Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-03
INQUIRY INTO PAVING
SCANDAL is UNLIKELY
Grand Jury Not Expected to Probe,
as City Employees Are Not
Implicated.
EXPOSURE ARoUsEs COMMENT
All Concerned Maintain Silence,
While Statements Are Looked For
From General Offices of Asphalt
Concerns Mentioned.

Without further developments that
might indicate the Implication OF city
employees in the alleged distribution
OF $1,000 'slush fund" provided by
the Central Construction and Supply
Company, OF Harrisburg, Pa. in ef-
fort TO smooth the way for paving con
tracts in Richmond, which was exposed
in detail by Captain Carlton Mccarthy
OF the Administrative Board. in signed
statement to The Times Dispatch. It
was considered highly improbable last
night that the matter would he laid
before the grand jury.
Captain Mccarthy in his statement
after the interview with j. y. McCul-
loch, local manager OF the paving con-
Germ. said: 1T would crafty me ex-
ceedirgly- II all parties to this matter
and ] need not call names could be
summoned before the grand jury and
be compelled, if there is compulsion in
the law. to expose at least a : much of
this matter as Mr.. Mcculloch has
quietly conveyed to me-
Since, according to the published
statements, no city official was bribed
with the money the paving concern had
intended TO be used to aid it in securing
municipal contracts. and it went to
ment, the opinion was expressed yes-
terday that there was no Jurisdiction
IN the matter for the grand Jury
JUDGE RICHARDSON TO
CONFER WITH MCCARTHY
Judge David c. Richardson of the
Hrstings Court, said that. so far as he
had been advised he did no: believe
the case was one for the grand jury
III II can be shown" he said. that
an effort was made to bribe CITY Of
fcer. then the case will he Of differ
ent nature. and II would he proner
to have a grand jury called. At pres
ent L do not consider the matter is
one which would properly fall before
the grand jury"
Judge Richardson said, however, that
ne would have conference with Cau-
tain Mccarthy in the matter.
Chairman John Hirschberg, of III,
administrative Board. said last night
that The board had not discussed the
matter. and that he only knew what
he had read i'm the newspapers and the
statement made by Captain Mccarthy
oetore the board when It was constd
erlhS the bids for the paving of Fifth
street Tor which the CentraI Construc-
'ion ana supply Company had submit
tea Il proposal Asked If the ;;oard
contemplated an Investigation, Mr.
tirschberg replied that the matter had
been left entirely with Captain Mccar
my and that he was not aware of any
further action.
captain HcCarthy said last night
That he had nothing further TO add to
tho statement made by him Thursday
night, and that. so far as he knew.
there were no new Developments No
statements were forthcoming from the
paving concern. Blanchard S. Forbes
an a2en: Of the Central Construction
and Supply Company. said that he was
not connected with the concern AT ths
time the alleged fund was provided
and. therefore. anything he might
know was hearsay
SILENCE Is MAINTAINED
Bl ALI. CONCERNED
I talked with the home Offices in
harrisburg over the long distance taIe-
phonc this morning." he said, but OF.
nccrs said they could make no state.
nent until they had fuller details Of
the matter. then mailed comics ~
e"e richmond papers TO them. and ex-
pect that the company will make some
statement probably late tomorrow.
d. ~. McCulloch, the manager of tho
local branch Of the Central Construc.
ton and Supply Company, from whom
Captain Mccarthy Is said to hav.
secured his information. was out Of the
city yesterday. presumably in PhIladel-
phia. where conference was reported
to have been held among paving mag
mates over the Mccarthy statement.
! His His stenographer could not say when
he would:,return to Richmond.
ss3aaN. P. Leaman,s who ia said to have
received $500 OF the. "slush fund.- FOR
CONTINUED on Ninth PAGE 1sST