Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-12
BUSY NIGHT FOR CITY EATERS
The Bufpee Back Assessment Got Another Airing Ke
 logg's Decision Turned Down Bureau of Assessment

man BlakesIee said he understood that
 this was a guess; that 1t was based on
 an examination of the names in the re-
 port, the colonel taking the amounts
 said to have been paid just prior to 1 the fire. This, MT Blakeslee said,
 might not be the explanation Colonel
 Burpee had given, but it was the way
 he understood it.
 What was the date of Colonel Bur
 pee's last returns for assessments to
 the city" asked Alderman Bergen.
 The chair said nobody knows. The
 colonel's books were destroyed by fire
 and he couldn't tell. MT Bergen want
 ed to know what was the matter of
 getting all this information from Col
 onel Burpee's banker, to which the
 chair replied that he had been told
 that this was almost out of the ques-
 ton, for while banks keep track of
 the amount paid out by a depositor
 they keep no record of the persons to
 whom it is paid.
 Alderman Hurley: How is it that
 Colonel Burpee comes to be so gener-
 ous that he offers to pay the city S1,-
 800 when he claims, according to the
 terms of agreement. he is not obliged
 to pay anything, and states that al-
 though he has forwarded a check for
 S1,50O when he says he doesn't think
 he owes over two-thirds of that amount?'
 Chairman Blakeslee said that this
 was in accordance with Colonel Bur pee's position from the beginning. He
 always said he owed something and
 that he should settle as soon as he could get line on what it amounted to. Alderman Murray suggested joint meeting of the aldermen and the board of finance to discuss the situa- tion and offered motion to this ef- feet, but his colleague. Alderman Bro phy, didn't see any sense in such thing and thought the report of the committee should be accepted and Col onel Burpee exonerated. This matter has been in hand long time now.'' said the alderman, 'tand it seems to me that if there was anything wrong in Colonel Burpee's accounts it would have been brought to the surface by this time. If manufacturers and oth- CTS are willing to accept the work of such men as have prepared this re- polt huI stt why We ton it. Colonel Burpee has been un- der the rack for years. charged with stealing $10,000 of the peoples money and applying it to his own use. Don't you think it time this thing was dropped and Colonel Burpee vindi- cated? I don't believe in keeping this up so long as there is nothing to show that all the money collected by Col onel Burpee hasn't been accounted for" |
 Chairman Blakeslee said he wanted to take exception to some of the alder 1 mans remarks, and then went on to state that the colonel had no warmer friend than he. 'I defended him both l here and in Hartford, but I always thought and I think so still that if l Colonel Burpee owes this money he | should pay it. never supposed that l there was any intentional wrong doing on his part and I believe now that this whole trouble is some mistake in J bookkeeping and I should like very much to find it." After good deal of talk that really didn't amount to any thing 1t was finally decided to hold | meeting Friday night to act on the re- 1 port and that the board of finance and I Colonel Burpee be invited to attend I the session. Alderman Bergen wanted | to know if it wouldn't be a good idea | to invite Mir Lord and MT McEyoy. the | who prepared the first re- | port. to which the chair replied that | he saw no objection. but this was | after the vote referred to had been I put and carried.
 The long fight over the difference with reference tO FairmOunt street, from Luke street to the Mulcahy | school, came in for an inning. The | facts have been stated so often that it I is not necessary to repeat them at this | stage of the proceedings. From the outset Mr Scully, one of the adjoining property owners. protested that the | were illegal. and also took issue with the decision of the bureau of assessment as to whether or not property damaged by a layout but not lbutting on the street could legally be assessed damages. the bureau taking the negative side of the question and | Mir Scully contending that the three | gentlemen were in error. The bureau considered his position I ridiculous. inquiring who he was, and NIT Kaiser laughing SO heartily at the humor of the thing that he almost I dropped his cigar. When the matter | reached the aldermen the report was held up and on invit1tion of Mr Scully Inc board visited the premises. All 4 were of one mind regarding the unfoF- Iunate situation. but taking their cue I Ina. hftrauU, s.F ! wanted to know what could be done n he premises. Scully maintained that he knew he was right and said he should be willing to have the question: passed upon by the city attorney. The Doard acted upon the suggestion and ifter a thorough inquiry into the mat fer Mir Kellogg reported last night sus- aiming the position taken by Mfr Scully m every particular. The prOceelings we're Illegal inasmuch as there was no -epOrt of the estimate of expense. and with reference to damage the report .tates:
 "I am satisfied that if any land sus- aims a special damage by reason of my public improvement it is the duty f your body t0 award compensation Or such damage This question is. of -Ourse. a question Of fact. but. as rave said. fl a special damage results o any property by reason Of any pub ir work which it would not have ff -uch work had not been undertaken hen compensation must be made herefOr.
 No question exists. acconling to the statements of the members of the bu-
 lH- an-Z