The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-06
COMMISSION ASKS
FOR INVESTIGATION
Anders0n'S Letters to Orennen
& White Endorsed
FULL TEXT OF LETTERS
Motion Brings Up the Matter of o. M.
Drennen's $4,000 at Yesterdays
Westinghouse Declines
to Be Interviewed.

| The Jefferson County Sanitary com,
mission, at its regular monthly meeting
held yesterday afternoon, decided to take
no steps in the matter of the claim Of D
NJ Bremen against the Donelson Con-
struction company, bankrupt, except &c
endorse the action taken by Major Frank
Y. Anderson, president of the commission,
in writing letters to Frank s. White &
Sons, the attorneys for the trustee of the
bankrupt company, and to Mr.. Drennen,
asking for full and complete judicial in
vesugation of the details leading up to
the filing of the claim.
The report of the special committee OF
three commissioners providing for such
action on behalf of the commission in the
premises was concurred in.
Tho Claim.
The matter of the $4,000 claim of Mr..
Drennen was brought before the meeting
of the commissioners by Thomas H. Mol
ton.
| Commissioner Motion said:
I'm view of the newspaper reports and
various rumors now afioat relative to
the claim of d. M. Drennen against the
| Donelson Construction company for $l0,-
900, think that 1t would be well for the
president to appoint committee OF three
to retire from this meeting and consider
whether or not the jefferson County San
itary commission shall take notice Off
cially of any such reports or rumors. l.
therefore, move that the president APP
| point such committee"
The motion was seconded, and adopted
President Anderson appointed Commits
sioners Thomas H. Motion, A. w. Smith
and M. V. Joseph to consider the matter
The committee retired to an adjoining
room, and the commission took recess
Fifteen minutes later, the committee re-
turned and reported that, after a. care
full consideration of the matter, they hao
decided that no steps be taken by the
commission except to endorse the actor
of the president in addressing letters tt
| White & Sons and to Mr.. Drennen. The
| report was adopted, and the committed
was discharged after Commissioner Mol
ton had read the letters written by Pres.
ident Anderson.
Letters to Attorneys.
The letter to Frank s. White Sons
follows:
Birmingham, Ala, December 80, 1902
Capt. Frank S. White & Sons, Attorneys
Birmingham, Alabama
"Dear Sirs: On account of the rumors
and imputations arising from the claim
of D. NJ Drennen against the Donelsor
Construction company, this commission
respectfully and earnestly requests you
as attorneys for the receiver of said COM
pany to cause to be made full and COM
plete judicial investigation OF the trans
actions on which this claim is based, and
this commission and each individual
| thereof, or connected herewith, will be
glad to give you such aid or assistance
as may be possible. Yours truly,
| (Sgned) JEFFERSON COUNTY SAM
| TARY COMMISSION.
by Frank Y. Anderson, President"
Letter to Mr.. Drennen.
The following is the letter which was
addressed to Mr.. Drennen:
Birmingham, Ala, December 30 1903
ID. NJ. Drennen.
Birmingham, Alabama
Dear Sir: 1t appears from the con-
tract which you have with the Doneson
Construction company. the Pennington
Construction company, and c. M. Burk-
halter and company, upon which you have
a claim for $4,000. that you rendered
certain service, and gave advice to said
contractors for the purpose of procuring
for them contracts from this commission
to build the sanitary sewer from Bir-
mingham to a point below Bessemer
ron account of rumors and imputations
arising from your contract and your
| claim filed in the bankrupt court against
the Donelson Construction company, this
| commission feels that all the facts as tc
| this transaction should be brought out
| and we earnestly request and insist upon
full and judicial investigation of your
| claim, showing what service you rem
dered and what influence, IL any, you
exerted over this commission, or any
members thereof, and whether or not the
contract you sought to have procured
| from this commission was the one that
was made with the contractors.
This commission has this day address
| ed a communication to Frank s. White &
Sons. attorneys for the receiver Of the
Donelson Construction company, request
ing them to cause full and complete
judicial investigation of the matter to be
made. Respectfully,
JEFFERSON COUNTY SANITARY
COMMISSION.
by Frank Y Anderson. President"
when asked yesterday afternoon wheth-
err or not he had received a copy Of the
above letter from the sanitary commits
sion. Mr.. Drennen refused to answer the
question. AS stated yesterday, Captain
White acknowledged receipt of the letter
addressed to his firm on last Saturday.
Secretary r. b. Smyer of the sanitary
commission stated yesterday afternoon
that he delivered the letter from Presi-
dent Anderson to Mr.. Drennen in person.
on Saturday. The secretary stated that
Mr.. Drennen had made no written reply
to the letter.
smyer's Report.
In his monthly report to the sanitary
commission, which was presented at the
meeting yesterday, Secretary smyer, in
referring to the claim of Mr.. Drennen.
said:
IT delivered the letters of President An
derson to Captain White and to Mr..
Drennen.
Captain White said that II the claim
was not withdrawn, he would contest 1t
and bring out all the facts he could. Mr..
Drennen said the claim was likely to be
settled. but that no settlement would be
made that was not satisfactory to the
commission. and that II the case went to