Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-10-26
Supervisors of johnson County
Accuse Each Other of
Corruption
OFFICIALS ARE DEMOCRATS
Trouble Arises Over Letting of Pri-
vate Bridge Contract - One Man
Saws He Refused 5000 Bride While
Bridge Company Says He Tried For
$40 And Failed.
neclal to republican.

county have become involved IN sen
sational fight in which charges ana
counter charges Of fraud and corrup--
ton are hurled back and forth In
manner highly enjoyable to the repub-
lican press Of the city. The present
situation was precipitated by the state
ment of Mr.. Hunter, present member
Of the board and a candidate for re-
eiection that N. S. Carpenter, in and
for the Iowa Bridge Company. OF Des
Moines. Iowa, offered MI. Hunter Two
hundred dollars to vote to let the con-
tract for the Scales Bend bridge, a.
r,uu,,ting to about nine thousand dol
lars. to the Iowa Bridge Company. MI.
Hunter states that he refused the offer
and because Of its having been made
to him voted against letting the con-
tract to that company. The records
show that oil the rest OF the board
voted In favor Of awarding the con-
| tract to the Iowa Bridge Company, and
In this way it appears that Mr.. Hun
ter charges the rest OF the board WAN
receiving something ION the SIDE.
This charge has been Immediately
repudiated hy the rest OF the members
Of the board, who are some OF the pest
known and wealthiest citizens OF the
county. And the situation has been
further complicated by q letter from
the Iowa Bridge Company charging
M.r Hunter with trying to pull ten
dollars from the foreman OF the con-
struction gang. The letter. which is
addressed to a member Of the board, Is
as follows:
M. e. Linniger, Iowa City. Iowa
Dear Sir: I received letter this
morning from Mr.. Hanke telling me
that Mr.. Hunter is making the state
ment that had offered him two hum
dred dollars for his support in secur-
ing the contract for the Scales Bend
bridge and that that was the reason
he voted against letting me have the
private contract. Now I want to make
the statement to you that l never Of
fered him one cent or any other mem
Der of the board for support In this
bridge or any other. The only thing
ever said to Mr.. Hunter was this: Mr..
foreman, Mr.. Huston, on putting up the
slaughter house bridge informed me
that Mr.. Hunter, who engaged his
haulers for him, asked him to put ten
dollars extra, above their bill Tor
hauling. and give it to him and say
nothing about it. called Mr.. Hunt
er's attention to this matter and he did
not deny it. And l told him that II l
owed him anything would pay 1t my
self. and that I did not want him to
try to secure any money thru my fore
man in an underhand manner like
that. OF course, you will either have
to take my statement or Mr.. Hunters
for the statement that offered him
money, but will leave that matter
In your hands. If their is anything
further that I can do to offset this
statement of Mr.. Hunters will gladly
do 1t because there is not one word of
truth in it, and 1t might hurt In cleo
ton. 1 have written this same let
ter to Mr. Hanke and Mr.. Pitlick.
Yours truly,
Iowa Bridge Company,
BY N. S. CARPENTER.
| 1t appears that the contract for the
Scales Bend bridge was q. private con-
tract with the Iowa Bridge Company,
and that other builders were not per-
mitted to compete for the contract.
| In reference to this matter Mr.. Linni-
ger member Of the board, explained
| that the board had found that when
the county advertised for bids on any
piece Of work the contractors pooled on
| the contract and the price charged for
doing the work was showed far beyond
| the legitimate price, and the profit was
divided among all the contractors. In
kletting the private contract, Mr.. Lin
niger explained, the plans for the
bridge, the amount Of material requir-
ed and it's cost were before the board
at the time the private contract was
let to the Des Moines company.
Mr.. Linniger is one of the most SUBJ
stantial farmers living In johnson
county, and is highly respected. Ar
explanation of Hunters strange attack
is not forthcoming here, and the re-
publican press is using it under scare
heads to demonstrate the general rot
tenness Of the democratic party in the
county.
The charge has created profound
sensation.
| roIIn NEADc