The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-20
BLACKBURN IS TART | IN LATEST REPLY
 ID WARDS CHARGE
Says Commissioner Seems to be Suffering From Bad Case of 'IncOmpetO-
 Rattlebrain"

Felix F. Blackburn yesterday issued formal statement denying the charge made by Commissioner Ward that MT. Blackburn had paid Frank V. Evans $zo per day to investigate the city's sinKlhs fund. MT. Blackburns statement reads:
 well, MT. G. Ward has thrown his second spasm There Is nothing to It, this man surely is not in his right mind.
 His malady seems to be bad case or incompeto- -rattlebrain. In his swan song just sung is the verse
 ".About that time MT. Felix Black
 burn employed MT. F. " Evans at $25 per day to work on the figures that the city had furnished Blackburn and Evans. Who was putting up this $2o
 per day for MT. Blackburn, and how much was Blackburn's fee?'
 NOW, I want MT. G. Ward to listen to this: If he or anyone else says that I employed MT. Frank V. Evans at $25 per day or any other sum, or that some-
 one was putting up this $25 per day
 or any other sum for me or at my re-
 quest, or that I was paid fee or was to receive a fee from any source Tn connection with this sinking fund mat ter. he utters a fiatfooted, coldblooded' baldfaced falsehood. If he dreamed such thing. his dream was false. If in his wild Authorizations he imagined such a thing, his imagination was false. Out side of this he might be all right.
 "Now again, I demand that MT. U. Ward name his informant, or his in formation upon which he based the above quoted statements, and unless he does I denounce the same as being ma liciously and wickedly uttered, know ing that they were not true at the time. In the meantime, let us not overlook the fact that the shortage in the sink ing fund of the city of over $7OO,O0O, ac- cording to the investigations and report
 of Accountant Frank " Evans, made from figures and information furnished
 by MT. c. Ward, remains the same. "Finally, wish to repeat that neither Mr. B. Steiner nor any friend of relative
 for him has ever, at any time, men
 tioned or intimated to me anything about the sinking fund or the finances of the city, but I will say this, that if I should be employed by any holder Of
 bonds outstanding in 1901, you would
 near something drop in less than 4S hours about the city hall which would make one think that a German 42-cen- timetre shell had exploded whereabouts, unless the misapplied funds were re- placed. I did request and secured the services of MT. Frank V. Evans to an- alyze and compile for me the figures furnished by Mir. G. Ward, he being an expert accountant, but did not employ him or agree to pay him one cent, and have not done so. In this connection submit the following note and answer: Birmingham, Ala, Feb. 19, 1915. Hon. Frank V. Evans, City
 ".Dear MT. Evans: I would like for you to state whether or not l ever em- l ployed you in any capacity in connection , with the sinking fund investigation, at 1 s25 per day or any other sum, or that
 agreed to pay or have paid you any amount whatever in connection with same. Yours very truly,
 ], "'F. D. BLACKBURN. :, "Dear MT. Blackburn: In answer to the above I desire to say, No. Very
 truly. FRANK V. EVANS '