The Washington herald., 1911-10-19
KALBFUS DENIES
RECEIVING GIFTS
Would StakeLife" on Honor
of the Assessors.
INTO HIS FINANCES
Excise Board Member, Under In
vestiGation, Is Asked for Full
DeaIs-CaIIs ErstwhiIe Saloon
Inspector energetic Nuisance"

Denying that he had received any gifts
from representatives of local brewing in
terests, praising District Assessor Rich
ards as an ideal man" criticising F.
Oden Horstmann, former District saloon
inspector, and telling of some of his own
real estate transactions during the last
twenty-five years, Samuel T. Kalbfus.
member of the excise board, was again
on the witness stand yesterday at the
third hearing by the Commissioners to
investigate the .Horstmann-Kalbfus con-
troversy.
Questioned by his counsel, Mr.. Hogan,
as to whether he had ever received any
gifts from Mr.. Keane. attorney for the
Abner-Drury Brewing Company, Mr..
Kalbfus answered:
Never. There cannot be a man in this
city or in any other city who can say
ever took a single cent from him or any
other man."
And the same can be said about the
other members Of the board, 1 suppose?"
continued Mr.. Hogan.
Absolutely. have the highest re-
gard for them and their honor. l would
stake my life on them"
''OdIe" Horstmann's Energy"
Turning the channel of questioning to-
ward Mr. Horstmann, Mr.. Hogan asked:
WAS Mr. Horstman competent
Mr. Horstmann was a most energetic
young man." answered the witness. He
asked for Instructions, and we sent him
to the clerk. Then he became very ener-
getic. He became so energetic, he be-
came a nuisance. We heard him talking
about what the board was doing. We
| heard OF him criticising US all the time
| We heard he was informing the Commits
sioners of what We did, and altogether he
became so energetic that whenever the
board did anything that didn't appeal to
! him, he became insulted."
/ Mr.. kalbfus said that he knew of no
rule that prevented members of the board
! from buying real estate. Asked by Com
missioner Johnston il he knew of any
| other members of the board of assistant
assessors who had bought real estate, Mr..
Kalbfus replied in the affirmative. Upon
further questioning he named Harrison
johnson, Col Morsell. ]. A. Bates, and
\. a. Wilson, all former members.
Richards "My Ideal"
KaIbfus paid Assessor Richards high
tribute. saying:
Il know him to he one Of the most
honorable and most upright men. He
has the greatest ability and Is as up
right as he can be. He is my ideal of
man"
Kalbfus said that he first met Keane
and Drury at a meeting of the stock
holders of mining company in 1906
Kalbfus said he did not then know that
they represented brewing interests.
When factional differences arose Kalb-
fus said he lined up with Mr.. Drury
and Mr.. Keane." He said he looked
upon Mr.. Drury as a banker, not as
brewer.
DO you owe any money to Peter
Drury?" Kalhfus was asked.
Not a cent"
with the exception of $4,000 eX
plaIned in a real estate transaction,
have you ever owed him any"
NO; and that was not a personal
matter l looked on that as a business
detail, as IT was a deed Of trust, and
considered it more OF bank loan than
anything else"
White "GOinR Deep"
Assistant Corporation Counsel White
said that to save time he would request
Mr.. Kalbfus to prepare statement OF all
of his real estate transactions since he
became a member of the excise board,
the names of all persons concerned in
them, and the amounts. with explanation
as to whether they were paid by check
or by loan. Mr.. White also asked Kalb-
fus to bring to the hearings all checks,
stubs, contracts and other papers rela
ing to the real estate transfers. Mr..
Kalbfus also was asked to make a state
ment concerning his present financial
condition, and his financial condition at
the time he was appointed a member of
the excise board.
To testify in regard to the case of
George T. Harper, who received a saloon
license in Georgetown, Notwithstanding
the fact that Horstmann had made an
unfavorable report, Crandal Mackey
Commonwealth attorney of Alexandria
County, Va, has been summoned.
Assessor Richards and Mr.. Kalbfus
maintains that Mr.. Mackey recommended
that a license be granted Harper. Har-
per. according to a record before the
excise board, has been convicted OF one
offense in Virginia, and has been indicted
for four others. Mr.. Mackey is said to
have nolle pressed the indictments be-
cause Harper had left the county and