The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-11-03
ASKS GAAsTRA TO FILE PLANT
Contractor Declines But Insists That
He Wants Contractor Arrested For
Fraud, But Declines to Take Respon-
sibllity.

LIS honor, the mayor ana the mem.
bers of the Common Council are still
out of Jail and Notwithstanding the re-
ports in circulation about the city this
morning that warrants were to be asked
for the arrest of the aldermen and other
officials the warrants are not issued and
the examination of the protest of Dou-
we Gaastra in regard to the construc-
ton of the City Hall will probably be
left to the civil courts and not be TAX.
EN- into the criminal courts. Late Sat
urday afternoon Gaastra and his at
torney, Henry Hastings went to the
District Attorney and demanded that
criminal warrants be issued on account
of fraud in the city hall job. 1t was
the understanding of the District At.
torney that the contractor wanted to
arrest the architect, the contractors
and all members of he common council
as well as any other official Of the city
who had anything to do with the job.
This morning Attorney Hastings cleared
the atmosphere and took the heavy
weight from the shoulders of the alder
men when he declared that Contractor
Gaastra only sought the arrest of the
contractors IN charge Of the work. He
declared that he had not even sug.
gested the arrest of architect Lindl.
Hastings gave an idea that dire evil
dence was yet to be brought out in the
case but when asked on what lie
based his demand for warrants he de-
clared that it was partially based on
the evidence that had been given by
Architect Iindl before Court Commits
sioner ClarAson and part on information
which had not as yet been made pub
lie. The architect had testified that
there had been slight variance from
the contract in some cases in regard
to the amount of sand and crushed
stone placed in the concrete mixture
and had testified further that this had
been done with the consent Of the con-
tractor and the architect. This the at
torney for Gaastra alleges shows fraud
on the part of the contractor. In speak
ing Of the matter Mr.. Hastings said:
"We did not ask for the arrest of any
member of the council or even for the
arrest of Architect Lind1. Our request
was that the contractors be arrested on
charges Of fraud in the building of the
building. We have not alleged that
there was any graft in the contract and
have not sought to connect any of the
city officials with any, showing of fraud.
We have said that the building is not
being erected in keeping with the spe-
cifcations and that the deviations from
the specifications have been sufficient to
warrant a criminal prosecution of the
contractor"
District Attorney Baker declined to
make complaint for the issuance of
warrants for any one connected with
the construction Of the building ana
when the contractor and his attorney
insisted, Baker said: "Now here Hast
ings, IL tell you what I will do You
go right up to the municipal court and
get out your complaints and there will
be no lack of prosecution.
Attorney Hastings when asked in re-
gard to the suggestion Of the District
Attorney declared that as the District
Attorney had declined to make the COM
plants he would undoubtedly be luke
warm in the prosecution of them and
that for this reason it would be worth
less for his client to go into the Grim.
inal courts and make the complaint.
Members of the council and particu-
larly Alderman Filben who is at The
head of the Building Committee have
demanded that the council make an in
vestigation and that if the charges
made by Gaastra and his associates are
found untrue that the committee be in
structed to seek criminal warrants
against the authors of the protest.
TEACHERS, MEETING