The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-30
,nond or from other people who may Do
sn the market for their stock IN trade
Above Board Bids.


It Is believed Fat member OF the
t,o,,nej, IA interested in the combine. but
whether he is an officer, or whether the
mol has any officers, was not ascertalnen.
Indeed, IT was not learned whether the
profits Of any one of the. firms, accruing
from a contract awarded 10 compet,tive
bidding contest, are pooled and divided.
and IL is not positively certain that the
Councilman In question has entered INTO
any agreement with other so-called mem
bers of the combine to divide profits.
FOR some time past there has been a
firm In the city to bid for contracts 10
he let by the Council, and In NUMBER
OF Instances this house has been sue :
cessful, being the lowest oidaer. I'M, ~.
has been open and above board. and the
City Attorney has sanctioned II as iesai
and proper, irasmuch as the Councilman
referred to is only an officer IN the ilrni'
which is an Incorporated company
But IL the combine referred TO by Mr.
Richardson has to do with the line OF
business generally surmised. 1t embraces
number Of the most prominent houses
in the city OF Richmond the heads OF
which stand high In the community ana
are regarded as leve-headed business
men.
Interest In the proposed investigation
BY the Board OF Aldermen has quite NAT
urally increased since the conviction OF
ex-Aldcrman King. as consequence OF
which the PUBIC Is TatfeItlS hNhiNii'S ~,
announcement OF the men who are to
compose the Investigating committee,
Thus far President Turpn has not named
any of the body. but he Is likely to 40
this to-day.
And though the investigation by the
"Committee Of Five" will no doubt provo
Of much interest. 1t Is extremely doubt
full II any startling disclosures will be
made. Indeed. It looks very probable
that unless King consents to talk and
tells what he Knows, the inquiry VIII fall
fat. and the public continue rs much in
the dark as ever before.
Grand Jury estimony
There seems little doubt but that prac-
ideally all of the testimony gathered BY
the special grand jury will be revealed
mt the Investigation. but. even then, VIII
ahe probable disclosures made BY this re-
1narkable and famous document prove
convincing? This question was asked
hundreds OF times yesterday among those
most deeply Interested 1t Is argued that
snasmucl1 as the grand jury was unable
TO find any Indictment the testimony pc
fore them must necessarily have amount
ed to naught and few. II any colincilmen
fear tho result of the inquiry. unless
King talks. !.
Commemorative Attorney Richardson
will lend what assistance he can TO the
invest Igatng committee. hut IT is haro-
sly probable he VIII rcclte any iiet 60;
testimony No doubt he can tell much
of King and possibly ''oai.eTs, nut the
great trouble will be In Identifying those
g"others,'
Mr richardson said yesterday that no
understood King to have received ono
cent for every brick laid about the City
1Iall and the Jefferson Hotel, and ther"
arc those who contend that this being
The ase, King must certainly have had
. 40 rtpers IN his dealings.
Several officials Of the passenger ana
trower Company we're seen yesterday IN
regard to tho report that they would
make a clean breast" to the investigat-
ing committee OF their knowledge con
cerninE corruption in connection with
franchise fight. but not one OF them
verified the rumor. Apparently theS
know nothing, for all are dumb ABOUT 'he
matter.