The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-07-12
WEAVER DIGS UP SCANDAL
Philadelphia's Grafters in the Light
Of Publicity.
Disclosures That May Mean Imprison.
ment For Many Politicians
Boss Rule Ended.

Philadelphia. Pa. - The system of
graft" by which tbe Republican "or-
g%anization" leaders became million
aires was exposed at the hearing Of
Select Councilman Frank H. Caven,
who was held in $500 bond on a
charge of conspiring to defraud the
city.
Written agreements were produced
at the hearing to show that competi.
ton for all city work was prohibited
by secret contracts between the con-
tractors, and that the three big leaders
of the organization were actually part
ners in the firm which had a monopoly
of the city work.
This firm is D. J. McNichol & Co..
and it has contracts for public work
aggregating more than $4,000 900. The
partners are-or rather were, for there
has been a getting from under recent
ly-1srael W. Durham. the machine
leader; State Senator James P. Nc
Nichoi, who is known as the second
in commando" John NJ. Mack, Presi-
dent of the Asphalt Trust; Mrs. Jim
McNichol, the wife Of and dummy for
State Senator McNichol, and Dan Nc
Nichol, q relative and dummy of the
Senator's.
The filtration system has cost the
city about 500, 900 1000, and it will take
upward of S5,00O,OO0 more to complete
the work. The McNichol firm has had
contracts for about three-quarters Of
the work.
Mrs. McNichol dropped out Of the
combination when her husband got the
nomination for Senator, and Mack left
after a row with Israel W. Durham
over the affairs Of the Keystone Tele-
phone Company. Durham, McNichol
and Mack divided eleven-twelfths Of
the profits Of the company, while the
other twelfth went to Dan McNichal.
Mayor Weaver is undertaking to
prove that all contracts with the CITY
were made under non-competitive
agreements among contractors ever
since the city government came under
the control Of Durham, McNichol and
Mack. The original agreement be-
tween Caven. who furnished sand for
the filtration plant, and Norcross & Ed
munds. the only competing firm, was
produced.
AS a result Of this exposure Mayor
Weaver has ordered all work on the
filtration plants stopped. The resigna-
tons Of John W. Hill, Chief Engineer
of the Bureau Of Filtration, who is paid
$4,000 a year, and his son, Henry W.
Hill, who was an assistant, were ac-
cepted by the Mayor, to take effect i'm
mediately.
It was shown during the examination
of Daniel McNichol that contracts were
frequently given the McNichol firm,
which was the highest bidder, and
that this firm sublet the contracts to
the lowest bidder.
State Insurance Commissioner Dur
ham was originally a bricklayer. He
sold -four for a short time and then en-
tered politics. He receives about $780,
600 a year as Insurance Commissioner,
spends about $250,OO0 a year. and Is
said to be worth about $2,00O,000
John Mack's real name is Mcnamara.
He was a bartender and later owned a
saloon. He is reputed to be worth
about $5,000,0O0. Senator McNichol is
said to be worth $7,OOO,00O.
Mayor Weaver and his counsel had
a protracted conference at night, at
which, it is said, other and more i'm
portant criminal prosecutions were dis
cussed.
John NJ. Mack, who was charged by
the organization with having betrayed
it to Mayor Weaver, was quoted as
having said:
II will save Durham, but all the rest
must do time in the penitentiary."
Without opposition the City Councils
agreed to repeal the ordinances giving
to the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Com
pany the right to lay tracks on ITO
miles of streets without compensation
to the city.
Mayor Weaver notified the Farmers
and Mechanics Bank that at the end
of six months all contracts between the
city with that bank would be termin-
ated.
The notorious Salter case was re-
opened at the instance Of President
Roosevelt, when Commissioners Coo
ley and Green, Of the United States
Civil Service Commission, began an in
vestigation of the appointments Of
Clarence Meeser, Deputy Internal Rev
enue Collector, and Mrs. Elnora Park.
an employe of the Mint. Mrs. Park
was instrumental in establishing an
alibi for Salter when he was charged
with ho11ot-hOy Stufinp.
The organization leaders of Philadel-
phia are all very wealthy, and the good
government forces are maintaining
that this money was made through
contracts with the city.
i.