The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-27
ACCUSED
COME OUT
SP POTLESS
Municipal investigation
a Flash in the Pan.
CAPT. CHAs. GAsSER
A FINE WITNESS}
Was Perfectly Cool Undof
Long and Heavy Fire.
DAMAGING TESTIMONY
AGAINST j. M. KING
Committee Reserved Its Decision, but
VIII Report Unanimously In Favor
Of Exoneratlng Accused Street
commItteemen-klng In
yited to Appear and
Make Statement.
y
Was Perfectly Cool Under
Long and Heavy Fire.
DAMAGING TESTIMONY
AGAINST j. M. KING


Ing entirely to the Street Committeemen
alleged to have been accused by Captain
Charles Gasser. the paving contractor, Of
wrongdoing in conversation with AS
sistant City Engineer P. p. Taliaferro.
the committee last night. The body went
to the very bottom OF the affair. and
while no report was formulated, it Is we'll
understood that the result will be q COM
pete vindlcation Of Messrs. Pollock. Mills.
Bahen. Gibson and Glenn. Councilman
Woody has long since been wrapped In
q the chilly embrace OF DEATH but his good
name has likewise been vindicated by the
inquiry. 49, 3s 5ls
The burden of the whole thing fell upon
ex-Alderman John M. King who has been &
convicted Of accepting a bribe while a
member OF the City Council. All the wit
nesses alleged to know anything of Cap
tain Gasser's alleged charges were put
upon the stand. and not the slightest
breath OF suspicion was cast upon any Of
those mentioned save King. s5fs
Captain Gasser, who was looked upon
as the star witness, E:as the coolest man 9
K In the room, apparently, and came off the
stand without q. scratch. sas5
While the committee reached no for
,nal conclusion, 1t waa evidentN the opii..sFf,'
ION OF all the members that no case had
been made out. and when ths body meets
on Tuesday night to formulate its report
all the accused Street Committeeman save !
King will be completely exonerated.s King
will ba asked to appear and mako what
ever statement he may desire to Offset
tho very damaging testimony advanced
against him before the committee.
The committee was called to order
promptly at clock by Chairman Minor,
and Clerk Mcdowell read the minutes
OF the last meeting. "a sS y
Mr. p. p. Tallaferro was the first witt
ness called and sworn Nb,si {j3gs5B& sEg
{ After the usual questions by Mr.. Pol -s
lard, Mr.. Talaferro began his testimony.
He swore that the letter produced was
/. the one written by himself to the Mayor.
Mr., Talaferro said that the first con-
versaton he had with Captain Gasser
took place in the Engineer 8 office, and
that Captain Gasser asked to speak with
him privately. He assented, and Captain
Gasser proposed that the conversation
should be confidential.
Captain Gasser asked: What is a man
going to do now? He cart get any work
here now without paying for It. This city,
Is ms crooked as any others. !" y
e Flo said Captain Gasser said that MT
King had been to Washington and asked
Mr.. Meloney. the asphalt contractor. how
much was In 1t for him.
THOSE GAssER NAMED.
Then Captain Gasser said that for sev-
eral years they had been paying for their
contracts, and then he said that thare
were seven Of them crooked. "EIe then
proceeded to name those he called crooks
ed, and I put them down: They We're
King, Mills, vi s.. 5shssns Bah Pollock. Gibson.
.sHe then agreed that the dead ono was
old man Woody. told him that II what
iho said was true, 1t not only ought to ba
proved. but the guilty ought to be pun
ished.
to prove ita Tho transactions We're all
cash.
about It, but said he would like to tell
Colonel Cutshaw about 1t.
''FIe said something about getting
money out of jail contracts. but the de-
tails of this do not recall"
After King was Indicted witness said
he had another conversation with Gasser,
and the latter asked II It was true that :
they would get no more city contracts.
Witness replied that he knew nothing
OF 1t.
Witness first communicated these con-
versations to Colonel Cutshaw He had
repeated the names called by Gasser IN
The presence OF Colonel Cutshaw and
Sergeant-at t-Arms Ruskell and Nh. Pol
lock. Mr.. Pollock made indignant denial.
and said there was nothing In It. Mr..
pollock said: "You will be valuable
witness before tho grand jury, II these
names should get In the newspapers "
would ruin all of us,
"Captain GaSSer did not say He nau
Maid money to any of the gentlemen, but
that 1t cost him money to get the con-
tracts. and that these men We're crooked,
Witness said he had refused to tell h
Mr.. Mills whether Gasser had mention
ed his name or not Mr.. Talaferro was
now taken In hand by Chairman Minor,
Weinbrunn, he said. had kicked on the
failure OF contracts to be awarded, and
Welnbrunn had said that he supposed
John King and the other crooked Council. +
men had held up tho contracts.
PAID ONLY ONE.
None OF the contractors had ever sa4d
they paid money to any one save King.
Though they coupled the other names
mentioned as Sssing crooked, Here the
witness filed the paper written at tha tims
Of the conversation with Gasser. contain
Ing the names Of the alleged crooked
Councilmen. A
Mir. Mills now took witness in hand, s
and asked had Mr.. Taliaferro egsr tried
TO verify Gasser's statement. To this Ne
replied in the negative, and Ia reply, 10
n question by Mr.. Glenn. witress said hs
knew nothing TO connect the Madison
Ward Councilman with the affair. Wit
mesa admitted that all his testimony waa
based on hearesay statements.