Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1914-02-07

MCGeehan Too tII to Ap-
pear at Hearing.

According to a Kenosha paper
the Wisconsin State Highway
Commission met at Kenosha Feb
ruary 5 to hear complaints against
Commissioner of Highways M. G..
Mcclellan, who was suspended
from office pending an investiga-
ton of the affairs of the office.
Mr.. Mcclellan was unable to ap-
pear before the commission on ac-
count of illness and an adjourn
ment was taken until February %.
Since his suspension McGeehan
rendered his resignation, but the
commission insists, however, that
the investigation will be carried
out.
That there was a great deal of
interest in the hearing was demon
strated by the throng which filled
the court room. The state high
way commission was represented
by John A Hazelwood, its chair
man, Commissioner J. H. Van
Doren and Chief Engineer A. Z.
Hirst. Commissioner Mcclellan
j was represented by his attorney.
Peter Fisher, District Attorney
Drury declared that the county
and the board of supervisors were
ready to proceed, but that they did
not desire to present evidence in
the absence of Mr.. MCGeehan.
Attorney Fisher declared that it
would be impossible for Mr.. Nc
Geehan to appear at the court
house but that the commission
would be welcome at the McGee-
han home and that he would be
willing to give such evidence as
might be desired from him there.
This plan did not meet with the
approval of the commissioners and
they insisted that all evidence in
the case be given in public. Chair
man Hazelwood demanded that
i some evidence be produced to show
that Mr McGeehan was too i'll to
appear before the commission and
Dr. NJ Bernstein was sworn. He
stated that Mr. McGeehan was suf-
fering from a complication of blad-
der trouble and lunbago, and that
it was possible that he would have
to submit to an operation before lie
would be able to be out again. He
declared that for several days Mr..
McGeehan had been in such pain
that it mad been necessary to ad-
minister morphine to him and that
he was neither physically nor men
tally fitted TO appear before the
commission or to give intelligent
evidence at his home
Engineer Hirst made an ex-
haustive statement for the benefit
Of the large crowd present, declar-
ing that the irregularities that had
been charged against the highway
commissioner S department in
cluded the investigation OF thirty
three county orders. He held that
two 1aen III whose favor orders had
been drawn had made statements
that they did not receive the
money. He insisted that in the
case Of the other thirty-one orders
the irregularities were along the
line of irregular Endorsements.
He stated that these facts had been
communicated to the highway com
missioner two weeks ago, and that
he had been urged either to pro-
duce the men to whom payments
had been made or to produce af6-
davits to show the regularity Of the
payments
Mr.. Fisher stated that he had
not been furnished with any afida-
Wits By Mr. McGeehau and that 80
far as he knew no men were pres
ent to testify in regard TO the or
ders. He declared that as the
matter assumed the natnre Of a
criminal charge that it could not
5 f8rly be taken up without the
+ presence of Mr.. Mcclellan After
some informal discussion BY mem