Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-04-28

eral Manager of the City OF Staunton,
has withdrawn his resignation, which
was flied with the city council
Thursday night and has requested Of
that body q full ana complete inves-
tigatinn Of the affairs Of bis effice
as veil as of his official conunct ever
since he has been an oficar OF the
city of Staunton. These facts were
given exclusively to the pnhlic yes
terday IN the bulletins of the Dis
patch News
The withdrawal of his reslgnation
WAS fled yesterday with Presiaent
Lang of the Board of Aldermen, and
President Orosbv, of tine Council.
and copy of the withdrawal was
also fled with the clerk OF the copn-
Gil. This resignation in full is
published with this article.
Mr.. Ashburner returned to the city
Saturday night. Yesterday he was
in conference with a plumber of his
friends and as result determined on
the cours of action tnat would afford
his detractors ths best and fullest
opportunity to make good their
charges and innuendos. When seea
by Dispatch News representative
Mr.. Ashbarner said he preferren not
to give an interview but requested
this paper to publish signed state
ment.
The Office of the general manager is
now in charge of the finance commit
tee of the council which has ordered
that an accounting be made Of the
books In the office and report made
to the council on Thursday night
aMr. Ashburner's communication
Is as follows:
EDITOR DISPATCH-NEWS:
"On March 25th last. accompanied
by my wife. left SLaunton for Wash'
iugton. where Immediately entered
the Episcopal Hospital for treatment
by D1s. Wilmer and Greene. For
several months prior to my departure
I had not been IN good health, being
in q rundown and nervous condition.
and was repeatedly advised by my
physician, DR.. NJ. J. Payne, to cease
work and go away to 1ecuperate.
"Abous q month tefore went to
Washington my eyes began to give
me serious tronble and ut the time of
ny departure was practically blind.
I remained in Washington in the
hospital for little over two weeks
when my eyes having improved to
some extent, I went to Baltimore to
stay with friends for q short while.
I remained in Baltimore for five days
aud then returned to Warrington to
ill an engagements with my physi-
CLANS. I remained in WASHINGTON for
a few hours and then went back to
Baltimore, leaving the same night for
Newport News to spend short time
with my brother-in.law. DR.. S. W.
Hobson. I remained at Newport News
from Saturday until Thursday, when
I went to the home of my mother in
Richmond to spend short time with
her.
ST had been in Richmond only an
hour OF so wnen I received a letter
On my v ife il which shs stated:
I think yen had better come on home
soon to settle some oity questions but
not important enough to worry about.
This was the first and only intimation
of any sort which I had received
that any trouble had arisen in Staun
ton during my absence to neoessitate
my return, and 1 knew absolutely
nothing whatever of the numerous
faise and slanderous reports which
we're in circulation here.
"When I received this letter, /
Immediately called nv wife up over
the long distance telephone and had
a brief conversation with her. In
this conversation 1 was still not ap-
prissd of the fact that there were in
circlustion any reports reflecting
upon me or my conduct of my office,
but was SIMPLY told by her that sone
trouble had arisen about some oil
purchased and that one of the news
papers was, as she expressed it,
knocking me-. III went, after this
conversation, to my mothers room
and lsy down on the sofa, telling her
of the letter which I had received
from my wife and saying to her that
supposed I would have to return to
Staunton to look after matters or
resiCh. In view Of my condition she
earnestly opposed nv returning to
StaunSop and said thst if re in
my place. she would resign. Without
further reflection and with no other
information before me than I have
already detailed thereupon wired
to Mr.. Lang, President Of the Board Of
Aldermen, and to Mr.. Crosby, Presi.
dent of the Common Council, rendering
my res gnation.
"On Friday I heard absolutely
nothing from Staunton aud remained
at my mothers house until the after.
noon when took the train for the
no 1e of my fathr-in.law in Powhatan
county where I expected to stay until
Monday. Here I received on last
Saturday morning tne following tele-
gram from my wife: Gene to Ssaun-
ton at once. No one sick Upon
receipt of this telegram I went at
once to the long distance telephone
and called up my wife and asked her
Why I vas wanted. She told me that
some Of my friends wanted me at once
and that it was lmperativelv necessary
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