The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-04
FOR oVER-BILLING THE CITY.
FACTION OF COUNCIL ENDEAVORs
TO GUST AID. O'DONNELL.

The Alderman Claimed 10 Have Dill
ed the City Tor Work Which Had
Been Paid for and Also for What
Had Not Been Domc-During the In
Nestisation the Aldermen sup
porting HaInes and McDermott for
chief of Police Took Sides-Aldcr-
man O'DonncII Claimed the over
charge of 800 ia sS377.3o Bill
WAS News 10 IIim-A Breezy Ses-
sfon. in which the Ala .rmen aud
supt. Lotion Of the Water Depart
Iucnt Took Part.
Alderman r. r. ODonnou was before
the City Council yesterday afternoon
for over-billing the city for work
done in the water works department. 10
was claimed a ban which ne had rendered
included items for which the city had
previously paid, and also for work which
had not been done. owing to the nature
OF the allegations. The investigation was
not only a surprise, but il was at once
eeen the outcome might prove 60 be Of po-
stical significance.
The Council had been called to meet in
committee of the whole at O'Clock, though
the object Of the meeting was not gcner-
ally known. Il was supposed it was TO
consider matters OF routine nature, but
when the board resolved itself into open
meeting an hour later and the statement
concerning Alderman O'Donnel was read,
il was 10 commence an investigation con-
corning which the Morning News made in
quiries several days ago. The report was
started that Alderman O'Donned was 10
be impeached, and while it was admitted
by those supposed to be connected with
the matter that there was something OF
the kind in the wind, they would say moth
ing The developments in Council how
ever, were doubtless the basis for the
rumoTs which were ahOat.
When Superintendent Lotion of the wa
ter department refused TO approve bin of
S3T.30 sent in against the city by Alderman
ODonnell for repair work at the water
works station, IL was the initial step in
the investigation that followed, though it
is not believed he intended, or even sus-
pected, the matter would take the course
II did According 10 his statement before
Council, Superintendent Lotion picked
out items amounting to over 500 which
were not correct. Some of them We're
for work that had not been done, while
others were things already been paid for
After he had discovered the errors, Su-
perintendent Lotion endeavored to have
the bill corrected but as Alderman
O'Donnen was not in the city, and his
representative could not be found, il was
then sent TO Alderman johnson, acting
chairman of the committee on water,
with a statement of the reasons for not
approving 1t. Superintendent Lotion ask
ed permission to make out a bill for the
amount he admitted due so that it might
be approved and paid from this years APP
preparation Alderman Johnson consent
ed to this, but later changed his mind, and
called for the original bill, whereupon he
sent the following to Council
ITO the Mayor and Aldermen of Savan-
Mainly attention was recently called by
the superintendent Of the water works 10
bill from Alderman II. F. O'DonneH,
which Mr.. Lotion did not feel authorized
to approve. The reasons he gave were
that many of the items We're over-charged
and some Of those specified work which
had never been done My first impulse
and the one upon which l acted was TO
permit the superintendent to correct the
bin, and in its corrected form. 10 approve
IL. But on reflection, il occurred to me that
neither the acting chairman on the water
committee nor the superintendent could
afford to so far countenance a charge ex-
ceeding 100 per cent. of the work actually
done, as to correct it. Having reached
this conclusion, / found myself with the
original, and with it, the report of Mr.
Lotion, all of which I now deliver that
you may take such action as may seem
wise and just TO the Council, the taxpayers
and to Alderman O'Donnen.
1t is proper for me to state that I have
declined to accede to the requests of AL
derman ODonnelrs representative 60 de
liver the original bill, or allow him to
have copy of it. To have done the first
would have been manifestly improper until
some satisfactory explanation had been
made of the matter; TO have done the lat
ter was unnecessary, since l was assured
by Mr.. O'DonnelPs representative that the
charges We're made from his books and
could be readily reproduced If desired. Be
sides, do not consider it is a part of my
business 10 furnish copies of incorrect
bills to anyone. Yours truly,
j. b. Johnson"
As soon as the meeting was opened
the communication was read and Mayor
Meldrim inquired what il was the boards
purpose to do with it. After a few
words by Alderman Guckenheimer, Alder
man Smith moved that the board proceed
10 inquire whether there was any over
charge in the bills and IL so, TO what ex-
tent the city was being overcharged This
was the signal for snappy questions from
the board, during which it was plainly
seen there was a division of those who
are known to favor the reelection of
Chief McDermott on one side, while on
the other were those managing the fight
in Council for eX-Postmaster George S.
Haines, who is also a candidate for chief
of police. AS the witnesses appeared the
McDermott men, who apparently included
Alderman Guckenheimer, Wen and Krous-
koff, endeavored to make it appear there
was nothing in the charges while the
Haines men, among whom were Aldermen
Charlton, Owens and Johnson, endeavored
TO push the investigation far enough to
developed the charges. As the question
ing proceeded Alderman Charlton and
Johnson became animated, and insisted on
being allowed TO state points they consid-
cred it proper should be brought TO light
Superintendent Lotion was the first to
appear before the board. When asked
what he knew about the matter, he stated
that the bill amounting 10 $37730, which
was sent TO him for approval was incor-
rect. and that he had declined TO sign II