The Washington herald., 1911-10-17

With Oden F. Horstmann, prominent
club member and former District saloon
inspector, on the stand as the first wit
ness, describing some of his actions while
in the District government service and
the incidents leading up to his removal
as an employe of the excise board, the
first of the series of hearings by the
District Commissioners to investigate the
actions of Samuel T. KaIbfus, assistant
assessor and member of the excise board,
was held yesterday at the District Build
ing. The relations of Mr.. Kalbfus with
representatives of local brewing interests
concerning real estate transactions fur
nlsh the chief reason for the inquiry.
Thorough Probe Expected.
Upon the recommendation Of Assistant
Corporation Council William A. White,
who was directed some time ago to make
a thorough investigation of the matter.
and who submitted report comprising
twenty-six typewriter pages yesterday,
the financial transactions of Roger WILL
Jams, chief clerk of the excise board,
also will be investigated. In fact, the
hearings are expected to include a gen.
eral investigation of the operations of the
entire excise board.
After citing facts brought out on an
official investigation and pointing out
that a number of the excise board can
be removed for three causes only, namely,
'fnefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeas-
ance in Office" Mr.. White says:
The above facts are not, in my opin-
ion, sufficient cause upon which to
frame charges of 'inefficiency, neglect
of duty, or malfeasance in office but,
obviously, there has not been a full dis
closure of the facts"
In referring to Mr.. Williams, Mr..
White says:
7 also attach a statement by Mr..
Williams. which satisfies me that under
stress of an emergency in his family, he
formed a financial relation, which, since
he has had time to reflect, he recognizes
is inconsistent with his official position.
1 believe, however, the Commissioners
should investigate this with other mat
ters.''
Tnft's Name Appears.
Three times Frank P. Hogan, attorney
for Mr.. KaIbfus. tried to bring the
name of President Taft into the record.
At last he succeeded, and Horstmann
reluctantly admitted that he had taken
his grievances to the President. At first
the witness said he had been called to
the White House on the matter. He
was repeatedly asked who called him
and at last explained that he was not
called but that he arranged for an ap-
pointment with the President through
Mr. Norton, then secretary 10 the Chief
Executive. Horstmann said he pre-
Tared few notes for his trip to the
White House in order that he would he
able to discuss the question freely and
without loss OF time. When he called
at the White House at the time appoint
ed the President was extremely busy, he
said. 50 instead of seeing him person
ally be left the notes for-Mr. Taft's
perUsal
Horstmann said that President Taft
wrote him a letter some time afterward,
returning the notes. Mr.. Hogan insisted
that the notes he produced as evidence,
but Mr. Horstmann said that he had
either misplaced or lost them and
would not be able to do so at once.
.sFired," He Wanted to Tell.
Asked why he went to see the Presi-
dent Horstmann testified:
Yes: I went to the White House, be-
cause that's where l started from. 1
was practically appointed by the Presi-
dent, and l wanted to let him know 1
had been appointed to a job over which
the Commissioners have no control; that
I had done clean work, and that had
been fred
Horstmann said, in answer to a ques-
ton by Mr.. Hogan as to whether he had
received any written instructions as to
his duties upon entering the service.
that he repeatedly asked for a set of
rules, but that there didn't seem to be
any rules governing that Office. He tes-
titled that after he had been in the en-
ploy of the excise board for about five
weeks hS was finally given an elaborate
set of instructions.
A number of cases in which Horst
mann had taken some part while an in
spector under the excise board were dis
cussed. Horstmann was questioned
closely by Mr.. Hogan in regard to his
connections with these cases. In an
swer as to whether he had investigated
the case of George Harper, who wanted
to open a saloon in Georgetown, Mr.
Horstmann said:
Yes; I made the investigation at the
suggestion of Assessor Richards. /