The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-10-09
City Probe is Devoid of
Any Big Sensation
Continued from Page one.)

Il
expected sensational disclosures.
It was developed, however, that
instead of the payrolls showing
up for 104 working days during the
last half of September as made by
the eight employees, total of 122
days were paid for. This means
that, instead of eight employees,
working thirteen days in the latter
half of the month the payroll show
ed up for Is days over. In explana-
ton of this, Mr.. Jones stated when
employees reported sick during the
month, he had placed others in their
places, thus running the number of
days up to larger number than had
been expected.
At the outset, and as soon as the
meeting was called to order yester-
day, Mayor Greenhut announced that
| it had been called for the purpose of
| looking into any irregularities which
might exist in the street foreman's
office, as had been rumored. The
mayor then made the announcement
that Mr.. Johnson, in whose depart
ment the street foreman was en-
ployed, would conduct the examina-
ton.
The street foreman, Danny
Jones, with about twenty employees of
the department, were then sworn, and
all but the street foreman himself
were excluded from the room. In
his own behalf, Mr. Jones stated
that he had never put anyone on the
payroll who was not entitled to be
there, so far as he had understood,
and that, in carrying the men on the
pay sheet who would report sick, he
said, he was simply following the
longtime custom, which had been in
existence since the day when Capt.
Hutchinson was street superinten-
dent, and for whom he had worked.
He recalled that one man had been
sick more than ten days, which was
the time limit for anyone to be car
ried on the payroll, ard that, bring
ing the matter before the commits
sioners, he said, he had been ordered
to carry him longer. He said that
there had never been instructions to
the contrary given him, when asked
the direct question by Commissioner
johnson. Mr.. Jones said that he
wanted to stand and make his state
ment so that the public would know
what he had to say. He frequently
referred to Commissioner johnson as
Boss" especially in addressing that
officer personally and directly.
Some of the transactions which ne
was asked about particularly by the
commissioner was why the following
alleged discrepancies had occurred on
the pay sheet; why Mullen was on
the payroll for eleven days when he
worked but eight; why Birthright
was down for thirteen days when he
worked but ten; why Santo was down
for thirteen days when he worked
but eleven; why Cardenas was down
for thirteen days when he worked
but eight. All these questions were
answered by the street foreman with
the statement that he was only fol-
lowing orders, and that everyone of
the men who were on the payrolls
for more time than they actually
made was on account of following the
precedent set many years before. He
said he had carried the men on the
payrolls "only when they were sick,
Boss. but never when they were off
drunk somewhere" He said, how
ever, that he had never questioned a
mans claim of being sick, but had
taken the mans word for it.
A number of employees were then
called and CANNED. Clyde Roach
said that he had worked ten days and
on the eleventh when he showed up
sick, he was sent back home. He was
too i'll to work for the next three
days. He was not "docked" for the
lost time.
Tom Mullen, regular driver, said
he had worked ten days. This wit
. ness said he had been hearing a lot
of rumors, but that none of them
were true, and that he had never
made a dishonest dollar in his life,
and would not come to lie about It
to anybody.
John Birthright said that he had
lost four days out of the last half
of the month of September. He said
. he had always signed the payroll
himself and had always endorsed his
own check.
Among other witnesses who were
called by the street commissioner
were Messrs. Gale, A. Roach, Paul
Santo, Holifield, Joe Cardenas. A. L.
Busby and ]. Joseph. Witnesses who