The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-29
INVESTIGATION A LONG ONE.
COMMISSIONERS GETTING MORE
THAN THEY BARGAINED FOR.

Special Committee of the Grand Jury
Expects to Finish Its Work So Far
as the Board Is Concerned This
AfternoOn-Mr. KehOe Called on
the Committee for Protection
From Chairman DaIe-SOme Testi-
mOny About the Distribution of the
County Poor Fund Yesterday.
The County Commissioners. at least one
of them, Chairman Dale, hope that the In
vestigation by the special committee Of
the grand jury into county affairs. so far
as they are concerned, will be concluded
to-day. Yesterday was the third day that
the board was before the special commit
tee, and the investigation viii be contin-
ued this afternoon.
According to all accounts there must
have been some rather warm talk at the
investigation, or Mr.. Kehoe, who is pros
ecutlng the charges, did not like the at
titude of Chairman Dale At any rate
1T is said he called upon the committee
for protection from the chairman, whose
language, perhaps. was little stronger
than he liked. There was no difficulty,
however, and there did not seem to be
any danger of one.
Three or four witnesses were examined.
Clerk j. ". McIntire was asked several
questions about the manner of the dis
tribution of the county poor fund One
of The questions was as to whether re
ceipts were taken from applicants for
county charity. This is not done now for
the reason that there is scarcely one of
those to whom aid is given that can sign
his or her name. Some years ago, when
the distribution of the poor fund first be-
gan, these receipts were taken, and there
is a stock of receipts stored away now
with cross-marks on them in place of Gig
natures.
Assistant Superintendent w. +. Brown
was also put up as witness, and a num-
Der of questions were asked Chairman
Dale. Commissioner Guckenhefmer had a
few words to say and the committee kept
the ball rolling along the same line for
about two hours. There was also some OK
pert testimony with regard to the quantity
of rock in the gravel used in paving the
roads
Il was stated In yesterdays Morning
News that among the charges was one TO
the effect that MIR. Chaplin had rented
some mules to the county for road build
ing purposes. In view of the fact that Mr.
Chaplin is now the county superintendent
of public works, the statement may have
been somewhat misleading. 1t was several
years ago, when MIR. Chaplin was a COM
missioner, that he rented the mules to the
county for this work, and not since he has
been superintendent.
The members of the committee expressed
the opinion that they would conclude the
examination of the Witnesses, so to speak
this afternoon, and they viii meet again
at 4 o'clock. After that. however, they
will have a good many books and papers
to go through with, and the inves tigation
is liable to go on for sometime to come
Commissioners Simkins, Lyons and Guck-
enheimer were excused from attending this
afternoons session, but Chairman Dale
was requested by the committee to be
there.
The friends of Commissioners Lyons and
Simkins are having little fun at their ex-
pense When they were induced to become
members of the board they were told that
they would have practically nothing to do,
but they find that 1t is not so much of a
snap as they were led to believe. Commits
sloner Guckenheinner says he has the same
complaint as the same statement was
made to him when he was induced to run
for the Office There is more work in it he
says than he ever bargained for