The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-02

I
to me. and who informed me that he
Ind message from Mr.. Mcculioch.
asking that 1 wait longer, as upon his
arrival In Philadelphia he found the
| treasure OF the company out Of town.
I promised this marty TO wait longer
| for action OF the company and intend
ed to wait, but when bids were opened
before the board that morning one of
the bids was from the Central Con-
struction and Supply Company. and I
| speak OUT
Objected to Bids.
| However. mentioned no details, but
simply objected to considering any
! bids from the company. Later in the
meeting. In order that / may be first
| to give publicly the matter. I told the
| story to members OF the board. and
expressed the desire that there should
! be no secrecy concerning II, and l pre-
| ferred. 1t have instant and wide pub
! licity. The result was the publication
| In, the Journal.
Some time ago. perhaps y year or
| more, basng nv action on my own
conviction and best Judgment, I an
/ nounced to the board and to others
that / would not consent to any
further transactions between the city
of Richmond and the Ritulithic Com
pany. / have reached the same de-
termination concerning the Central
Construction Company, and will not
bv my vote give my consent to any
further business between that COM
pany and the city, having determined
that the methods they use, judging by
my standards, are dishonorablc, de-
n,oralizing and dangerous, and en-
| pensive to the city.
Il take this position without slight
est reference to and with absolute
indifference to what anybody else
| thinks on the subject and in spite
OF the fact that Mr. McCulloch has
assured me that he considers himself
engaged in the most ordinary and
common methods pursued by such
corporations for the purpose OF Sc
| curing business.
| Il ought to. add to this staten ent
the fact that In the frst mention of
| the story only my own name was
mentioned. and l had decided to treat
the whole matter with indifference
but when learned In a new version
that Goodwin had introduced my son.
! determined that at any cost or in
/ convenience and disa greeable conse-
Quences to be the first to give to the
! public the facts. and this l did at the
earliest moment consistent with my
promise to wait for Mr. McCulioch
until Wednesday,"
Richmond Journals Story
The Richmond Journal of yesterday
published the following:
Com missioner Carlton Mccarthy
startled his associates of the admin
lstrative Board and the few specta-
tors at the session yesterday after
noon. when he rose while bids for a
contract for the paving OF Fifth Street
were being submitted and exclaimed:
1 object to giving my consideration
to any proposal from that concern
until / have inquired further into GER
tain things ! have heard
Captain Mccarthy had reference to
one of the bidders. He did not enter
into details His objection. stated in
characteristic terms with pointed AMI
/ caust!c emphasis, mystified most Of
his hearers. Two or more OF his fell
cognizant of his meaning
Later In the day Captain Mccarthy
explained in private to the members
of the board the information he had
received and upon which the objec-
ton he had stated in the open meet
ing was based
1T has been known In City Hall cir
cles for several days that Commits
sioner Mccarthy has been probing a
story for sometime current to inc eff
( feet that an agent of the paving COM
pany to which he referred In his ga
haiistic speech In the board room re-
ported to his headquarters office that
he had paid $500 bride to the COM
missioner for his vote on a paving con-
tract awarded by the Administrative
Board two years ago.
! Indignation OF the captain was
| stirred when he learned OF the report.
Just what steps he took In probing the
rumor he probably confided only to
his. associates On the Administrative
Board. 1t Is known. however. that hs
summoned TO his office at the City Hall
a Richmond man, who was active IN
promoting the interests OF the success
full paving concern, and secured from
him by close questioning certain ad-
missions which inspired him TO nur-
sue his inquiry into the alleged graft"
I operations
1T Is known too. that Captain Me
/ Carthy was told that the story CON
! corning the paving company agent in
| volved not himself. but another of his
name. who Is employed in the city
engineers office.
What excited the Indignation of the
commissioner and stirred him 20 ac-
ton was that his name was used by
n granting agent to cover up his own
\
represented to the paving company at
the time Of the competitive bidding
was on that he could use $1,000 TO
advantage in bringing certain tnfu-
ences to bear upon the commissioners.
Tho check for $1,000 was sent 20 him.
the story goes, and he reported in due
time that the money had been placed
where 1t would do the most good,
Following the award of the contract
a rumor reached the headquarters Of
fee of the successful paving company
that some of the boys" who had been
promised their were stf11 warning
for it. The company thereupon sent a
tracer to Richmond to check up tho
"slush" payment. The tracer" dts
covered that the agent had distributed
only $500 OF the money after cashing
to $1,000 check. The latter being &C .
cused point blank by the spotter OF
having gone south" with half of the
amount, explaining that he had found
1T necessary to pay $500 direct to Mr..
Mccarthy The inference his state
ment conveyed to the tracer" and the
home office of the company was that
the commissioner had received the $500.
Captain Mccarthy has since learned
however. that the agent, when called
upon to designate more specifically.
Oaya thu name of Mr. Mccarthy, of