The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-28
STILL CAMPING ON
BR|DWElL'S TRAIL
More Light Is Thrown Upon
That Little Item of
S51.75.
FEW THINGS ARE SAID
BY ARCHITECT NICHOLS
Board of Education Expects to
Conclude Its Case This
Evening.


Bridwell, superintendent of buildings
and grounds for the board Of education,
retain S5175 paid II. w. Nichols, an
architect. the second time for the same
work by the board by mistake, and
returned by Mr.. Nichols to Mr.. Bird
well, instead Of TO the board, when the
mistake was discovered, and what dis
position will Mr. Bridwcll make of this
money! 1t is up to Mr. Brldwcll to
explain if he can.
Mr. BridwclI, at the last session Of
the Investigation by the board as
committee Of the whole into the irregu-
larities in his department, admitted that
Mr. Nichols had been paid the sum of
$5l.7J twice for preparing plans and
spcc fications for manual training build
ings last fall. He also admitted that
MI Nichols had returned the second
him, and that he had retainecd the
money He justified, or attempted TO,
The retention Of the $5175 with the
somewhat involved statement that he
had previously paid Mr. Nichols $54 in
cash out of his own funds for manual
training building plans and spessiflgga, g
received a check from the board. Mr..
Brdwell's explanation was about as
clear as mud, but in conclusion he said
that Mr.. Nichols still owes him $3.50
and the board $51.75.
Denied by Nichols.
AT the fourth session of the lnvestl-
CATION, Thursday evening, Mr.. Nichols
appeared as a witness, and flatly re-
fuicd Mr. Bridwcll s explanation. Mr.
Nichols declared that no matter how
MIR. Bridwcll twisted the thing around,
he has never received any cash from
The board of education that he can re-
member, and that be did not receive
pay twice on the S54 item. Mr.. Nichols
also alluded 10 himself in no very cont
pmentary terms in connection with
his returning the second $5l.75 TO Bird.
well instead of to the board, and
classed this action on his part as
mistake but an unIDtentlonal one.
Mr.. Nichols received the second
$5l.75, the check from the board, De
cember l5, almost three months after
receiving the first S5l.15 through Bird
we'll In explanation he said that he
had received a notice from l.. +, Judd.
clerk OF the board, that there was some
money in the clerk S office due him.
He did not discover that the check was
IN payment for work for which he had
already received pay until ne got nome
Then he called Mrs Nichols attention
to the matter and promptly made an
examination Of his books 10 sec II he
had not already received pay for the
work.
The examination showed that he had
and the next DAY he lOuh INC HdtlCi
up with Mr.. BridwelI,
Realizes His Error.
'Iike a fool. [ went to Mr.. Bird:
we'll instead of going TO the board
said Mr.. Nichols ~ told him that this
money didn't t belong to me, that 1 had
already been paid for this work. lie
said. that s all right; that money be.
longs 10 me, the board owes me and
that money is mine. You get the check
cashed and bring the money back TO
me.
''Thc next day ] cashed the check
and took the money TO Mr.. BridweIl,
giving the whole amount, not 20 cents
less. as Mr.. BridwclI says, TO Mrs. Brld-
well, as Mr.. Bridwcll was working on
the roof or somewhere. aud l dldn
want 10 call him down.
"I know now that | made mistake
but il was an unintcntioRal ono |
should have gone to Mr.. Judd with the
check. but l was glad to get the mat.
Ter off my hands, as the money dldn t
belong to me.
il about / never received pay twice for
any item - declared Mr., Nichols in con.
cluding his testimony: "If ] had mad
a mania for getting rich quick / might
have taken the check ! got from Mr.,
Judd cashed it and put rhc money III
my pocket, but haven t any such
ll- :
BridwelI says | was paid twicc TOR inc
same work. And J say I WASH 4. y
This brought the rather eloquent and
significant comment from II. c. I'd,
wards. counsel foy Mr.. Bridwell. that
the whole transaction was irregular
Where Mystery Comes In
Considerable mystery attaches TO inc
two bills made out by ME- Nicho's lor
ths work covered in the $5l75 stem
Mr.. BridwclI sail, Mr.. Nichols tcs;l-
fed that he had lost the first bill
and asked Mr.. Nichols to make out a
second. which he did, after two or three
days' delay.
Mr.. Giaiquc attempted 10 make The
point that the second bill must have
been certified to as correct by Mr.
Nichols. While the board IS records
show that the bin was approved 10y
the finance committee before being Pald
lhcrc is nothing 10 show when 1T wa,
approved, except that of necessity II
must have been approved prior t'
October 6
Thomas Leslie .iauitor at The science
building at the high school, who helf
similar position at the Lincoln schoo
for four years previously 10 gong u
the science building, testified tina
there has never been any trouble VIII
the heating apparatus at the science
building since he has been there, AM
that there was 40 difficulty with thu
heating apparatus at the Lincoln IN tn
four years he was there; Gia Giarcne
Giauque. a son Of Arnold u Glauque
board member from the Second, who !
ianitor Of the Lincoln now, hasn 4 an,
such record to his credit, it IS de
clared, school having been closed sew
era times within the last year on nc
count Of lack Of heat,
The board Will probably finish it
interrogation of witnesses tonight nm
explanations will be III order from Nj
Rrdwell Ii is expected that he vii
call i'm several witnesses in his cffor