Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1903-06-12
MAYOR Wants
Inv ESTICATION
Mayor Taylor, Of Richmond After
Crooked Members Of the
City Council
CORRUPTION AMONG OFFICIALS
CORRUPTION AMONG OFFICIALS
Richmond City Council Stir up Things
Seven Names Given-Bitter
Denials by Members Mentioned
$500 Appropriated For Investi-
cation.

Richmond, June 1.-THE city coun-
Gil last Monday night, after one of the
most exciting meetings ever held by
that body, passed resolutions providing
lot ali investigation of it's own mem
bers, and appropriating $1,000 for th'
purpose. The most interesting feature
was letter from Mayor r. M. Taylor
demanding an investigation and tn,
driving of corruption out of the cit!
government.
The mayors letter inclosed one from
Assistant City Engineer P. P. Talia-
ferro in answer to one written him by
the mayor demanding the names OF
members of the council whom Talia-
ferro had been told by Gasser, the
street contractor, were implicated with
ex-Alderman j. NJ King in bribe-tak-
ing. Mr.. Taliaferro's letter gave the
names of seven men, all members of
the council, except W. T. Woody, who
is dead. The names are: j. M. King,
already convicted of bribe-taking, and
Morgan R. Mills, William Gibson K.
Pollock, James Bahen and w. T.
Woody.
The members whose names are CIV
en- were in the meeting. and bitter de-
malls were made. These members
scored Mr.. Gasser, and declared he
should not have another city contract
The information on which Taliaferro's
letter was based was given him by
Gasser at the time King was first ar.
rested.
Harry Glenn, one of the accused
laboring under great emotion, sprans
to his feet and exclaimed:
"My name has been slurred by {
man / do not even know he shouted
Il shall hold him personally response.
BILE and responsible before the law. One
of us must die I defy Gasser, Vein
brunn and Guide; defy King; I defy
any man in this body to put their fin
ger on anything dishonorable I have
done. Before l will go down in Rich
mond beneath this load of shame I
would prefer to be guillotined-to be
hanged by the neck until | am dead.
To have this charge hurled at me in
this. chamber has been a complete sur
prise. I never dreamed any one con-
nected me with it. l brand it as a lie
of the deepest dye. am as much
dumbfounded asfany man in this cham
Der. l would go down to hell tonight
before l would rest under il"
1T is a dangerous thing for man to
live in city where damned per-
jurer can go at liberty and brand any
body's character. l demand an inves-
tigation | want Gasser and King to
come before me- God knows I don't
know whether King is guilty or not
but God knows am innocent
"And have wife and children or
whose heads this thing must fall.
MIR. President, l don't care if | g
down in ignominy here tonight, mus
denOunce this man Gasser as a damned
lperjurer and infamous scoundrel tt
name me in this connection.
II did not know my name was con
nected with Gasser and my father dice
only a year ago and did not know it
am glad that he has gone to join the
angels in heaven above before this blot
fell upon his SON.
Applause rang through the chamber
as Mr. Glenn's voice broke and he sal
down with tears streaming from his
face.
The matter spread rapidly over the
city though late at night, and created
sensation.