The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-29
Two Afternoon Papers
So Informed, Yet Three
Misquoted Him.
MAY Still i GO
TO GRAND JURY
Mayors Investigation Not Yet
Complete, but Facts Will Go
to Proper Body-Pace Denies
Thonpson's Statement to
Police Board-Vouchers
in Evidence.

Mayor Richardson snid yesterday af-
ternOon that the article printed yester-
dny morning In The Times-Hfspatch on
the wire contract Investigation ,,as
correct nnd eminentIy fair. The Mayor
said that he had authorized no denial OF
nny part of IT.; TINT the investigation
s,yns proceeding steadily; thnt he had
examined John II. strinGer for more
than nn hour yesterday, nnd had not
yet completed his Inquiry, and for that
reason had not determined what course
he would tnke-whether the matter
would properly go to the Council, tke
Police or Fire Board, or to the grand
jury. The Mayor repents that No fuI
there has been no evidence of any coi-
lusi"n on the part of any city employee
and further Investigation seems Ia
show that the charges mnle by Mr.
Stringer for city work were reasonable
Told Them Article wns Correct.
Reporters for the News Leader and
Nirginian to-day came to my Office to-
gether" said the Mayor. Il told them
that The Times Dispatch article, so far
as 1t referred to myself and so far as
the facts were in my knowledge. was
correct and accurate statement. and
that had been correctly quoted, 1
said that l had gotten copies of bills
for Fire Department work from Speciai
Accountant Crenshaw-not from Clerk
L. S. Jones. of the Fire Department
but the point is immaterial. [ have
the bills of the Police Department and
a memorandum showing the aggregate
of the bills of the Fire Department.
The Special Accountant Is now work
Ing UP further information for my use
in the course of the inquiry.
The reporter for the News Leader
remarked on leaving my office: Well,
1 viii make short story of this and
the two reporters Joined reportes
for the Journal, who came In my Office
as they were leaving.
Did Not Talk to Journal Man.
My whole interview with reporters
of the afternoon papers did not last
three minutes. ] do not know where
the reporter for the Journal got the
Information in which he quotes me in
the first person.
II have not denied that there will be
grand jury proceedings nor that will
make report to the Council l shall
not determine what course to pursue
until all the evidence is in my hands.
have not said there was no cause for
inquiry, as quoted by an afternoon pa
per. In fact, am conducting such an
inquiry now. to ascertain whether there
was any collusion or improper act on
the part of any city employe and
whether tie city received proper value
for what 1t has paid.
still Seeking Facts.
Mr.. Crenshaw has not completed
the copying of the bills paid by the city
TO Mr.. Stringer, and l am not prepared
as yet to say whether the city has LOST
anything or not"
The Mayor also denied the statement
In an afternoon paper that he had not
given out the figures quoted yesterday
morning. and confirmed the accuracy
OF those figures by repeating them.
vouchers of the Police Department.
show that it has paid Mr.. Stringer in
i've years about $i.5oO." said the May-
or, and the vouchers already before
me from the Fire Department show
payments aggregating about $4,000.
me whole amount In five years will
not greatly exceed 100000. though Mr..
Strinser informs me that he began
worklns for the city more than five
years ago. He testified that he had q
'oree or nfteen men in his own employ 4
and that he could show vouchers fnr
the purchase of material on his own
account; that he had never divided
proht With any city einp1oye or made
any present or promise of present or
IN any other way sought to influenza
any city othcial to secure any contract
What Police Records Show,
New light was thrown on the matter
Yesterday by scrutiny of The records
ol the Board OF Police Commissioners.
a a transcript OF which Was furnished 10
.ne IN Mayor by Captain George Pollock.
me entry relates to the bill recentIy
held up by the Police Board because
1t was not itemized. Mr.. Thomson
was called before the board and made
a general statement according to The &
minutes. to the effect that he had
given the work to Mr. Strinser. Who
was division chief of the Bell Tele
phone Company, because he was better
prepared to handle it than any one
else since he knew the conduit sys-
tenn and underground routes through
out the city Mr.. Thompson explained
that II was better not to ask for COM
petitive bids on the work, but to let
1t so to the man who could do ii best.
adding that he had sometimes en-
ployed Mr.. Pace OF the Virginia Rail-
way and Power Company. to do wiring.
IN the ducts OF that company. Several
of the Police Board say that
while they do not charge Mr. Thomp-
son with having purpesely msled them.
yet his statement to the board left
enl.1ruudcs-the impression that tho
contract was with the Bell Company
not with It's division chief. who did
outside wiring as a side line.
Whitfield Makes Denial.
George IL. Whitfield, general super!n-
tendent OF light and power of the yir- q
stnia Railway and Power Company.
last night entered a positive denial
that either HIS company on, So far as
he knew. MIR Pace, had ever contracted
with the city, and II Mr.. Pace held
such contracts 1t was against positiye
II have been connected with "a