Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-23
OF BRIBERY
MADE BY A BIDDER
FOR CITY CONTRACT
Abel Bottoms Alleges At
tempt to Extort $4,000 in
scheme to Gain Appro-
oriation for Police and
Fire Station.

..or porter has ordered an lnves-
~ charges made by Abel Bot
us'' contractor, to the effect that an
i'a. was made to extort $4,000 from
a connection with the awarding Of
~ ,a,ract !. for the erection Of a police
.n and firehouse at Hunting Park
~. and schuyler street.
nations is the senior member Of
NJ, NJ Abel Bottoms Sons & Co.
the M tnrs Al South 18th street, The
eenu ,..s done a considerable amount of
hun ~ the city under former admin
Fil,,6cs Fes,, Here is Mr.. Bottoms version
hu ~ attempted extortion:
~ ayr made the lowest bid for the
p,,,et $4,000. when 1t was first ad-
e.aissd in December, 1914.
,.nA,y,nr this several visits were made
w oIflce by a man who professed to
tEa representative of certain Council
who are members of Councils
rsance Committee. 1t was TINS man
.,r,ed Mr.. Bottoms to give him $4,000
VIZ R,.a, he might get the contract, while
4 ,oooo was to be "dlvided equally
w ss those who had influence in such
AttSrs evidently meaning Councilmen,
s@t be mentioned no names.
!. ono occasion the conversation was
IA Sbv a third person. who was con-
,.iea behind a partition, The go
.,sween'' was q salesman for an out-of-
.rr concern which dealt in rocks and
.,,bes he told Mr.. Bottoms, who re-
frsed to pay the $4,000.
MANY BIDS FOR CONTRACT
there were between 10 and 20 bids filed
efn
s,.house was to be fecated in the heart
!, III SSth Ward. which was represented
\. select Council by tine late Albert De
p+,fontaine. Director Porter planned to
..,rs tb,, building the finest of its kind
!, iaa country 1t was to have roof
.-rdsn where the firemen could spend
~ hours during the hot weather. The
o-1lnancc, introduced by Mr.. De Pre-
mr,alne and providing for the building,
,tlonlated that the expenditure should
~. exceed $4,000 The expenditures for
asbtjng heat and plumbing were to be
s,d for separately by the city. and
,,parate appropriation of $4,000 for this
purpose was planned.
after all the bids had been received
Councils declined to appropriate the $780,
IA. on the ground that there were not
soaicient funds available to meet this
expense. oO ~ "''S ''ifO'''-D'S W.
ne contract
n was in connection with this failure
"a appropriate the additional fund that
oaA Of the visits of the "go-between" was
made. according to Mr. Bottoms account
Al the transactions. Mr.. Bottoms would
naturally have been the man most inter-
,sted. as he had been the lowest bidder.
ma visitor urged again that Mr.. Bottoms
produce the $4,000. The latter replied that
Il would be of no use, even If he were
Wiling to resort to bribery, as the neces-
pafy $50 900 was not appropriated.
THAT will be attended to later" the
man said.
Records on file in City Hall show that
since 1911 there has been s29 5i2S6 avail
sble for extra expenditures in connection
With the construction of police stations
md irehouses, and Director Porter used
these records as an argument to get
Councils to appropriate the $4,000 which
M Bottoms interviewer said would be
attended to-" He has not seen this per-
son since he rejected his assistance, Two
weeks ago the contract for the police sta
Hon and frehouse was readvertised. The
BID Of the Bottoms firm was $3.50, 900 this
time the increase being due to the rise
Ia the price of copper
D1RECToR PORTER SUSPICIOUS.
For a long while" said Director Por-
ssg today, II have felt that there was
Eomething wrong in connection with bid
ding for the contract for the police sta
lion and firehouse at Hunting Park ave-
hae and Schuyler street There Is no
sasstlOn that there is something In the
Eoodple. Mr.. Bottoms was the lowest
Bidder We needed an extra amount of
Nlao for heating, etc, ana though this
meney was available we couldn't get
councils to appropriate 1t.
Councils kept putting me off, When
me new bids are all registered and pre-
hsnted to me / shall certainly investigate
-1acm carefully before award the con-
haet If the contract had been awarded
me time the lowest bid was received
Ihs building would have been completed
y this time, Instead we have now
aienouse up In the 3Sth Ward which
sat nj Tor dog to sleep in.
suppose it is planned by Councils
postpone the Installation of a heating
@ eali ana other improvements in the
sallaing until the nexT administration
ss.les In The charge of attempting to
bssott -sot. money from Mr., Bottoms will be
lasestgated.