Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-12
PROBE
OEF|EO BY
FIRE CHIEF
Cummings Declares He viii lg-
more Answer to His Bitter At
tack on Woodward.

Politicians were awaiting with in
terest Monday the outcome of threat
to have the Grand Jury investigate
graft charges against Fire Chief Cum
mings made in a vitriolic letter signed
by Mayor Woodward. The letter was
Mondays contribution to the Wood
ward Cummings feud which has
ragged at intervals for months.
1t was in reply to the Cummings
attack Of Sunday in which the fire
chief had applied character assas-
sin" and other warm terms to the
Mayor In language and temper both
letters bear a marked resemblance to
the interviews given out by the two
men at the time of the Council probe
some months ago. except that both
are much hotter.
The Mayors attack. except for
yelled threat of Grand Jury inves-
tigation of alleged graft in the fire
department, has little in it that the
public has not already heard or read
Not Afraid Of Probe, Says Chief.
Il certainly am not afraid of &
Grand Jury investigation or anything
else that Mayor Woodward insti-
gates" said Chief Cummings Mon
day after he had read t! Mayors
denunciation.
There isn't any reason that
should fear him or his continued
abuse Of everyone Tor wnom he forms
a. dislike. There wasn't anything new
in his letter of Monday morning. Elk
cept for a change of a name here
and there, 1t almost might have
passed for any one of his other TRADES
that have becom, familiar to the
public.
at was so much what | anticipated
that l hardly believe there will be, an
occasion for me to make formal re-
DIV. 1t was not my intention to start
a long newspaper controversy that
would disgust everyone in town by
his abusiveness. l merely wanted &c
make public my opinion and let the
matter rest there. | hardly thiuK
there is anything more for me to say
or that there is anything in the May
or's letter demanding reply.
Mayor Woodward retorts to Cum
mings' observation that it is only the
Mayor graying hair and years that
saves nim from the calamity of
nhvsical chastisement by saying thai
he never has dealt with Cummings
personally and does not intend to do
SO at this time his quarrel with the
fire chief being only against his Of
fetal conduct as the head of the fire
department.
Calls Chief "Blackeuard.'
The fact that the feud is entirely
impersonal does not prevent the
Mayor from describing the fire chiefs
thinking apparatus as a degenerate
brain" and asserting that the chief
has assumed the plane of a black
guard, where he properly belongs.
Mayor Woodward pays his compli-
ments to the chiefs veracity by de-
claring that he wouldn't believe him
on oath and that, in fact, he would
much rather believe an informal
statement by Mr.. Davidson, Cum
mings' accuser, than believe the chief
when solemnly sworn.
Chief Cummings said Monday that
he had rot had the opportunity TO
read the Mayors open letter care
fully and that be would have no re-
plv to make until he did.
Here is the letter in part:
To the People of Atlanta: 1t is
not pleasant at any time to get into
a newspaper controversy with any
Of the heads OF departments of the
city government or to answer any
thing that one might say; but with
the desire that no one should be
led astray by the billingsgate and
slime that was emitted through the
newspapers yesterday morning from
the foul mouth and degenerate brain
of Bill Cummings. who dishonoraby
Continued on Page 2, Column 4,