The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-25
GRAND JURYTOH HUNT
CITY HOME EGRAFTERS
rs can d al a. T T, . 9 p p to
Stop Now With Evi-
dence in Hand.
'iMINITRE.EI: FoLKEs
GOING ON TRAIL
Public Demanding More Than
Dismissal Of Lovcnstein.
Hobson Has Other Proof
Of Startling Nature.
Great Furry in
City Hall.

llty HAL.
There is wide difference Of opinion
MS to what course will be taken In the !
matter of tampering With City Home
bids. now that the charge has been
proved and oilicaily established. Hav-
Ing performed its duty, the COMMITTEES
on Relief or the Poor will submit al
report to that effect TO Council.
Whether that body decides 10 push the
inquiry further or let 1t drop with the !
dismissal of Mr.. Lovenstein, Will have
little effect upon Commemorative At
torncy FolkeG, forslle declared yester-
day that he would bring tito the at
tention of the grand jury In September
with a strong plea for a judicial in
vestigation.
Councilman Graham b. Hobson Is
prepared to produce additional testi-
mony before the grand jury, the idea
being to prove that there was con-
spiracy to defraud the. city. and while
this charge Will be more difficult to
prove than the mere fact that bids
were opened. there is enough evidence
stu IN the dark to warrant infictI
nlelts and probable conviction.
VIII Assiht Grand Jury.
II VIII assist the grand jury in
every possible way" said Mr.. HobsoniI
yesterday. tWhen we have shown that
wrong has been committed It is un-
fair to let II drop there. Unquestion.
ably there was motive, reason for
opening the bids Somebody prohted
by that unlawful act The statement
that the city was not tho loser by
this transaction is not tenable. am
firmly convinced that the same thing
was done q, year ago, IT not on occa- y
etons previous to that. and we might
as we'll go deeper and bring all the
ugly features to light
No Need of Special Session.
While he is prepared To take up the
findings of the committee in an off,
cial way Commonwenlth's Attorney
Foikes IS not impressed with the de-
mand that the grand inryashe called
In special session, 1t VIII assemble on.
september Goth. Judge Witt Is now
away from the city, after ~ long and
tedious rush of work.
Moreover, the report must go to
Council for action one way or the
other, and in the meantime 1t is more
than possible that additional informa-
tion may be secured which will be
valuable in placing the guilt. 1t may
be accepted without question. however,
that Mr.. FoIkes will proceed, and be-
fore the case Is finally wiped from the
dock.ts the events will be even more
sensational than the dismissal OF an
official.
Must Not Stop Now.
Not all the members of Council be-
ieve that the investigation has ended.
Many who express the opinion that no
further effort will be made to gather
the truth contend that such policy
3 would be wrong, and they show that
had the bids been opened after being
transmitted through the United States
mail the government would have been
unwilling to drop It In view OF tie
evidence. They assert therefore, that
the city should be equally as fearless,
regardless of who might be hurt by
subsequent developments and regard
less of good names that might be
dragged in the mire,
This faction In Council considers the
act Of the man who opened the bids g
felony. punishable by law and they
are not willing to admit that If Mr.
Lovenstein did that 4 t was for the
purpose of putting one bidder In a
position where he would have all Inc
advantage over his competitors.
City Stood to Lose.
The claim that the city did not stand
to lose by the conduct of men who
opened the bids Is ridiculous on its
!
the bidder. for instance, who was tc
profit by the secret Information, hat
been in a position to sell the city woot
q al IS a cord. and make money on the
deal and should then change his bic
to Sc after finding that $6 was the
lowest bid of his competitors, the city
would certainly lose by such change
which could not have happened excep
as result of crooked work True. tht
iryt, I mo l,a "a.
81 a cord. but 1t would have amounte,
to something, and as 1t is. the CIT,
Home saved s125 by throwing out thu
bids which had been tampered with an
awarding contracts on others lhicl
had not, STILL there are members 81
Council who, believe that nothing Ii
accomplished by an investigation.
Grnttcrs Are JrerrlAed.
Aside from the wholesome effec
which this inauiry will naveN,it hal
convinced the public that graft exist
here, far greater perhaps, than tha
already disclosed, 1t will mean tha
the searchlght will be thrown Int,
other dark places. 1t will force head
of departments to'yexercise more car
and caution An honest official is
thing of beauty and a 10Y forever bu
n he Is easily fooled by grafters work
Ing under him the result, so far a
tie city Is concerned. Is practlcall
the same. The newspapers heretofor
have not paraded the fact that som
OF Mr.. IIobsonis associates have en-
deaVored to make light or his charge:
and there Is one story bearing direct
ly on this point which came danger
pusly near publicity. This was to hay
been laid bnre by a Witness.
BY his fearless and aggressiv
methods Mr. Hobson made himsel
master of the situation, and he wi
have the undivided support of the tw
branches Of Council should he find
prs and crooks. i84
He conducted the examination with
nut any display Of pyrotechnics an
without attempt or desire to-, brin
glory to his own head lie merely di
his duty and was not afraid toNspea
out in meeting after he had VERNE
EDo