Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-06
ACTION BY COMMISSIONERS
Found Innocent Of All Wrongdoing
in Matter of Fire Escapes.
ACCUSER'S APPEAL IS DENIED
Full Justice Done Manufacturer and
cry Charge Unnecessary.

| After more than four months of deliber-
alton, Commissioners West and Macfar-
land have reached a decision in the Of
| fetal investigation of charges made
| against Snowden Ashford, building in
spector of the District. by E. F. Gibbs
local fire-escape manufacturer. Ash
| ford is exonerated.
| The charges were that Ashford became
the patentee of a fire escape while in the
Office of inspector of buildings: that he
used his position to advance his own in
terests and to discourage the use of other
| fire escapes. and that he entered into
correspondence with a Baltimore firm
with a view Of extending the sale of his
particular invention.
Maj. Morrow, Engineer Commissioner,
took no part in the adjudication of the
| case on the ground that he had express
ed the belief that the charges were friv-
olous in character. He was opposed to an
investigation
Finding of Commissioners.
In their statement made public yester-
day afternoon, COMMISSIONERS Macfar-
land and West report:
1.-The testimony in the case showed that
Mr.. Ashford was the patentee of a GER
tain character of fire escape. The evil
dence also showed that when this fact
was made the subject of complaint Mr.
Ashford was directed by the Commission
ers to relinquish all interest in his inven-
tion and that he complied with the order
of the Commissioners at considerable per-
sonal sacrifice. The further statement
was made under oath that he is not
directly or indirectly interested at the
present time in the development of the
invention.
THE evidence also showed that he did
not at any time profit to the extent of a
single dollar out of his invention, and
that whenever it was used in this District
it was furnished free of cost of persons
desiring to take advantage of it, and that
the ten dollars forwarded to him by the
Baltimore firm was Immediately returned
by him with the statement that he would
not sell any exclusive rights and adding
| capes in the city are doing SO without
paying me any royalty or compensation
Of any kind
THE evidence further shows that Mr..
Ashford did not exclude other makes of
fire escapes from consideration, and that
when he recommended the adoption of the
ladder and platform style of escape as q
standard form the Commissioners ap-
proved the same, and the latter have not
at any, time manifested any desire to
change or modify the action taken by
| them after due deliberation.
The Commissioners held that having
directed Mr.. Ashford to dissociate
himself from connection with the develop
ment of the invention, which direction
has been complied with, and the evidence
disclosing nothing to inculpate Mr.. Ash
| ford in any dishonest or questiona BILE
dealing, no further action is necessary in
| the matter"
Gull Justice" Done Gibbs.
| A short time prior to the Ashford in
vestigation Gibbs was charged with at
| tempted bribery, it being alleged that he
gave an employe of the building depart
ment check for $40 with that intent
The case was referred to the United
States district attorney, who returned
the papers in the case to the Commits
sioners, saying there was no evidence of
bribery and that the case was not one
| for the grand jury.
missioners to publicly exonerate him of
the bribery charges. Relative to this re-
quest the Commissioners issued the fol-
| lowing statement yesterday:
I'm regard to the application of Mr.
Gibbs for formal exoneration by the
Board of Commissioners of attempted
bribery before acting upon the charges
| by Gibbs against Ashford. the Commits
| siOners take the ground that they have
done full justice to Mr.. Gibbs in the mat
| ter by sending him, February IL last, a
copy of the letter of the United States
district attorney stating that the facts did
not in his judgment warrant action by
| the grand jury, and by making public the
action of the United States district at
torney at the time that 1t was communi-
| Gated to the Commissioners