Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-16
THE BURPEE MATTER IS SETTLED
Report Accepted and Placed F Which Means That Affair is
 Settled For All Time City Gets Burpees Check For $l sOO People Without Receps May Have to Settle

bdch usSeSSiHellC QUeSIlOH and DldceQ 1t 'on file, which, according to Colonel
 Burpee and City Attorney Kellogg, dis
 poses of the matter and puts at rest the long wrangle regarding MT Bur- pee's alleged failure to account for al.
 the money collected by him for sewer,
 street and paving assessments. 1t was plain from the outset that there was
 something wrong. It was no secret
 that sat least three of the republican
 members were opposed to accepting
 the report, and it appeared to be wei. understood that not more than two of
 the democrats could be got to favor
 such action, so that nobody outside
 those on the inside looked for the wind ing up of the matter last night; but, of course, as the old saw says, the un- expected frequently happens in legis-
 lative bodies. Four democrats, Alder. men Murray, Hurley, Bergen and Dunn, were absent, and one republi- can, A1r Holmes. who is in California, was missing, leaving the question to be settled by Aldermen Blakeslee, Stanley and Filling as to whether it is final and binding on the city or not.
 
 it had been decided to clear Up the matter, as anybody could see from the remarks of Aldermen Hewitt, Callan and Brophy, but the chair was on the other side, and call from MT Buck for a yea and nay vote showed that 1t was not going to be unanimous. MT
 Brophy made very strong plea for the acceptance of the report, stating among other things that he should re- gard it unfair both to the city and to Colonel Burpee to let this thing drag along to the end of the year and have it go over to the next administration.
 Colonel Burpee talked at some length on the question, the basis of his argu- ment being that according to the agreement entered into between the board of finance and himself, which was authorized by the aldermen, there was nothing left for the board to do but accept the report and place it or file and have done with it. He said he stands now on the same ground he has always occupied, whatever the books show. he owes he is willing to pay, but the books don't show that he is indebted to the city even to the amount of one cent. According to the agreement he is not legally bound to pay anything, but he believes he owes something in the neighborhood of $1,- 900 and to make no mistake about giv- ing the city all it is entitled to from him he made the sum g 800 and had mailed check for that amount, to the comptroller. Colonel Burpee contended that both sides entered into contract that the report should be final so that no question on that point could be raised now inasmuch as it was settled before the experts went to work at all. He should have been better pleased if they had reported something more definite, but hetwas not responsi- ble for that. He never went near them once they got started. but the chairman had and made several sug. gestions of one kind and another.
 The colonel referred to his past life in. Waterbury and said that people at all familiar with the history of. Wa terbury know he has many eheafes. Tt isfi't a difficult thing for some in fluential men to be hostile" he said. Tt has been my fortune. or misfor- tune, to antagonize some very infiuen- tial men in this city and they have not forgotten it. I have been connected with the city government for great many years and no reflection has eves been cast upon my integrity except by those who had personal animosities te gratify."
 The colonel said he arrived at tlis conclusion that he owed something over S1.00O by taking his monthly re- turns as a guide to go by. and while there was but one month that any mis- take could have occurred in, he made out a check for the ordinary reeeipta for two months. Tn any case" he ''I don't care what this re- port means; you agreed with me to accept it as final and conclusive. and. you are legally and morally bound to abide by it. When you passed that you divested yourself of further power of action in that direction and all you have to do now is accept the report ana that is the end of it.
 Chairman Blakeslee explained thkt | his visits to the expert was 10 sus- gest ways of investigation which ks thought might enable him to get to | the bottom of the thing and show that 1t was simply an error in book keeping Nobody, not even Colonel | Burpee himself. could have been more | anxious for n report ylndicating Mr | Burpee than the chairman was. and | the only reason he hesitates about ae- cepting the report is because he fs not satisfied that the experts report loes not clear up the matter and Ee has excellent reasons for believing that it Is not final.
 Judge Cole said it might he all right to accept SO much of the report ls pertains to inc books but he cob sIdered 1t a gross injustice to the city To give a man a full receipt for ovEr s10OO0. which people show receipts for signed by Colonel Burpee. aBi for which no credits appear on the books. He believed 1t was up to Col Dnel Burpee and not to the city Co .hOw what was done with that money.
 Mr Cole claimed that he represented Inc board Of finance and others. hat Frishie questioned this md in explanation Mr Cole quaIiiioi he statement by saying that 1fr Wells pf the board Of finance had requested linn to speak for him and that lIe alee represented clients who had paid mon v to Colonel Burpee and for which n. nd receipts in his pocket. but tke .harges stlIl stand against them er he city books. Mir Cole ronfppglr,f hat fhn hs,.nhs vrnra a1I r4s-f,t .s.a 4s.4