The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-27
THE INVESTIGATION SECRET.
GRAND JURY COMMITTEE WOULD
NOT MAKE 1T PUBLIC.

The County Commissioners With
Supt. Chaplin, Clerk McIntire and
other Employees Before the Special
Committee Yesterday-Mr. Kehoe
Was Also There and Took Part
A List of Seventeen Questions Ask
ed the Commissioners as the Re
suit of the CharEes-InVestiEa
May Last All the Week.
The County Commissioners with the ex-
ception Of Commissioner Lathrop, who IL
absent from the city, appeared before the
speciat committee of the grand jury yes
terday afternoon, with all their books
bills, papers and practically all of the
principal employees under the board.
Contrary tc the request of Chairman ].
]. Dale, the meeting was not made public,
hence none but the committee and those
summoned were present at the meeting,
which was held in the Superior Court
grand jury room. The special committee
is composed of Messrs George ". Tiede-
man, chairman, c. II. Dorset, f. G. Bell,
Walter S. King, and John Heard Hunter.
There were present besides these. Chair
man Dale, Commissioners Guckenheimer,
Lyons and Simkins, Superintendent w. F.
Chaplin, Clerk J. w. McIntre, Assistant
Superintendent w. f. Brown, Mr.. Butler
and Capt Shumann of the convict camp.
Mr.. William Kehoe, who made the charges
under investigation was also there, and
took part in the proceedings.
The committee took under consideration
firsts the question OF making the meeting
a public one. and it was some fifteen min
utes after the meeting hour before it had
finished its caucus and called the commits
sioners before it. They We're then In
formed that the committee had decided not
TO make the meeting an open one, but TO
conduct the investigation in secret and re-
port 10 the grand jury.
None of the grand jurymen on the com
mittee would say anything about what
transpired and the commissioners were
equally silent, because they thought ii
might be a breach of courtesy to the COM
mittee to talk about the matter while the
investigation is in prosaress.
II was learend, however, that a list of
seventeen questions, more or less, bearing
upon the charges which Mr. Kehoe has
made We're presented to Chairman Dale,
and II is supposed the commissioners win
and furnish data and figures from the
county records with regard TO the matters
to which they relate.
The gravel question appears to be one
of the main issues, and it looks as If the
committee wanted to know all about IL.
In fact that was indicated in the letter
from the chairman of the committee to
Chairman Dale. But there are other mat
ters to which, no doubt considerable at
tention will be given. Chairman Dale was
asked what these questions were, but pre-
ferred to say nothing with regard to them
al present.
In looking over the minute books of the
commissioners meetings a resolution of
fered by Commissioner Kehoe on Aug. II,
1896, was discovered in which he specih-
cally authorized the purchase of Augusta
cement gravel for paving certain roads,
and 1t is understood this has been or will
De brought to the attention of the COM
mittee. The resolution did not provide
for any bids being called for, nor was any
thing said about il at the time.
From all accounts the Investigation Is
going to prove an interesting one in many
particulars. Mr.. Kehoe is, OF course, pos
tive Of his charges, and the commission
ers are equally confident that they can
demonstrate to the satisfaction of every
one that there is nothing in them.
The impression is that his charges are
altheu more at the county superintendent Mt
of public works Mr.. w F. Chaplin. than
they are al the members of the board,
though he has stated that the manage
ment of the countys affairs In general I'M
DER the present board has been loose.
Though the nvestigation continued for
nearly two hours very little progress was
made, it is said only about two of the
seventeen questions being finished with.
Several subjects were touched upon. how
ever, but at the same rate of progress
1t will take three or four days. or perhaps
a week, to finish the work
Leaving out of consideration the value
OF the charges themselves, the investIga-
ton is an important one in that the com.
missioners are practically on trial before
the grand inquest of the county, Ina effect
on trial before the people. They are the
servants of the people of the county, and
have charge of all of its affairs They
fix the tax rate and they appropriate and
expend the money raised by taxation. The
investigation will be watched with much
interest on that account, and the result
Will be eagerly awaited.
TWO MORE SUBPOENAS ISSUED.