The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1916-06-02
ACTED BOTH AS AN
OFFICIAL AND AS
ROAD CONTRACTOR
TESTIMONY TO THAT EFFECT Is
GIVEN BY w. w. PINksToN,
OF FOURTH.
ON STAND ALL The MORNING
Testifies Also To Payments Made To
Driver of Commissioner Hight to
His own Brother-in-law and Also to
Brother Of Hight.
fridays Daily.)

Fridays Daily)
Practically all the morning session
of the road investigation was consumed
in the examination of Road Commits
sioner Pinkston, of the Fourth dis
trict, who testified in substance that
while acting as road commissioner, he
had also under the orders Of the coun'
ty commission and Mr.. Hight, one OF
the accused, acted as road contractor.
He testified to numerous payments
made to himself as contractor; also
to payments made by him to Luther
Gillian, the driver of Commissioner
Nights teams, also to payments made
to his brother-in-law and also to pay
ments made to J. C. Hight brother OF
the county commissioner. There
seems to be no prospect in sight for
the early end of the investigation
At the morning session of the road
investigation committee today the
examination of w. w. Pinkston, road
commissioner for the Fourth district,
was resumed
Mr.. Pinkston identified number OF
warrants and road contracts which
showed that he had received consld-
cradle sums from the county for road
work on the highways of the district
that T. o. Parks, his brother-in-law
had likewise been paid considerable
sum at different times and that J. G.
Hight brother of Commissioner Hight
had likewise received money from the
same source
A report made by Pinkston for July
90. 1914, was identified by him. Under
this T O. Park was paid $3476; L. S
Gillian, the driver of Commissioner
Hight and who used the teams OF the
commissioner for the hauling, wal
paid $3.50, and Mr. Pinkstorf himsei
received $51. Another report for Jan
a. 1915. showed similar payments t
Gillian, Park and the witness.
!, A report for March "a, 1914, showed
. payments to T. o. Park of $S3; to L
r Gillian, who it was testified use'
the teams of Commissioner Hight
s111.7O: to witness $3.50 and 70 )
G Hight, brother of the commissioner
s1S. Asked about contract to do tn
work Mr.. Pinkston admitted in effec
that the only contract he had WIZ
the commission for the work was tn
statement of Mr.. Hight and other men
hers or all the members of the boare
that he was to work out so much nor
!, ey on the roads. He could not recal
that there was ever any definite wri
ten contract with the members OF tn
county highway board.
In the course of the examination
- was developed that the prosecute
- would insist that because the law yes
ed the appointment of the distrit
. commissioner in County COMMISSIONS
Hight, that the latter was responsible
= for dereliction of violation OF law
the district member. 1t was insiste
that Mr.. Hight would be accountant
II for and should be connected with tn
" alleged improper conduct OF the Oil
trict commissioner
II Mr. PEBBLES asked Mr.. Pinkston, b
70 whom was the warrant calling Il
D. $4,000 which was paid to Luther I'll
~ liam for twenty days work upon tf
70 road with Mr.. Nights teams give
In answer, Mr.. Pinkston said that
had received it from the county roa
u commissioners and in answer to
question asked by MIR. PEBBLES, als
~ stated that he had given Warral
'r calling for $4,000 to Jas. c. Hight, Il
If twenty days services on the road vii
teams. He also stated that warral
Il of s25, made payable to himself hi
~ his signature attached, this being h
~ salary for one year as district ro'
= commissioner.
In answer to questions asked
~ Geo. T. Hughes, Jr., counsel for Il
no investigating committee, concernil
the purchasing of lumber from Gil
Hight for the purpose of fixing C
- vert that had broken in, Mr.. Pin