The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-06-14
ASPERSIONS REFUTED.
Report Concerning the West BIahano
Township school Board Denled.

Township school Board Denied.
To.day's Miners journal contained the
following "a lively sensation was created IN
West Mahanoy Township ON saturday by the
appearance at Lost Creek of two Of the
representatives of the Taxpayers Associa-
ton These gentlemen were Major Emil
G.. Wagner, superintendent of the Gimm
Estate aud MaclIenry Wilhelm, Ashund's
prominent young attorney. la fact this
was the third session of their invosGga-
ton into the affairs of the West NIahanoy
township School Board, and if hnlt of
what is Charged is true this township will
join with Blythe, Butler aud Cass in making
up the criminal history Of the county The
/ appearance OF these gentlemen created pro-
/ found sensation among the local politicians
of the Alahauoy valley and the interest in
! the proceedings was greatly heightened by
the appearance cf NJ NJ Burke, the solicitor
Of the School Board, who arrived at the resi-
dence Of Patrick j. Ferguson who is the
/ president of the Board 1t is alleged that q
meeting of the School Board and the township
auditors took place at the residence Of
! Mr.. Ferguson ON Saturday afternoon
As TO the finding of the investigators,
/ Messrs. Wagner and Wilhelm, it is alleged
that of the three township auditors one Of
them cannot read or write another is deaf
and the third has absolutely no ability as an
accountant In fact it is alleged that the
work of the auditors has been done hereto
) fore by one of the school teachers of the dis
trict. 1t is also alleged that the old mem
bers of the School Board have withheld the
amounts of the orders that were drawn for
The teachers for attending the county
institute for the past five years or longer. 1t
has been the custom for many years, in all
the school districts of the county, to pay the
teachers their pro rata salaries for attending
the county institute, but while the teachers
in other districts got their money it is
charged that in West Mshanoy township the
orders were drawn but were not given to
them. 1t is stated that the school directors
have diverted to their own use at least one
thousand dollars under the head of new
buildings, that much having been found on
the books in excess Of contract prices In
the matter Of repairs to school buildings, it is
further alleged, that the work has generally
been given to the highest bidder instead Of
to the lowest, and the books show that double
the amount Of the bids has been drawn
through orders. The old members of the
Board only, are implicated in the charges
They are p. j. Ferguson, Thomas f. Elan
agan, Patrick ~ Noone, Martin E. McClain
and John Donlan."
NJ. NJ. Burke, Esq, Of town, who is the
solicitor Of the West Mahanoy Township
School Board was called upon by a HERALG
reporter to-day and when shown a copy Of
the above report denied it in toto. He said
There is nothing whatever in connection
with the conduct of the school affairs in West
Mahanoy township and the financial standing
Of the school district that would subject the
directors to any criticism whatever The
writer of the journal article was evidently
not correctly informed as to what transpired
between the directors and the Taxpayers
Association. The latter has found nothing
in the audit of the districts accounts for the
year just expired that would warrant the
publication of such slanderous references a,
appeared in this mornings Journal. / can
only say that, so far as am personally ac
quainted with the members of the Schoo
Board, they will certainly not allow tn,
criticism to go unanswered