Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-30
GIBBS MAKES REPLY
Answers Capt. MorroW's Crit
cism of kshford's Charges.
OF LETTERS
Holds Engineer Commissioner Re.
sponsible for Statements.
ASKS FOR AN INVESTIGATION
Says President Of the United States
Has Again Been Requested
to Act.
ASKS FOR AN INVESTIGATION

The Star of yesterday, Mr.. e. F. Gibbs.
who charged Snowden Ashford, building
Inspector, with using his official position
to promote a patent In which Ashford Is
interested. stated today that Commission
er Macfarland's letter to the President
was received by him after the statement
had been delivered to the press. There
fore. he says. the words but SO far moth
ing has been done" should have been
omitted.
'-otherwise," Mr.. Gibbs goes on to say.
II desire my statement to stand exactly
as submitted, for which am responsible,
and nothing else
Neglected Chastisement.
I'm regard to Capt. Morrow's neglected
chastisement, he takes me at very great
disadvantage. have neither fitting
words nor spirit to reply through the me-
dun which he has selected-the press.
In this matter he is a soldier who strikes
from position in which he cannot be
struck. can use neither resentment, de-
fiance, submission, sarcasm, irony nor
Righteousness in his way. Fortunately TO-
me, perhaps, I did not realize my immi-
nent peril until three weeks afterward,
when l read it in The Star. will only
at the position In which he has placed me-
l hereby notify him, however. that If the
words personal chastisement' and very
largely ialsehoods' are not his true state
ments, to correct them at once through
tho same medium by which they appeared.
the same.
I'm regard to the authorship Of the let
sers Mr.. Ashford received, Rittenhouse
chimes. and In view of our disappoint-
ment as to the Washington trade, we were
mutually interested in It's DEVELOPMENT,
me nrst letter was agreed upon by us to-
gether and written as an almost hopeless
feeler. and when Mr.. Ashford replied in
his self-comm1tting manner, as we think,
We used our best ability as detectives to
develop Mr.. Ashford's real position, The
simple fact that he returned the money
ana wrote q general disclaimer Of the
STATEMENTS contained in his first letter
does not, we think. benefit his case at
all.
Reference to Ten Dollar Bill.
when he received the money he found
himself in possession of a ten-dollar bill,
and a proposition from party whom he
nad never seen, which. had he retained.
might nave put him in a most serious DO
sltion. Nor was the returning Of this
money due to a sense Of wounded honor.
nor did ne discover the danger. Certain 1t
Is. his second letter does not successfully
contradict or answer the statement con-
tanned in the first.
THE second letter will be duly SUBJ
mlttee to an investigating committee when
MT ASHFORD submits his copy Of the same
The Ashford letter contains remarkable
proposition, to say the least He says q
set OF drawings cost SO. 1t is certain that
MI; Rittenhouse must see those drawings
before he can consider Mr.. Ashford's
proposition. Is this a proposition for Mr..
Rittenhouse to pay SO for the privilege of
considering Mr.. Ashford's proposition to
pay $50 Or $40 for the privilege Of at
taohing 50 electric bell to the ordinary
standard fire escape? The Ashford letter
ment to Mr.. Rittenhouse, one Of which is
the legitimate protection afforded by his
patent. and the other two are the sery-
ices to be rendered by the former employee
or the building inspectors office and the
Information to be supplied.
Asks for Information.
1T Is to be assumed that the protection
afforded by his patent Is Just as ADEQUATE
In Baltimore as in Washington, but will
Capt. Morrow tell US? What peculiar in.
formation or services could former en-
ploye Of the building inspectors office Of
Washington supply to a citizen and man.
ufacturer Of Baltimore which would justi-
fy such royalty as Mr.. Ashford pro-
Poooo " Slldt OOtS any lava 1arum
business man Of Washington think that
Mr.. Ashford could expect such a royalty
for the mere privilege of attaching his
electric bell to a fire escape in Baltimore?
But If he could get exclusive access to
this forbidden information it would be
worth perhaps. 5 or ~ per cent of the
net proceeds Of the contract. We, our
selves, are willing to give ~ per cent for
this information. provided we had ade-
quate assurance that it was exclusive.
This Information being valuable in
Washington and nowhere else. forces the
question. Does the Ashford letter neces-
sarily apply to Washington?
I'VE believe The Stars comment follow
Ing Immediately after the Morrow inter-
View would settle this question. the SUBJ
stance Of which Is, that the letter says:
I will put you in communication with a
former emp.oye of this office who can
manage the local business or supply In
formation. The word this necessar ly
places the scene in Washington; above
this, Washington is the only locality re-
ferred to at all.
President Roosevelt has been again
asked to order special investigation of
this matter, which no doubt will be forth
coming
"Sandbagged," Ashford Says.