The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-18

ton Called on Him and Advanced |
the Proposition to Which Refer
ence Has Heretofore Been Made.
In a letter which Henry G. Hatton, !
Mayor Moir's private secretary, sent
to the newspapers yesterday he denies
having paid visit to J. M. West, OF
the Barber Asphalt company, with
proposition from Mayor Moir. Hat
tons letter follows:
Scranton, Pa. May II, 1899.
Hon. William Connell, Scranton, Pa.
Dear Sir.--In your letter in reply TO
one addressed to you by the mayor,
you say that information from more
than one source came to me unsolicited
that the mayors private secretary Mr..
ii. G. Hatton, recently waited on Mr..
j. II. West, local agent for the Barber
Asphalt company, with a proposition
from the mayor that the latter would
sign the new street repair contract upon
condition that the Barber people should
use their influence to secure the con-
flrmation Of the mayors appointee for
chief of the fire department, Mr.. John
II. Walker. The accuracy of this in
formation is confirmed by Mr.. West.
The more than one source" from
which you allege you received this in
formation must be the same as that
received from two of the three parties
on whom you implicitly rely, referred
to in your famous CD board Of trade
speech; Mr.. j. NJ. West being the third
If your more than one source" of in
formants are on plane with Mr.. j.
II. West your statements would not
merit a reply, but seeing that these
parties have been vouched for by you
as parties on whom you implicitly
rely" which gives them an air of re-
spectabiity, will depart from my Gus
tom and reply.
SAYS 1T rs FALSE.
Let me say, the above statement is
false in every particular I never
waited on Mr.. j. NJ. West, local agent
for the Barber people, with a PROPOSE
tion from the mayor of any kind, and
the matter of the mayors signing the
repair contract has never been men,
toned between us. / would hesitate
long before casting such q reflection
upon a gentleman of the select council,
as your statements imply. If you have
any authority upon whom you implic-
lily rely" will you not be kind enough
to let the public know these worthy
tation for veracity, and not try to dam
age the regulations of those who value
theirs. by parading the statements of
a paid hireling of a corporation which
is well known to have repeatedly at
| tempted to debauch our public SER
wants
I wish the people Of Scranton to dis
| tinctly understand that this charge
which is made against me is a delib-
crate falsehood and I brand it's author
or authors as wilful liars.
Very truly yours,
II. G. Hatton.
To a Tribune reporter. yesterday, Mr..
Hatton admitted that he waited on Mr..
! West in the interests of the mayors
appointee Mr.. Walker, but that it was
not at the instigation of the mayor
nor with his honors knowledge or con-
sent. 1t was prompted solely by his
personal interest in Mr. Walker, hC
said.
MIR. CONNELLiS POSITION.
Congressman William Connell, wher
seen yesterday by a Tribune represen-
tative, said with reference to Mr.. Hat.
toms statement:
Il have no controversy with Mr.. Hat
L
Mr.. Vests affidavit, which confirm:
what was stated in my letter yester'
day. The matter is now between tht
mayor and the public. 1t is the mayors
business, not mine, to deal with Mr.
Hatton."
Mr.. Vests affidavit is as follows:
Lackawanna county, SIS:
J. NJ. West, being duly sworn accord
ing to law, deposes and says: 1 an
cashier of the Barber Asphalt Pavins
company and have had charge OF thei
business in the city of Scranton 10
some time past. The afternoon OF Ma!
3, 1899, while the contract between thu
Asphalt company and the city OF Scran
ton for repairing and maintaining tn
asphalt pavements was under consider
alton, Mr.. II. G. Hatton. the mayor
private secretary, came to my Office II
the Mears building and stated to me II
substance, as follows:
That he had been sent to me by Mayo
Moir to say that if / would use the in
fuence of the company with the coun
ellis to secure enough votes in selec
council, so that the mayors appointe
for chief of the fire department, MI
Walker, should secure fourteen votes
the mayor would promptly sign the sal
contract and everything would run
smooth as grease" The office boy an
two other persons were present in tn
, room during Mr.. Hatton's visit, but oil
not hear the conversation.
f ''0' J. NJ. West.
Sworn and subscribed before me thi
= 18th day of May, 1892
e James II. Torrey, Notary Public.
Mr.. West, when seen by a Tribun
reporter yesterday, said he had no de
sire TO become involved in persona
controversy; his affidavit was simpl
in self-defence after the mayors pr
vate secretary had publicly challenge
his veracity.
LETTER FROM THE MAYOR.
4 Editor of The Tribune.
l Sir.-In reference TO the answer
!. the Hon, william Connell to a con
+, munication I sent you. permit me
few words. The authority, who volui
, tarily furnished the honorable gentle
! man in his assertions with intormatlo
as to the supposed deal, is entlrel
| wrong; in fact, 1t is unquallnedly fals
as far as / am concerned, / new
, | authorized Mr.. Hatton, or anyone els
) to negotiate a trade. The idea neV'
!, | entered my mind, and the gentlema
e | named, Mr.. West, would be the la
\ ally would seek to enlist in the caus
, The idea was so ridiculous, that
! | thought 1t was hardly worth refutin
: and | would not have sought to intruC
ON your space had l not been anxioI
10 know wherein | had sinned. m