Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-23
Chicagoan Accused of Col
Iecting for Services
Not Rendered.
TRACTION MEN CALLED
Grand Jury Summons Officials
to Explain Alleged Misman-
agement of Affairs.

Chicago. Ill, Oct 23.-1ndictment of
Weymouth Kirkland, member of the
law firm of Rose, Symmes * ;.irkiaul,
on charges of defraudin, the Chicago
Railways company and the city OF
Chicago was follow eG Yesterday ty
grand jury investigation of alleged
mismanagement and irregpiarlty in the
office Of the company.
Officers of the company, including
John NJ. Roach, its president; Henri
A. Blair, chairman of the board of d,
rectors. Williston F. Fish, vice presi-
dent and general manager, and W. W
/ Gurley, general counsel. were called
/ before the grand jury
They ere questioned about J4e Of
flee system that made it possible .or
frauds to be perpetrated as extensive
as the ones alleged against Kirkland
and the basis was laid for a general
investigation into the affairs Of the
claim department of the company.
The inquiry was made on tho theory
that the city, as partner of the street
railway company and a sharer in its
profits, could be defrauded by alleged
loose management in the offices of the
corporation.
CHARGES HOYNE CONSPIRACY.
Indictment of Mr.. Kirkland came as
a sensation, and was followed by
charges of conspiracy made against
States Attorney Hoyne by Mr.. Kirk
laAd's law partner, Thomas J. Symmes.
He alleged that the indictment of
Mr. Kirkland was due to the promi-
nent part the law firm of which the
latter is a member had taken in a case
in which the states attorney was vital
| ly interested, and was beaten.
| The first information concerning the
/ investigation of the affairs of the
street railway company came when
four true bills were returned yester-
day morning against Mr.. Kirkland and
a statement was given out by States
Attorney Hoyne, who is i'll at his
home.
HOYNE ISSUES STATEMENT.
His statement is as follows:
The grand jury this morning re-
! turned an indictment against Wey-
mouth Kirkland, lawyer and a mem
Der of the firm of Rose, Symmes &
Kirkland.
Following this indictment evidence
will be presented TO the grand jury
for full investigation of the dealings of
this firm with the traction companies
of Chicago. The city of Chicago, by
its corporation counsel, has been max.
ing an investigation along these lines
during the last year and it is from the
city of Chicago that most of the evi
dence now in the possession of the
states attorney has been obtained.
1T appears that for some six years
Kirkland would prepare bills for legal
services in the name of his firm. con
tanning items for services which neves
were performed and charges for money
paid out which never was paid out.
These bills were o. KID by Thomas
c. Lynch and on his O K. voucher.
were obtained and the money was di
vided equally between Kirkland anC
Lynch
NAMES SIN OF $4,000.
THE total amount obtained by these
fraudulent bills during the six year!
i'll question is estimated as between
forty and fifty thousands dollars anC
is considerably nearer the latter sum
Many OF the officials of the stree
railway company will be subpoenaeC
before the grand jury.
The attitude of the company Is a
this time undisclosed. II is not knowr
whether it desires to prosecute thos,
guilty of perpetrating frauds or not
The city's interest in the investigation
is due 20 the fact that II is entitled {,
55 per cent of the net earnings of tn
> street railway companies"