The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-05-10
CHARGES MADE BY
FORMER INSPECTOR
Dismissed Official First Re-
ported Matter Touching
Pollock and Wise
--
SPECIAL COMMITTEE
WILL PROBE MATTER
Council, After Receiving Mayor s
Message and Statements from
Men Involved Directs Full
Investigation.

Side lights of considerable interest
and significance were thrown on the
so-calIed council scandal Tuesday
afternoon. when II developed that the
charges e-tnads ny inr=
mer Inspector r. III. Curtis. who was
recently dismissed from the heatth
department
From information now in the hands
of the mayor. and which has just
been made public. 1t was shown that
Mr. Curtis had received his inforna-
tfon regarding the $500 negotiation
directly from one of the dairyfnen
who had contributed TO the fund.
Mr. Curtis mentioned the AFFAIR to
his uncle, Mr.. w. II. Dobbins. who
Is employed at the City Gas Works.
and Mr. Dobbins In turn told Mr.
John Carter, another employe In the
plant
Councilman Jacob Enfaaf." one OF
those who reported the matter &c the
mayor. received his information from
Mr.. Carter. He says he Immediately
notified Dr.- Heade. The latter told
DIR. Levy. and together with Mr..
James r. Gordon. of the board OF
health they went to see Mayor Rich
ardson and related all that they had
heard.
Talks to the Mayor.
Former Inspector Curtis. the
health officer who by peeping through
a crack In barn in the night had
seen Dairyman w. r. Tayler feeding
the forbidden fruit to his cows.
was personally examined by the may
or. He told how he had received the
Information regarding the $500 pay
ment. Ii seems that the dairynen
= made no secret of having paid for the
work done by Couneilmen Pollock
and Wise. and when these datrymen
In turn were summoned by the mayor
they freely .tald all the details Of ths
transaction.
stenagraphie records OF their sew
erai STATEMENTS were taken. These
are Dow In the hands OF Common
wealth AttorneyFoikes. and will be
Introduced In the Hastings court
should the matter be taken up by the
grand jury.
Not Connected With Dismissal.
Dr. Levy when seen tuesday at
serncon reiterated that he had made
no charges against any one. but had
merely reported what he knew 10 the
mayor.
Asked If the dismissal of. Mr.. Cur
lis FROM the department had any bear
Tag IN thf controversy, he replied
in the negative. saying that the rea-
y. Efe-H-n tsiehH the Inspector
dismissed and those for which the
mayer has ordered the investigation
have nothing whatever TO do with
each other, as they are widely diff
ferent
ii Is known, however, that Mr..
Curtis was bitter towards several OF
the dairymen who had filed COM
plants against him. He Is now suing
Col. James Bellewood. dairyman of
Chesterfield county. for $4,000. al
fegtng SANDER and defamation.
Council Directs Inquiry.
After receiving a special message
from Mayor Richardson relative to
the charges OF official misconduct
made against Councilman Gilbert Pol
lock and George Wise and hearing
the defense OF the two members. the
Common Council Monday night de-
eiaed that the charges were grave
enough TO bear inquiry. and on mo-
ton CT Dr. Frank Reade. ordered
President Peters to appoint a conn
mittee of five TO make a full and
searching investigation Immediately.
President Peters will announce the
personnel of this committee within
+ the next day or so. and as the coun-
4 ell when ordering the committee pro-
vided In advance for the expenses of
the investigation. the inquiry will be
begun as soon as possible
Practically every member of the
council was on hand when the meet
ing was called to order. while a num-
her OF city officials composed an In
terested and attentive audience.
Letter From the Mayor.
The letter from the mayor to Pres
ident Peters calling upon him for a
special session Of the council was first
read. Then followed the official no.
ttce Of the meeting. and this concluded.
geant-at-Arms Ruskell presented
the formal communication of the
mayor, which was as follows:
To the Honorable Common Coun-
Gil OF the City OF Richmond:
Gentiemen,--I feel constrained
to bring to the attention of the
Common Council certain facts
which have come to my knowl- -
edee within the last few days
On the morning OF May 4. 1910.
was Informed by four reputable
gentleman OF report which had
reached them that Messrs. tieo.
r. Wise and Gilbert X. Pollock,
two members OF the Common
Council had Jointly received the
sum Of $500 for securing the
passage by the council of mn
NstSrn0 NJ All ot1AIAtl1& glOi~
cerning dafrymen and the sale OF
milk. ny which amendment the
words prohibiting the feeding OF
diStiliery waste, usuasiy called
( sw-tll, to mitch cows were strick-
en- ont or the eighth and ninth
sections Of said ordinance.
Immediately commenced an
Investigation OF this report, and
from statements made 70 me by
several persons. an examination
of the records. and the admis-
sions Of Messrs. Wise and Pol
lock. believe that the following
facts viii appear
Some time during the latter
mart Of last year MesxEx IA Ire
and Pollock were counsel for Mr..
4 Taylor. dairyman. who was
fried In the police court. and In
the uAtings court Ton appeai,.
fOr violation Of the ordinance
as3 fGonkfnnad ~ Tiffh paeaA