The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-27
Martin Inferior Coal.

Martin Inferior Coal
"My attorney was permitted 10 cross
| examine the witnesses produced by tho
board, and in this examination II
cropped out that the failure 10 kecI
| tho buildings warm was due. to great
| or or lesser extent, To the inferior quail
ity of coal furnished, and that more
, or less of the coal was furnished by
| G. S. Martin, a member Of the board
Thereafter my attorney informed the
board that he wanted 60 call Mr.. Mar
| tin as II witness in my behalf,
''It also developed that David Crock
cit and others appearing on the pay
/ rolls under Fictitious names were sons
and relatives of W. j. Newman, an
| had placed his relatives on the pay
! roll under fictitious names at his own
request. and that this request was not
complied with until after l. had con-
suited Mr., Giauque, another board mem
Der. about it.
"Thereaftcr my attorney stated that
| he desired to call Mr. Giauque as Il
witness in my behalf. Ny attorney also
stated that he desired TO call ns a wit
ness in my behalf the wife of the
ianitor whom [ had been charged with
having worked for my family without
pay.
HWith reference TO the testimony OF
II. w. Nichols in regard TO the two
checks which he received i'll payment
for the same bill, md one Of which it
wns charged was paid TO me. IT dcvel,
oped at the hearing That the second
check was issued by the clerk OF the
board and on n duplicate bill presented
by Nichols which had not been pre-
sented TO me or approved by me at all.
Board Member Testifies.
f'Upon the closing Of the testimony
on the part Of the board my attorney
announced that he expected to nitro
ducc the testimony of several members
of the board in my behalf, as well rs
the testimony OF numerous other wit
Desses. Mr.. Thomas was then called
and examined. In his testimony he
stated that / was n rascal and that
there were many other irregularities re-
ported TO him, but he refused to state
who had reported them and also refused
to state certain other facts which he
claims entered into his confession 1nat
| was a rascal.
HMr Thomas stated that he would
see certain people who reported these
irregularities. and If they consented TO
have their names disclosed he would
tell who they were, but not otherwise.
f'Mr. Judd, the clerk of the board
was called and examined as to the man
ner in which he conducted the business
of his office and the method and system
he employed to guard against the pay
ment of claims a second tlme. lie was
informed that he would be called for
further examination
'sI caused to be present about twenty
witnesses in my behalf for the purpose
of substantiatiug my statements made
under the examination by Mr., Thomas.
'EAt about this stage of the proceed
ings the board determined TO adjourn
with the understanding
hearing in the matter. This was IN
July. 1909, No notice of any further
hearing was ever given me, and ] was
given no opportunity to introduce testl-
monY in my behalf to demonstrate that
l was not guilty of the wrongful con
duct charged against me.
Resigns in Disgust.
CATER the investigation ! conclud.
ed TO resign because / was disgustcd
with the political features incident to
my position, but / determined that |
would under no circumstance do so uD
til after ] bad been indicated,
''On November my attorney called
me up by telephone and stated that Mr.,
the president of the board:
had called upon him and asked him If
he remembered statement with ref
crence to my resigning, My attorney
Informed him that he did remember
such statement, but that under no
would / resign until had
been given au opportunity TO vindicatc
myself from the gross charges made
a gainst me. MI Hammond then iu- !
formed my attorney that the board de-
sired TO have bond Issue voted for
the purpose of securing funds Tor a
new high school, and that several prom |
lncnt citizens had stated to him that
ihev would not favor the bonds unless
resigned as superintendent OF build |
lDgs.
"He further said that The board was
going 70 hold meeting on the follow |
ing night. November Q, 10 consider the
bond question:. and that he, AS q friend !
Of mine. would advise me to submit my !
at that meeting. My attor- |
uey told him that ! was sick. and that |
he would see me tho latter part of the |
week and lay the matter before me and |
let him know, but that he personally |
did not believe that I would be lusti |
fed in resisning until I had vindicated |
myself bv tho evidence which ] had al !
my command.
What Mr. Hammond Said,
"Before leaving. Mr. Hammond SAID |
that the meeting would he held on the
following day, and if ] intended 10 re-
sign I had better do so before the |
meeting, as the board would take up
The bond matter then. My attorney
Judged from Mr.. Hammond,s conycr-
5ation that the board intended to take
some pcrcmptory and arbitrary action
with reference 10 my matter and that |
The board was likely. arbitrarily. TO
remove me without giving me an op. |
,orfnnify n riOUicatp ,Nsplf
After telling me of this converse
ton with Mr. Hammond, my attorney |
told me that the question Of whether
or not I should tender nv resignation |
was a matter Of policy which / must |
settle for myself. because the result |
flowing from the act of tho boa rd. if it |
should dismiss me must fall upon my
own shoulders, and be wanted me to
assume the responsibility of the haz-
ards which might eusue from the resig-
nation.
81 then told him that ! was sick and |
not in a condition that justified me in |
lea)ing with the question at that time.