The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-07
ALL CLEAR
SAVE KING
The Investigating Committee
Mixes Report
OTHERS ARE ENUMERATED
Contractors Are Raped, and Said to
Have Had Understanding With Ex-
Alderman-Report Received
and Filed.
OTHERS ARE ENUMERATED


and Filed.
The Special Joint Committee Of Inves-
tigation having In charge the matter OF
looking into the rumors concerning cor
rupt practices In the awarding OF con-
Com mittee OF the Council, submitted
their report to the lower branch OF the
Council last night. and 1t was in COM
plete vindication OF all those named In
the letter OF Mr.. P. P. Tailaferro. save
ex Alderman John NJ. King. Tho re-
port. which was drawn by City Attorney
H. r. Pollard and Chairman John B.
Minor. takes up the matter in great de-
tail and reviews the procedure OF the
COMMITTEES at every stage. The report,
when presented was received and 1ld
After summarizing the method OF pro-
cedure the committee reports Its find
ings thus:
/. That the evidence clearly establish
ed, to the satisfaction OF your commit
tee. that fraud and corruption have ex'
listed within the last five years. IN re-
gard to the giving and withholding OF
contracts for work done for tho city.
under contracts made by the Street
Committee. It was clearly shown that
from April. 1900. to July. 1902. combi-
nation existed between Charles Gasser.
j. A. GUIDE and John G. Wenbrunn, by
which 1t was agreed among these con-
tractors that they would all submit bids
for certain classes Of work to be oone
upon the streets OF tie city OF Richmond
such as granite curbs and cutters hno
granite spall paving. and 80 arranged
their bids as that no one party would
cont jnuously he the lowest bidder. ana
that without regard to the awarding OF
the contract to any particular ono OF the
three, the work should be aggregated
and then equally apportioned as near as
POSSIBLE among the three: and that THIS
arrangement was reduced to writing and
signed by the parties.
Agreement With King.
,. That the said Gasser. Guido ana
weinbrunn had a corrupt agreement
with John NJ. King. then member OF
the Board Of Aldermen OF the city or
Richmond and as such member OF the
Street Committee, by which he k(k.ne)
was to receive certain sum In consldc-
rntion OF services 10 be rendered them
by him as member OF said committee.
In procuring contracts from that com
mittee. It was agreed between them
and King that the compensation for
such services was to be paid immediate
" upon the letting OF the contracts. and
Il was shown by incontestible evidence
that he received under this arrangement
during the period aforesaid. not Jess
than twelve hundred dollars. AS to one
particular payment made to hlhg by
these contractors, check was proouGe ,
drawn by Charles Gasser. mace pay aols
to j. A. GUIDE, and endorsed oy ea'u
GUIDE and ]. NJ. King.
3. 1t was further shown in connection
with the asphalt pavement around the
CITY Hall, furnished by the Washington
5Asnhalt Block and Tile Company. that
1ot,n NJ. King received from that COM
many. by the consent OF P. Maloney' us
president, the sum OF two hundred anu
fifty dollars (s2bo) for services aleseo
to have been rendered SAID company m
procuring contract 1or 't'' III '''''''A'e
of that pavement.
n The evidence submitted shows other
corrupt bargains. and payments OF sun.
dry sums in pursuance OF such arrange
ment. by these contractors to said KING.
hut YOUR committee deem 1t unnecessars
Ia 20 further into details In regard to
these transactions, all OF which are fully
set forth In the evidence
Pretended He Had Accomplices.
your committee reached the conclu-
sion that John NJ King Intentionally pro-
tduced the belief in the minds OF all three
~ the contractors, and also OF Mr.. 2.
hIa1oney. that he had accomplices IN the
Street Committee sufficient to control
tha situation who shared with him the
money so paid and who willingly aided
him in the accomplishment OF his unlaw-
full designs.
THAT Charles Gasser gave to P. P.
Talia ferro the names mentioned In the
latter's communication to His Honor. the
Mayor OF the city of Richmond, as the
members of the Street Committee. whom
he (Gasser) believed to be Kings accom-
plices. such belief being based not, how
ever, upon any positive statement OF
Kings, but upon the action OF said men,
bers In the committee
Z. The attention Of your committee be-
ing thus directed by the statements OF
the contractors to the records OF the
Street Committee. the same were careful-
10 examined, but were found to be equal
~ consistent with the hypothesis that
king had accompllces in the committee.
or that without accomplices he had adopt
ed q. system OF tactics. apparently In the
interest of the city. which resulted In
delays and postponements OF bids; and
that by this means he had Impressed the
contra ctors with the idea that he CONTROL
ed the situation. and could nave bids re-
iected or awarded at his pleasure. The
records show that In every case OF post
gnonement the vote was unanimous-or
at least no recorded vote was taken-ex-
cept In the case OF contracts awarded on
April 16, 1900, when the bid OF W, O. and
c. G.. Burton. though the lowest bid. was
rejected, and the contract awarded to
]. A. GUIDE at higher figure only one
member Of the committee voting in the
negative, namely Mr., William Gibson
Jr. The City Engineer testified, however
that In this particular case he gave to the
Street Committee his Judgment against
awarding the contract to Burton, although
the lowest bidder, on account Of some un
satisfactory work having been previously
done for the city by said Burton.
indicated Them.