The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-28

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until bill came in which was no
properly itemized, when " was notice
that II was in the name of John i
Stringer Mr.. Thompson then said tina
tho company used to do the work, bu
lately had not done outside contract
ing, and that the contracts recent!
had been with Mr., Stringer
~ understand that the telephone
company is making Its own inquiry
growing out of the loss of large
amount of copper wire. and that Mr.
striuger and other employees, formerly
with the company. have been allowed
"a resign. and are not now in its en-
ploy."
THOMPSON Says His Record Is Clear
Mr.. Thompson stated last night that
his record in the matter was perfectly
clear. and that lie courted the fulles'
Investigation The contracts. he shiu
had always been with Mr.. StrinEer
ard he had always understood that
the company allowed him to under
take private work Mr. THOMPSON
says he thought that the. city work
was being done with the full knowl
edge and consent of the company He
also said that In certain classes of
large work, he had invited bids. but
in some instances he had found Mr..
Stringer better able to handle the
work than any one else. and had there
fore given him the order at Ills own
estimate
strinser Confirms Mayor.
Mr.. Stringer, a member of the Town
Council and street Committee of Bar
ton Heights, said last night that he
had no statement to make at this time.
except to say that the Mayors state
ment. so far,as he understood 1t, was
entirely correct: that the city had
always contracted with himself and
not with the Bell Telephone Company:
that his prices had always been rea-
sonable that there had been no col
fusion WITH or private profit to. any
city official. and that he was not now
In the employment of the Bell Com
pany.
Division Plant superintendent Rob
ert L. Wright of the Southern Bell
Telephone and Telegraph Company the
immediate superior to MIR. Stringer UP
to the time he left the employ of the
company, was reported as being in
Lynchburg on company business last
night
Company Hnd No Contract.
Major William II. Sands. local coun-
sci for the Bell Company, said that
lutely clean. and 1t had nothing TO
hide. vet at this stage of the inquiry
il was hardly proper for him 10 make
any general statement as attorney for
the company, save TO assert that the
Bell Telephone and Telegraph Com
paDy had never entered into outside
wiring contracts with the city, and
that Mr.. StrinEer--late division plant
chief-was no longer connected with
the company Major Sands said he did
not feel called on to say whether Mr.
Stringer had been discharged or had
resigned
Members of the Police Board ex-
press the opinion that the Mayor has
r.,I 4.
equitable nature of the Stringer
charges for city work, and point TO
one bill for $1,000 where the nature
of wiring installed does not seem to
Justify so large charge. The most
recent item-the bill held up in the
ized-was for installing ten additional
patrol boxes, the bills being about
$500. As the boxes are scattered all
over the city requiring large amount
of wiring, the charge has been held to
lie most reasonable.
other Private Contracts.
Members of the Police Board have
been Informed that besides the city
contracts. other wiring has been done
by employees of the Bell Telephone
Company on private contract either
in or out of the company's time. 1t
has been stated to a member of the
Police Board, although the charge has
not Yet been formally investigated
months ago the new colored bank u
Third and Clay Streets applied to the
Police Board for private police alarm
station, similar TO that maintained in
accordance with the rules of the de-
partnent, the bank was allowed a pri-
waite police call box, to be installed
ENTIRELY at its own expense.
superintendent Thompson was d.
rected to install the box AMI send the
bill to the bank The work, 1t is said
was done by Mr.. Stringer and later
for some unexplained reason all of the
wiring and fixtures were taken out and
other wiring installed, after the bill
pany began its investigation into the
loss of copper wire.
Loss of Copper Wire.
The Bell Telephone Company has
months in an inquiry into the excess
sive cost of operation and alleged loss
OF material in this division. on sun
day. November 30. r. L. Tomln and
II. r. Jeter, two llnemen employed by
the company. We're arrested on s<pi-
oion of having stolen copper wire. IT
was stated at that time that agents of
the company suspected wholesale
thefts. The men--both white-were
arrested by Detective Sergeants Wren
and Wiltshire, after long 'nvestiga ton
both by the company and the police,
and later TomRlf. whip had been con-,
nected with .hescempany for eighteen
Years. made according TO the police,
a confession when confronted with dis
rect evidence including large guam
tity of wire recovered by the police
The confession of Tomlin implicated a
foreman, and while there We're no
further arrests the company began
quietly its own Investigation, officials
from Headquarters in Atlanta coming
here 10 take part, when 1t developed
that the ocmpany's losses We're more
Widespread than the mere loss of a lit
lie dead wire a form of petty stealing
from which telephone and telegraph
companies suffer continually.
Ma. Go to Grand Jury.
SO far as the Bell Telephone Com
pany is concerned. 1t would seem from
evidence presented to the Mayor that
the matter is one for the considera-
tion of the grand jury rather than the
Council, or any of the municipal boards.
Asked az TO this point, the Mayor SAID:
While I have had no conclusive evl-
denee on this point as yet witnesses
Who have been examined by me have
alleged that work for the city, and for
which the city paid Mr.. Stringer on
vouchers approved by Superintendent
Thompson, was done by men carried
on the pay roll of the Bell Telephone