The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-07
SNAKE H!A EVILS !
Freeholders Hold a Star
Chamber Investigation
Into Current
Scandals.
GRAND JURY MAY ACT
Bread Heavier Than Lead for
Young Children-Leader
Davis Up In Arms.

The Committee of the Board of Freehol-
ders which is presumably investigating
the difference of opinion between Store
keeper p. H. O'Neill and the contractors
whose supplies he rejected, held another
secret session yesterday aftrnoon. Why
a matter of SO much public interest, a
matter in which every taxpayer and In
habitant of the county is interested, should
be investigated by star chamber methods
is a question which the committee per-
haps can, but do not see fit to explain.
Reporters were rigidly excluded from the
meeting and the members of the commit
tee were pledged to absolute secrecy as
TO the testimony obtained at the inyesti-
cation. The committee will hold another
session this afternoon.
The special investigating committee of
the Board of Freeholders, Messrs. Glenn
ents, Kenny and Heating, appointed to
examine into the quality of goods fur
nished the public institutions at Snake
Hill, met yesterday afternoon. :
The investigation is the result OF a
charge that Mr.. Charles Furst was not
furnishing goods according to sample.
Several wagon loads of stuff were return
ed to Mr.. Furst before he interposed any
objection. Then he instituted an investi-
cation on his own hook and to his amaze
ment found that the samples he had sub
mitted and the bids had disappeared and
a much better and more expensive grade
OF material substituted.
The employees at Snake Hill were gov
erned in their actions by the samples on
file and naturally they found that the
goods delivered differed greatly from the
samples.
Yesterday Mr.. Furst was before the In
v~estigating Committee. He had with him
a half dozen gentlemen representing
reputable New York firms, all of whom
had seen the original samples. To a
man they testified that the present sam
pies were far superior to those under
which bids had been invited.
1t was minated, and very strongly,
too. that there had been a switch" of
the samples. OF course the Freeholders
lave a suspicion who mad the change.
but they all hesitate about making a
direct charge. That will probably come
later, however, and the Grand Jury may
be given something to do. So far as the
members of the investigating committee
could find Mr.. Furst was living up to his
contract to the letter and it was agreed
that he should resume the furnishing of
supplies at once.
this afternoon and that will probably
wind up the agitation. so far as ME-.
Furst's contracts are concerned. Inc
whole trouble is charged up to a disap-
pointed contractor.
The next investigation to be made IS
relative to the quality of flour being fur-
nished. There will be an improvement
in the grade or no more of the ~breadstu1f
will be accepted. The Almshouse scandal
is also to be thoroughly sifted.
The general opinion is that Whatever
conclusion the committees arrive at Will,
under the circumstances, be LOCKED upon
with distrust. ~Storekeeper O'Neill was
before the committee again, and Myron
Furst was there representing the firm OF
Furst Bros, the dry goods contractors.
Mr.. Furst testified that the supplies fur
nished by the firm were. strictly up to
! rubber sheeting were not of the same
brand as the samples, but were equally
good. The contractors had found it i'm
possible PCS laEga to o ged fhe o same Irano OWING g
The Grand Jury meets tomorrow and It
is runored that the whole trouble Will
be ventilated before that BODY s,ob IN hs ade
been published, a new one has been dis
| covered in connection. with the delivery
of flour. Yesterday the F'reeholders had
the felicity of examining a loaf OF bread
| that was made from the flour that IS be,
ing furnished by contractors. The bread
inspected was an ordinary sized loa1, put
it weighed about fifteen pounds.
The bread was soggy and was about as
unhealthy and unsanitary looking as an
| edible could be.
The fault is not with the baker, but
| with the flour, it is alleged. The -four
what was specified. The contractor is to
be stopped at once and he will probably
be compelled to sue for every dollars
| worth Of the stuff he has delivered.
Leader Davis says he will insist upon
the Freeholders prosecuting their inves-
tigation to the end, no matter who gets
hurt. He says public business must be