The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-02-24
INVESTIGATION
CAME TO NAUCHT
There Were No Charges OF Corruption
and None Were PrOted.
MEETING or THE COMMITTEE
Councilman wolch Told Editor Curtis
What Ho Thoughet Of Him,
but There wis No Doodle
MEETING or THE COMMITTEE

There Wta no boDdl" cphh"ei'o WIN
the recent appropriation Of HJ9o Tor
the Ocrln View cemetery. The com
mittec appointed by Mayor Taylor to
investigate the alleged charges. 70 the
effect that the appropriation was cor
ruptly made yesterday decided that
the supposition had no foundation In
fact The oommitte" Is composed of
Mcssrp. Brix. Clinton and Trullinger.
and met al the city hall ~ o'clock
G. J. Curtis, Gity attorney and editor
of the Herald. and Hon. James w.
woloh we're Ia Attendance as principals
In the affair
Mr.. Curtis volunteered 10 explain
the article. and said
In the artacie referred 10 the Herald
did moi ancuse any member Of the com
mlttee or Of the common council OF re.
oeivlng any b0odle in the cemetery ap-
prpprintion nor do I believe any mem
Der Of the council has offered or would
accept any Doodle. That portion OF the
article which says the Herald Is in
pop~cnslou N facts that will make Il
commotlon in the city government II
they h. made public dld no, refer To
the incentive which aetuated council
man WEIGH being ~ anxious 10 make
the appropriation for the ciatsop Gem
etery. was informed from what
"A
or two aSyo the odd Fellows were talk
Ing 81 buying a cemetery and Mr.
wclch tried 20 veil them piece Of land;
that committee was appointed to In
vesilgatc. and one OF the committee
was Interested In the Greenwood ccm-
uicry. The committee reported against
the puN,has- OF tn. wclch site, that
thereafter MIR WEIGH tried 10 sell them
20 acres OF the Morrison tract for Sl2S
per acre that Judge Bowlby said he
had been offered the same land for
$50 an acre. and my informant stated
that Billy welch intended 10 make n
commission of ST6 an acre, that Mr.
wclch blamed a member of the Green
wood Association for losing the sale
~ the land. and he was taking this
method of getting even ON the
the Greenwood cemetery by using his
position as chairman OF the ways and
mcana o9Inmttee 10 secure a large APP
preparation through the common coun-
ell to start an opposition cemetery over
at Claisop. At the present time I do
not know II these statements are true.
but q wiii take strong evidence to re-
move the ixed and settled opinion In
my mind as 70 the truth OF the state
monts made 90 me,
Mfr. Curtis" said Mr. welch. what
right have you. while holding the posi-
tion, of city attorney, to ortticise the
actions OF the common councilT'
"Mr Welch," replied Mr. Curtis,
when was elected city attorney the
city council did not buy the Herald or
my influence. AZ city attorney and
editor OF the Herald am two sepa-
rate and distinct persons and you have
no right to inquire into my actions
editor 50 long az ! abide by the law.
The council, Mr.. weloh. will never die
tate the policy Of my paper"
well, III dictate the policy in that
my name shall never appear In that
paper again, said Mr. welch,
Mr.. welch then explained Curtis's
position, He said he supposed Curtis
probably felt hurt because the council
had reduced his SALARY, and that he
vented his spleen on the body.
We'll" said Curtis, with all your re-
ductions you only saved 5000 fer the
city"
"Or just enough to make up the diff
ference between the bids of the Asto-
rian and the BIT on city printing
Shades OF Caesar, what a saving" ejac-
ulated WEIGH,
Curtis further said that no accusa-
ton was made, but that pcrsonl spite
was the motive which moved Welch
to work for the appropriation. For
some reason or other, welch said he
loved a man who would make charges
to his face, but that he hated a cur
who would talk behind his back. He
further stated that whenever the coun-
ell did anything tha, did not suit GER
tain persons. that body was "held-up." p"
'I'u be d-d II | will be held up by
anyoner said Welch. IL am able to
take my own part"
Then followed a long dispute as to
the purpose for which the committee
vas appointed. Some thought that It
was TO investigate charges OF bribery
made against the public property COM
mittee, while others supposed 1t was to
Investigate and condemn the lnslnua-
tlons made against the council as a
body, Finally Auditor Nelson was
called in and asked to read his notes
OF the proceedings Of the council, but
that did not help matters any and
as far az anything certain Is concerned.
no one could state the object of the
committees appointment
Curtis wanted to know land did not
hnd ouO why the articles in an even
ing paper criticislng the councils