The Detroit times., 1909-12-04
Barefoot MAKES
DEFINITE CHARGES
AGAINST BROOKS
Committee of Fifty Engineer Says
General Manager of D. U. r,
Attempted To Tamper With
Appraisal Experts.
Attorney Clyde I. Webster Instructed
To Make Thorough Investigation
Fifty To Report Monday.

BeHeIdl meeting or the commit
tee of fifty will be held next Monday
evening. This was decided upon Fri
day evening when the executive COM
mittee met Accountant w. ID. Grid
ley, it was decided. will be given all
the help possible TO finish the Adams
report and the cost of service report
In time for this meeting.
Attorney Clyde l. Webster was
authorized to investigate thoroughly
the charges made by Engineer Fred
erick T. Bancroft that the ID. u. r..
management has attempted to tamper
with his men. He will visit the ex.
ports named and, IL the charges ap-
pear TO he supported, will report hia
! findings to the committee OF fifty for
publication.
Very striking are the charges made
| by Bancroft against the management
OF the Detroit United railway in three
letters laid before the executive COM
mittee
In Barcrofts first letter. written
Nov. 6. he informed the appraisals
committee that he had met the gen.
eral manager OF the ID. u. r. In the
Pontchartrain Nov. 4. and the latter
had boosted of his knowledge OF all
! the committees transactions and
statesd what his company intended to
do 10 the city, the committee and the
engineers who assisted In making the
appraisal. Bancroft added that tele-
phone and telegraph messages had
been sent to his men telling them
not to see Bancroft until they had seen
the d. u. r. first
. Wednesday last Bancroft again
wrote TO Joseph Boyer, chairman OF
the appraisals committee. notifying
him that 1t would be impossible for
him or his stan 10 give any more time
to appraisal work until all the bills
and Barcroft's Office expenses were
paid Bancroft also repeated his
charges against the ID. u. r. faa
This resulted In a request that he
make more definite charges. Bar
crofts reply was dated Thursday and
came up for discussion In the meet
ing Friday afternoon. He makes
definite charges in regard to tamper-
| ing with five OF his experts: Frank
f. Johnson. of Chicago; VIM. ID. Ray.
of Hammond. Ind; Fred Froehlich,
and w. f. Richards. OF Toledo, and
Frank Hall Of Detroit
He charges that Frank w. Brooks.
general manager OF the ID. u. r..
called up Johnson by long distance
telephone and requested him not to
talk 10 Bancroft until he had talked
to the company and not TO sign any
papers connected with the appraisal.
An offer OF Iohnsons expenses II he
would come to Detroit TO talk TO the
| oil m haan
made. and a man named f. +. Burdick
| Is alleged to have visited Johnson
the next day and repeated the oher
without influencing Johnson In any
way
Brooks is also charged with having
called up Ray and onered MIN
position, also urging him not 10 sign
any papers and declaring that tney
would see that matters were mace
satisfactory" Ray is also said 10 nave
been asked to hold everything with
regard to the appraisal in allowance,
| IL he could not come 10 Detroit az the
companys expense.
Froehlich. Bancroft says, was asked
10 part with his private papers, OF
fers OF payment Of his expenses on the
work being made He was also asked
not TO see Bancroft or sign papers
Tho name OF the messengers name
in this instance Is given as Sylvester
| Potter.
w. r Richards. IL is said. was APP
nroached similarly and came to De-
troit to see Bancroft. lie was met
~ the station by H. L. r. men. Rich
ards reported 10 Bancroft, expressing
indignation and saying that he consid-
ored the u. L. r. was getting a
SQUARE deal and that he would not
listen TO any propositions.
with regard to Frank Hall. who Is
ENGAGED I'm Barcrofts Office. the nj.
legation is that member of the
Kaukler Brothers Coal Co. induced
Han TO go 20 his office where he met
John Kerwin and others connected
with the n L. II Hall is alleged to
have been advised not TO ruin his
career by further connection with the
appraisal.
~ - ,bo ,aupst "turn-doWn"