The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-02-23

Solicitor S. NJ. Loftin examined a
number of witnesses yesterday on the
reported illegal transactions in connec-
tion with the letting of the recent
county Jail contract. Those who made
statements to the county solicitor
were: F. NJ. Blount, secretary-treas-
urer of the Keynton Construction Com
pany; Jos. H, Brown, county commits
sioner, who has rendered his resigna-
tion to the governor; A. J. Keynton,
president of the construction COM
pany bearing his name, and Commits
sioner Geo. H. Davis, who was a lis
tener to the proceedings, but made no
objections to being examined. He
was not under subpoena, and had
merely asked permission of the So
licitor to be on hand SO that he could
hear what was sworn to. Mr. Davis
was against letting the contract to the
present firm at first, because ne
thought there had been illegal changes
made in the original plans, as the first
plans We're accompanied by a bid for
the construction of a jail building in
conformity Herewith for about three
fourths of the figures which the con-
tract was finally let. 1t was on his mo-
ton, however, which was carried that
the contract be given the Keynton
Construction Co.
The solicitor did not close I'D the
investigation, and desired that the
presence of either Mr.. Pauley. presi-
dent, or Mr.. Lippencott, vice-president,
of the Pauley Jail Works Company, be
obtained. Mr.. B4ount, of the success
full company, stated that he would
write to the firm and make request
that one or both of the gentlemen
named be sent here.
HOLDS TO STATEMENT.
Commissioner Brown, interrogated
by the solicitor, stated that during
recess term of the board at the meet
ing of Feb. 9, Mr.. Parham of the
Pauley Jail Works Company, meeting
him in the hallway of the court house,
had made the proposition that if the
contract for the jail furnishings could
be furnished, there was fifteen hun
dred dollars in it, He further said:
Il left him and went into the county
commissioners room. Stayed ten or
fifteen minutes. Then l came out and
went to the private Office of-the sheriff
and finds Mr. Parham and Chairman
Oerting and Commissioner Steward in
that office / said to them: Let's cut
L
left them and went back into the
ROOM
1t was at that time, the commits
sioner said, that the bid of the Keyn-
ton company was pending. The com.
missioners, up to that time, had not
accepted a final bid. He said other
bids were in hand, and one of them
had been thrown out because the certi-
fed check, as required by the public
advertisement for bids, had not been
complied with.
Mr. Brown informed the solicitor
that he had all along made objection
to the bid going to the Keynton COM
pany because he did not think the
financial ability of the company war
ranted them carrying on such a big
contract. He said that. until he met
Mr.. Parham in the hall and the lat
ter had made him the offer of $500,
that he, Parham, never mentioned the
matter previously. Concerning the
contract, Brown said that he had
spoken to Parham possibly 25 or 80
times. He said that he had voted
against the Keynton company getting
the contract on account of the propo-
sition which had been made him and
also, as he recol1ected the advertise
ment, it required that blue prints be
offered with the bids showing the lock-