The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-09-11
NOT GIVEN CHANCE TO BID
Peter Pirsch, President of Kenosha Fire
Apparatus Company Stirs up Tempest
at Racine by Statements Made to an
Editor of Racine Paper.

Statements made by former Alder
man Peter Pirsch of this city in regard
to the purchase of fire apparatus for
the city of Racine promise to bring
a graft investigation in that city and
most sensational developments are
promised in the matter. E. r. Moak,
city editor of the Racine Critic, has
made signed statement to the mayor
of Racine in which he recites certain
insinuations and charges made by the
former Kenosha alderman in regard to
the sale Of fire trucks in Racine and
the mayor on Tuesday night ordered
that a special session of the Racine
council be called for this evening to
investigate the charges made and that
if this Investigation shows any war
rart the circuit judge will be asked
to call a special grand jury to make an
investigation.
Many Kenosha people have known of
a long existing hatred between former
Alderman Pirsch and the city Of Racine
and Pirsch has repeatedly claimed that
he has not been able to get fair con
sideration of his output before the Ra-
cine council The stories of alleged
graft in the purchase of fire apparatus
in Racine have been heard in kenosha
for years and the Kenosha man has re-
peatedly declared that he could not get
a square deal in Racine. These state
lnents finally drifted back to Moak who
Is something of an investigator himself
and who has been stirring things in
Racine pretty regularly this year and
Moak made the charges of the Kenosha
mai 3he basis for demand for an in
vestigation In his statement Moak
reviews another investigation that had
been made in Racine and then contin-
ues speaking Of the Kenosha charges:
''Three or four days after the Wild
mer case was completed [ received an
unsigned letter informing me that
Peter Pirsch of Kenosha knew more
about the fire truck deal put through in
Racine than he was willing to tell.
CT went to Kenosha and saw Pirsch
and he said that the common council
of Racine and the committee on Ere
and water had been unfair in the pur-
chase of fire trucks and that he was
never given chance on trucks because
probably he refused to come across.
con the last deal, where the two
trucks were purchased, Pirsch had no
knowledge that bids were to be asked
for ON that deal, and he said that ne
does not believe that he has enough
money co get into Racine. This letter
also said that Fire Marshal Cape could
tell something about the purchase and
how it was put through. That is all
/ have to say at this time. =
AS soon as Mr.. Moak had completed
his statement the mayor requested City
Clerk Ryba to issue call for special
meeting to be held this evening, but as
that is duty Of the city attorney the
mayor asked Mr.. Burgess to issue the
call without delay.
Mayor Goodland said that as the
charges were serious an investigation
would be made without delay. He said
that ne would not have paid much at
tention to the matter so far as Peter
Pirsch was concerned, had it not been
Tor statements alleged to have been
made by member of tho conlmon coun-
ell and because of such a statement by
an alderman the investigation would
have to be made. The mayor said
that Mr.. Moak had proven charges
made against II. B. Widmer, member
Of the common council.
Mayor Goodland said that the two
American La France fire pumps had
been ordered purchased on the re-
commentator of the mayor and fire
marshal and that if there was any
graft it was between those two off
rials. He said that Alderman Dooley
favored the Webb machine and that
Alderman Nielsen had no choice.