Sunday Washington globe., 1902-06-01
STAND UP MR.. ROSS
And Read This Letter Out
Loud to the Commissioners.
RAYMOND's ROAsTINGs
Includes His old Friend Commits
sioner Ross for Neglect OF Duty--NO
FaVOrites Played by the Seven
teenth street Artist--That Manipu-
Iation Of a Permit by Major Sylyes-
ter and the Inspectors Drunk.

Here is Mr.. Raymond's letter to Commits
sioner Ross just received at the GLOBE
office:
Commissioners JOHN W. Ross.
DEAR SIR: When I showed by citizens
protest, that Ashford was guilty of what
Luscombe charged him with in the affidavit
filed with you, / looked for such action
in the premises as one wronged friend has
an undisputed right to expect of another
II was simply a question of whether or not
the law was being violated. You under
stood the regulations and knew that veri-
fcation through your department, Of the
conditions complained of, was the proper
course to pursue. To enable you to do this
in a manner that would reflect credit alike
upon YOU and your experienced chief,
sent him the original permit issued to Lus
combe, that reads as follows This permit
is issued to c. r. Luscombe to locate
gasoline engine at 7I8 Nineteenth street,
in accordance with the attached regulations.
These regulations required II to be enclosed
by brick walls with ceiling, doors, and shut
ters covered with metal
81 am at loss to understand why the mat
ter was turned over to Ashford unless il was
to do Just as he has done with your green
associate. You knew that there was some
thing rotten about it. and possibly | told
you, that when / asked Luscombe how he
managed to enclose it with a frame build
ing he replied: 4 kept the Inspector
drunk until got it up, and after that, he
was afraid to squeal"
''Now in the face of this permit and Lus-
comDe's assertion, just think of Ashford's
strained effort to put the quietus upon him
after he had shown up in his true colors by
that affidavit. The permit required that the
regulations be complied with, nevertheless,
through Major Sylvester's childlibe Gun.
nineness ne used Col Biddle, as the monkey
used the cat, by stuffing him with the belief
that compliance with them was not required
in Luscombe's case because il was "A ruling
of the Department to allow gasoline en-
gines to be planted among iNfamma6le
Frame structures beyond the FIRE limits.
when I heard that instead of police
Investigation of the alleged violation of law,
it was given over to the building depart
ment to cover the delinquency, l asked a
gentleman very close to Col. Biddle If
Major Sylvester had shown him the permit
and when informed of how the matter was
being fixed up by him and Ashford, re-
quested the return of the permit, but when
il reached me, ii was minus the regula
tions. I noticed this the moment took /
from the envelope, and called the officers
attention to it who brought it to me. In
view of the deceit practced upon Col. Bid
die, the object in tearing the regulations
from the permit was, evidently, to prevent
them being brought to his attention.
"You understand, Mr.. Ross, that such
conduct defeats the object for which the
police department was called into existence,
namely the protection of life and property
from unlawful action. Therefore as one
having this department under your imme-
| diate control, I want to say in words with
a ring of honesty not soon to be forgotten,
that il reflects no credit upon you to allow
its workings to be interrupted by one of
Ashford's stripe, merely to give vent to his
ugly feelings towards the writer, because
he showed him up as an obstructionist,
unfit to hold a public office, on account of
his strangling red tape methods to create a
monopoly of the permit system among a
few favorite builders. What further proof
of this do you want than Luscombe's afii-
davit and the carrying out of the threat he
charged him with?"
''I trust, Mr. Ross, that this little plain
ness Of speech will stir you to thought and
/ QUICKEN YOU " aNAAgh ia 1NAaAA VI AAoSS
poor people, and although soured by delay
in redressing their grievances, yet cherish
the hope that each member of the board has
a higher ideal of public duty than to shut
poor people out of their rights by iudorsiug
/ spiteful action inspired by an imaginary
personal grievance.
This 10 no personal matter, Mr. Ross.
the question to be decided is, whether or
not Luscombe has complied with the law.
Has he enclosed his gasoline engine with
I brick walls, shutters, doors, and ceiling
covered with metal as required by the regu-
latons attached to his permit This iufor-
nation should not be looked for through a
man who is anxious to cover delinquency
that savors a scandal The police Of this
/ precinct will inform you that these require
meuts have not been complied with. In the
face Of this information, you will not, /
trust, encourage connivance with defiant
viOlator of the law, you will afford them the
protection they ask from conditions that
endauger their humble homes, imperil
their lives and shatter their nerves--condi-
tions which considering recent gasoline
horrors, calls for prompt action
Sincerely and respectfully,
ALBERT NJ. RAYMOND,
700 Seventeenth street n. e.
'WAsHINGroN, d. C., Day %, F9o2"
With the praafdentis vat.ros,s s.,r,,f 90