The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-26
FOREMAN DENIES
FERNSTROM' TALE
Emile S. Koch Says He Did Not
Try to Bribe Coun-
Gilman.
TRUTH is SOLE ISSUE NOW
SOLONS LEFT TO DECIDE WHO
IS PREVARICAT0R.
TRUTH is SOLE ISSUE NOW

Councilman F. 6. Fernstrom AM
| his charges of graft in connection with
the Campbell Building company's con-
tract for the notorious wooden stave
sewer outlet, were investigated for
| four hours last night. and the ques-
ton resolved itself simply into a mat
ter of veracity between Councilman
Fernstrom and Emile B. Koch, fore
man for the Campbell company, with
the council committee left TO declGe
whether one of their colleagues In the
council or the foreman is the pre-
varicstor.
Councilman Fernstrom's statement
REGARDING the attempted bribery,
which he charged on the floor of the
council, was that on one evening after
the council meeting between Novem-
Der l6 and December s, 1908, Koch
approached him and, in the course OF
their conversation, said: What can
we do to fix this matter with you 50
YOU will not be fighting us all the
time? We will take care of you all
right and do the right thing by you
Mr.. Fernstrom said his reply was
that the only way the Campbell com
pany could take care of him or NIX
him would be to get plenty of men
out on that job and show that the
company would rush it to completion.
This conversation, Mr.. FernStrom said,
took place on the sidewalk between
Third South and Fourth South streets,
in State street.
Mr.. Koch denied the whole CONVEX.
sation, saying no part of it had ever
taken place and, furthermore, he said
he had never spoken TO Mr. Fern
strom but twice. Once was in the
council chamber and the other occa-
sion was on the city and county build
ing grounds. Mr.. Koch was as firm In
his denials as was Mr.. Fernstrom in
his allegations, and the committee
veracity of the accused and the ac-
cuser.
FernstrOm Defines Graft"
Regarding the charge that the
Campbell Building company had pre-
scented a bill for work done between |
April 16 and April 20, 1909, the rec |
ords presented by Mr.. FernstrOm |
showed that the entire contract had |
been taken out of the hands Of the |
Campbell company by the board of
public works on April 16, and Mr..
Fernstrom's chief contention was
that under those conditions the Camp |
bell company had no legal right to |
claim pay for work alleged to have
been done after the contract had been
taken from it according to the rec
Ords. 1t was shown that work was |
actually done on use days, this work |
consisting of operating a hand pump |
to keep water out Cf the trench under
the railroad tracks. )ne to three men
were on the job night and day. and |
the contractors bill included the serv-
ice of a foreman to watch the one or
two men.
Mr.. Campbell said he had charged |
only the exact amount that he paid |
the men for doing this labor, but tie
board of works had trimmed the bill |
down by cutting ouC the charge for a |
foreman.
During the investigation, Mr. Fern
strOm was asked for his definition of
graft, and his reply was that it was
trying to get something to which You
are not legally entitled" Councilman |
NJ. E. Mulvey had slightly different /
definition which he wished to suggest. |
and it was getting something for
nothing"
Councilman ]. B. Mckinney, chair
man of the investigating committee, |
who was a few minutes late Tuesday /
night, arrived at the mayors Office at
1880 o'clock last night, and j. B. |
MOreton and NJ E. Mulvey, who were |
too busy Tuesday night working on /
the Salt Palace license deal to wait |
for Mckinney, were on hand a few /
minutes after the chairman came. It |
was $3.50, however, before the commit |
tee was called to order.
Some of the members Of the COM
mittee wanted either to formulate a /
report Immediately, or TO meet at an
early date for that purpose, but Coun-
ciimen Mulvey and MOreton insisted /
that no report be made until after the /
next meeting of the city council, and /
they adjourned with the understand
ing that the date for the next meet
ing was 10 be announced next Tues
day by Chairman Mckinney