The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-12

be taken publicly Tho Ia tier requirement.
seriously handicapped the, inyaStigntlon,
induce the witnesses to talk freely, and
made 1t necessary for the committee to
proceed with great caution IN order rs
far as possibe9t to avoid bringing In the
names Of innocent persons 81 a254t pa y
Your committees through It's chairman
and the city attorney in the effort to
trace the many rllmorS winch We're cur,
rent rs to corrupt practices, examined
pl1rot cly many witnesses for every one
placed on the stand. III . \,
General T. p. Meaney. OF the Bell ;rele-
phone and Telegraph Company, residing
b be MeI the corn Committee us bit declined on the
ground that he could give tho committee
no Information which was not already in
their possession.
nectcd with the Passenger and Power
Company also residing in New York, pos
itlvelI In writing, declined to appear be-
fore the committee in Riclmond, or to
receive or testify before a subcommittee,
If one were sent to New York.
The Conclusions.
Upon Il very careful consideration of
all OF the evidence before us your COM
mlttec has reached the following conclu-
stems: III
In July or August. 1900, John NJ. King,
While a member of the Board of Alder
men from Jefferson Ward. received money
IRON c. ID. Crouch for his vote and nilu-
encc in securing for said Crouch from
the Committee. on Markets the contract
for painting the roof Of the Old Market
at very eXtiavagant figures.
In November, 1900, the said King offered
to sell his vote and Influence In committee
and the Council to the Richmond ,rr Is.
said company awarding to G. 3. Crouch,
with whom he was financially interested,
the contract for painting one of its barns.
This offer was declined by the Traction
Company.
In the autumn of 1901 King offered for
sl,5e9 to sell his vote and influence on the
Street Committee to the Richmond Tele-
Tor an ordinance similar to that which
had just been granted to the Southern
Bell Telephone Company. and, for an
$1,000, to sell to the same COM
or Aldermen when the matter should
reach that body. This offer WAS declined
BY, the Richmond T;Gal tp Company -
in the spring Of lsoa HIRE ot1ered for
Street Committee to the Cudahy Packing
Company, which was seeking to- secure
ftbm that committee leave to extend to
its warehouse on Sixteenth Street a spur
track Of the chesapeake and Ohio Rail
way. This offer was declined by the
Cudahy Packing Company.
Exonerate Councilmen.
These four cases, all involving John NJ.
l<lng alone, are the only cases In which
Your committee has been able to secure
evidence establishing tho ac-
ccptance OF, or the offer to accept, q
bride by any member Of either branch
OF the Council.
MIR Morgan r. Mills, a member Of the
Common Council from Jefferson Ward, and
Mr.. John Il. West, member Of the Common
Council from Madison Ward. have each.
within the past two years. approached
the officers of%the Richmond Passenger
AMI Power Company with the request
Tor 2 loan of several thousand dollars.
After Il very careful consideration of
these two cases, your committee is OF
the decided opinion that the evidence is
not suticnt to show that, as q considera-
ton for the making of the loan, either
party gave assurance of future assistance
and support in the Council, or before the
committee. n both Instances the PaSsen-
ger and Power Company declined TO make
But your committee cannot refrain
from criticising with the utmost. severity
the indellcacy and improperly OF mem
a corporation which then had, and was
likely at any time to have. pending be-
fore the Council matters in winch the
interests OF the corpora ton would be II
the Interests OF the city, Ii the loan had
been granted the Councilman would have
been placed Under such an obligation to
faithfully protect the interests entrusted
TO him. and, when the TRANSACTION was
known, the confidence Of his fellow COun-
cilmen and of his constituents in his
official Integrity would have been seriously
impaired. If not absolutely destroyed.
The refusal of the loan was calculated to
provoke the hostility Of the applicant to-
wards the party refusing 1t. and there Is
evidence tending to show that 1t did 80
in each OF these instances.
Almost Criminal.
Your committee finds that tho South
crn Bell Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany and tho Richmond Passenger and
Power Company, In order to secure the
passage of their respective franchises,
adopted methods only Just short Of GRIM
inal.
The Street Committee was engaged in
the consideration OF the franchise OF tho
Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph
Company for five months. from February
15 1901, to June u, 1901. inclusive. during
which time an unusual number of meet
ings of the committee were held. After
every meeting Of the committee. while
this franchise was pending, before 1t. a
supper was given ut Itucger's by the rep
resentatves of the Telephone Company,
tain members of tho Street Committee,
During the same period the Same menu
bers OF the committee were entertained
almost daily at luncheon al ltueger's
The records of the committee show that
the same members of tho committee uni
formy voted in favor OF what was de-
sred9 by the Southern Bell Telephone