The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-10
CITY HALL NEWS.
Nothing Revealed at Engineer s
Investigation Last Night.
Rogers Was Not Present-Evl'
dence Was One Sided.
JORDAN ANNOUNCED.
Official Petition for Commits
sioner Is Circulated.
Other Items Of Interest AROUND
City Building.
JORDAN ANNOUNCED

,y-ne Investigation of the city engineer
noliticaI souabbIe held at the city nan
before the members Of the council lasl
night was a failure-so far as proVlne
ANYTHING sensational is concerned 1no'
=. tho committee appointed for the
purpose Of digging out the cause VI -
dismissal of John P. Rogers lIoii IN
office of city engineer, failed 10 nnu o.S
fact that would suggest poillics ~
the dismissal. The primary reason lol
calling the investigation was 10 sec :,
the startling charges of pohtlcs an
catering of official plans maoe 0'
Mr. Rogers we're true -. 20 the
According to the report sent 70 elle
council by the committee the cnarses
made bv the former city engineer e.
NOT substantiated In the evidence
cured last night. But considering ne
fact that there Tas onl- one ut.;,,r
+te controversy brought out nolhllis
VI VI n,,iS be done. Mr.. Rogers was
o,,+ oF the city and could not be pres
emf AT the meeting last night for ln,e
raeson there was no evidence from MS
side of the question and the queS.Iono
nut to the witnesses py -
Miller were all answered in satls-
ia Thn foiiowing report was made after
the investigation;
",ro the Mayor and Council;
ssYo,lr committee appointed to lnves-
+ieate charges preferred by ex-CltS Ell
gineer 7 p Rogers in connection VITA
5Is rasipnation hereby submit the 1oi-
lowing report: We find that Inc eVl-
dence submitted does not sustain any VI
the charges made.
'-'0 .sH P. MILLER, Chairman"
civ Engineer Fulton and Mayor
Green were the star witnesses last
night and their evidence was gooo as
gold with the city council, apparently.
Mr. Fulton explained TO the full satls-
faction of the council that the changes
he made in the records formerly COM
Ti1sd nv his superior. Mr.. Rogers, were
made for the good of the city and were
changed because there was an urgent
need for it, He brought with MIN 10
the council chamber the prohles, plue
prints, etc, and for about an hour ne
explained carefully and technically the
changes that had been made. The
counci1men who stayed awake ana
listened to the figures and those who
fell asleep all agreed that everything
was o. K and further investigation
from this source was unnecessary
Mayor Green was asked concerning
4he nolitical side of the charges made
nv Mr. Rogers The mayor repeated
the same statement that he has made
ever since the squabble first came UP.
at have always made appointments in
the once OF the city engineer oAICA eiie
or the approval of
the city engineer. He has always
known who was coming and the ap-
pointment was never made without
his consent" This was the same
stereotyped phrase that the mayor has
used ever since he was called upon to
defend his actIon-and this also salts
fed the councillnen that If there was
something behind the move it had not
been pointed out to them.
Cecil A. Forter, city draughtsman,
was called upon. He was asked about
certain stakes set ont and few other
technical things bearing on the sub
tect. Mr. Forter answered the ques-
lions in a technical way-in fact the
whole meeting was a beautiful piece
of technicality-and the councilmen
once more shook their heads on ap-
prevail and lifted UP their eyes to the
next victim.
The fact that Mr.. Rogers was not at
the investigation spoiled all the spice
that was scheduled. There was moth
ing brought out that would implicate
Mayor Green or City Engineer Fulton
and Mr.. Rogers must bear his