is able to present to its
readers this morning the charges in full
and also the answer in full:
THE CHARGES.
The undersigned comprising the COM
mistee appointed by order of the board of
mayor and aldermen Monday, November
LIST, 1897, to formulate charges of miscon-
duct in office against George S. Staples,
ssistant superintendentsof streets under
hereby formulate and prefer the following
chages against the said George s. Sta
pies, and upon Information do hereby
present. aver and allege that during the
period of his service as assistant superin-
tendent Of streets, the said George S. Sta
pies has been guilty of the following reg
ularities, misconduct, and malfeasance
in office, to witt
First That he, the said George S. Sta
pies, has treated his subordinates In
harsh, oppressive and indecent manner,
in that he has used towards them profane,
insulting, and indecent language.
Second-That he, the said George S.
Staples, has violated the ordinances of
the city by compelling employees of the
city to work more than nine hours day.
Third-That he, the said George s.
Staples. has managed the city stable in
negligent and unskillful manner In that
he has caused horses when perfectly sound
and we'll to be dosed with medicines
which were injurious and caused sickness
and death among the horses there kept.
Fourth-That he, the said George S.
Staples, has caused sand, loan, gravel
and stone belonging to the city to be
for private purposes, without any COM
pensation from them to the city.
Fifth-That he, the said George S. Sta
pies, has caused the city teams to be used
upon the property of private persons
without any compensation to the city.
Sixth-That he, the said George S. Sta
pies, without attempting to purchase in
open market, and without giving notice
to sellers of any desire to purchase, has
purchased horses repeatedly from John
d. Murray without ascertaining at the
time OF such purchase whether other bet
ter purchases could be made elsewhere
Seyenth-That he, the said George S.
Staples, has caused teams of his own, and
men in his employ, to be employed by
the city in the namo of John d. Murray,
contrary to the provisions of the ordi-
nanoes of the city.
= Eighth-That he, they said George S.
Staples, has caused sand, gravel, and
stone to be hauled to private dumps for
the benefit of private individuals when
the same could have been hauled to city
dumps with more convenience and with
great advantage to the city.
Ninth-That. he, the said George S.
Staples, has without authority and with
out compensation to the city, used tools
and implements belonging to the city in
his private business as contractor
Tenth-That he, 1.-The gaid George S.
Staples for the purpose of enabling him
self to sell a pair of horses to the Port
land Sanitary company promised to loan
and did loan TO said Portland Sanitary
COMPANY. for period of two months,
without .charge and withou compenss-
ton to he city, and without authority,
certain cart belonging to theseity causing