The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-10-17
WARRANTS ISSUED ON
CHARGES OF CONSPIRACY
One Is Directed at Abraham English,
Who Was Formerly Director
OF Public Safety.
DuRHAM's RELATIVES INVOLVED
Mayor Likens Leaders of Republican
Organization to Dictstors in South
American Republic.

Philadelphia, Pa, Oct. 12--Mayor
Weaver caused warrants to be issued
for five men very close to the inner
circles Of the Republican organization
today on charge of conspiracy to de-
fraud the city in constructing the
small police wing Of the new munici-
pal hospital. Four of them we're ar
rested and held in $1,000 bail for
hearing tomorrow afternoon. A fifth
more prominent than any of the rest
escaped arrest for the time because
he happened to be in New York when
the warrant server appeared. He will
be arrested tomorrow morning when
he returns.
This was no less a parsonage than
Abraham L. English, formerly direc-
tor of public safety. 1t was he who
awarded the contract for the Munich
pal hospital just before he went out
OF office in 1903. The contract involves
about s1,0O0.000.
Another Of the five was Architect
Philip H. Johnson, brother-in-law of
Israel W. Durham, and designer of
| every public building, station house
and fire house that his relative has
been able to turn over to him for
years. 1t was he who prepared the
plans for the Municipal hospital.
A third of the five is James d. Fin
ley, one Of Durham's cousins. He has
been an inspector of the work done on
the small police wing of the hospital.
The other two were John w. Hen
derson and Henry e. Baton, members
of the trm of Henderson & Co., con-
tractors. Their Arm had the contract
of erecting the small police structure.
Mayor Weaver caused to be subpoe-
naed as witness James p. McNicholl,
Durham's political and business asso-
ciate Another witness called is for
mer Mayor Samuel H. Ashbridge.
Thirty or forty others, among them
many men prominent in politics and
contracting business, will also be CALI
ed to the stand. 1t is said.
The charge against the defendants is
that they conspired and changed the
| specifications of the contract after 1t
was awarded and carried it out in their
own way, with the aid Of the inspec-
tors.
Henderson, Baton and Finley were
brought before Magistrate Eisenbrown
early in the afternoon. They came
with bondsmen who entered bail for
them at once. Johnson sent his law
yer with a bondsman. English was in
New York when the warrant was
brought to his Office by detective. He
was reached by telephone and prom
ised to return at once.
| The mayor and his counsel, Judge
Gordon, are not going to let any delay
ensue. The five defendants are to be
given hearing tomorrow afternoon in
the city hall. Evidently great crowd
is expected to attend, for this Is not
the regular magistrates nearing room.
1t is one Of the court rooms.
Judge Gordon will conduct the case
for the commonwealth. He had intend.
ed having Assistant District Attorneys
Chester N. Farr and Owen Roberts
with him, but they declined to mix in
the case until it reaches their depart
ment in the regular course. This
caused somewhat of a sensation, as did
also the revelation made in Judge Cor
don's letter to the two officials, that
District Attorney Bell had declined to
allow him to take an active part" in
the coming trials of Hill and Caven,
charged with graft in connection with
filter plant construction.
The whole affair came like a thun-
derbolt upon the Republican organiza-
tion.
Mayor Weaver threw an element of
sensation into a meeting which the
City party held tonight in the Academy
of Music to formally notify its candi-
dates, by making an address at the
close Of the proceedings, in which he
likened the leaders of the Republican
organization to dictators in Latin re-
publics.
The mayor had been in stage box
during the evening, and in answer to
persistent cries arose and made the
address, which set the crowd cheering
wildly. He said: "A great deal has
been said about the candidates here;
that this is the fight of the people.
There is no doubt about that In the
November election you will determine
whether ours shall be government
by the people and for the people or
whether it shall be still a government
by a dictator who has had more power
in this city during the past two years
than any dictator ever had in any or
the South American states.
1T is the fight Of the people. and You
can only determine this contest by the
overwhelming defeat of the Republi-
can Durham organization and the vic