Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-02-10
SIMSER REFUSES
POT" IDENTITIES
Third Ward Alderman Stands
Fire of Another Gri1hng
From Associates.
is WITHOUT A WITNESS
Claims That It Would Be His Word
Against That of the One Who
Offered Bride.

The meeting OF the city council last
evening as committee Of the whole
was not productive Of results as far as
the investigation OF Alderman Simser's
alleged jackpot was concerned. The
special committee appointed by the
mayor to confer with Mr.. Simser in an
attempt TO get him 10 name the corpor-
alton, agent, or person who offered him
$50 as his share of the pot, providing
the committee of which he was q
member made no recommendation as
TO which company's fire hose should
be bought by the city, was in session
with Mr.. Simser from 7:30 until about
$50 and at the end of that time the
alderman was still obdurate. The COM
mittee of the whole then convened and
the special committee reported that
Alderman Simser stated that inasmuCh
as he had no witnesses TO the offer
which was made him II would merely
be question of veracity between him
self and the man who made the pro-
posal He admitted that he had made
a serious mistake in uttering a state
ment that he could not prove
ALDERMAN EXPLAINS
Alderman Simser said, addressing
the council: Gentlemen. the report
Of your special committee is correct.
AS there was no third party 10 hear c;Ie
offer which was made TO me, | realize
fully that il is merely my word against
that of another and for that reason
have refused TO divuIge the name of
the corporation or person who made
the proposition. 4 great deal has been
said upon this subject and much of
il has been unjust 10 local firms. In
asmuCh, however, as there was no To-
cal firm competing in the bidding for
supplying the city with fire hose, it
can easily he seen that IL was not
local corporation that was implicated
in the offer made to me. also want
TO say that up to the present | have
made no statement for publication and
when a certain newspaper quoted me,
1t did not have my authority for doing
SO. As TO the inference which some
have chosen 10 draw that | made the
statement | did for political purposes.
! challenge anyone 70 prove that. |
have never talked with any one in re-
gard to the offer made me and l had
never intimated to any one before the
meeting Monday night that l intended
TO make the matter public"
QUESTIONS COME FAST.
Simscr had no sooner sat down than
he became the target for questions
from all sides of the room. Alderman
LaVanway wanted 70 know if he had
not made the statement that none of
the aldermen or other city officials
was concerned in the alleged jackpot.
Simser answered in the affirmative.
Then the mayor interposed and asked
If 1t was not because of the discovery
in the report OF the Merriam commits
sion in Chicago showing the Manhat-
tan Rubber company hose TO be de-
fective that the local bids had been re-
jected. An argument followed, during
which Alderman Simser admitted that
the mayors statement was true. Sim
ser claimed he had secured a copy of
the Merriam report and after perusing
Il had handed II to the fire chief TO be
given to the mayor. The latter denied
he had received II and called upon the
fire chief, who asserted that he had NJ,
given the report to the mayor because