The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-24

PoINTS OUT THAT CoKD1x10HO
MENTIONED WERE THOSE 1x13
BY THE LAuaH1IN AD1o1.
ISTRATIoN.
SHOWS THAT PRBSENT ADNIW-
TRATIoN Has ATTACHED AID
CO1REC9EO TIE EVILS
IT IN0E&ITEO.
REVAARH6 or OLD 1ALS1Xo0O1
SEVERELY Bco1ED-11A1
FACTS or TIE SIxUA.
TON PIESEN31D.
RECORD or TK1 PHI9EN2 ADl62.
ISTRATIoN SET Eo3FK 108
EXAlUNAFIoN NJ ="
PEOPLE. -

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Yesterday evening The Wheeling Tele-
graph published what purported to bo
nh expose of conditions in tho city OF
Wheeling. The article was written by
one Morris :. Rcallc. n professional In
restigator and exposer, who was
brought Ia Wheeling by George a.
l.aughln of the Wheeling Telegraph
in the summer Of 1919 with the avowed
purpose OF bringing to light all the
hidden corruption OF our city and OF
hanging the hides of the city manager
and chief Of police on the fence.
Mr.. Bealle came here with much beat
ing Of drums and blaring OF trumpets,
but. for some reason never discovered,
he failed TO make. good. It was ru-
mored that he left because his contract
with Mr.. Laughlin was not carried ouS
by said Laughlin. 1t was further re-
ported that Mr. Bealle was to bring
suit for his salary and for expenses In.
Cured in making the investigations
W hich were to revolutionize our fair
city.
Apparently Messrs. Bealle and Laugh.
lin have patched up their financial diff.
culties. and Yesterday The Telegraph
devoted some five columns OF Its space
10 Mr.. Realizes exposure Of conditions
nc he alleges he found them in Wheel.
ing in the summer and fall Of 1913.
The substance Of these sensationA
now some eighteen or twenty months
overdue. Is that liquor was sold In
Wheeling freely. that gambling houses
flourlshed unmole sted and that prosu-
tuition wont on extensively without IN
reference by the city administration.
The article also takes UP many SUD
jects with which the city OF wheeling
had nothing to do, and some which WeIs
not even in Ohio county. s.
Nr. 1phliu talks.
CITY Manager Charles Q. Ephlin,
when interviewed last evening by an
reporter, said:
"I have looked over the charges made
In The Wheeling Telegraph this even
ing, written by man named M. -.
Bealle. They are about what ! might
have expected from such SOURCES. Ever
since the present city administration as
sumed office. 1t has been the tarHet
OF a constant. false and malicious a..
tack by the proprietor OF The Wheehnt
telegraph. No distortion Of the facts
nos been too extreme, no charge too
Wild or vicious. for Tho Telegraph 10
publish.
The personal record Of George A.
raughlin is one Of glaring inconsist-
.ncies. Processing to be the champion
~ tho campaign against gambling, he
has within the last few weeks written
an apo!ogy and a defense OF the orlF-
rr meet which was held In this city
and on. Of the leading features ana
yreatest attractions Of which was Hhole-
sale gambling. ~.
"It seems that. according TO MI.
.aurhlin's code Of morals. those IN
fractions OF the law which happen 10
oIsase him are to bc considered blame
loss while those which are not on tno
lis, Of his pet sins. but which may ap,
neal to others, are horrible crimes.
Ancient History.
ITO get back TO the charges pr1nted
in The Telegraph yesterday. ! neeo oniy
invite attention OF the public TO the
fact that they deal with condluons
alleged by the writer tn have existed
in June. July and August. 1918. II
such violations did exis; at that ume'
why have they been held under cover
Tor nearly two years?
"If Mr.. I.auRhlin honestly desired to
improve Wheeling. why didn't he make
public at that time his statements that
such conditions existed? Why all this
,loak Of secrecy over something that
any good citizen would feel II his duty
% expose II he had knowledge OF its
existence and the means to place that
before the public?
"As q plain matter OF fact, 90 per
,ent Of the assertions made are either
'alsehood or gross eXaggeration. When
Mr.. Laughlin published the charges yes-
erday he knew. also. that he was merely
-evampinE a lot OF old lies which he
'ould not substantiate, hoping to get
,y with generalities about conditions
hat have long since changed and con-
,crning which II would now be difficult,
perhaps impossible. to set even the ap-
oroximate truth.
The present city administration took
office June !. 1919. Whatever condl-
tions existed in the city OF Wheeling
n the summer and fall Of 1919 were In.
lerited from the preceding administra-
ion. That preceding administrator
vas one which personal employs
If George s.. Laughlin was chief OF
police. and man endorsed by MI.
.aughlin city manager. In addition.
most Of the members OF council Of that
administration did not presume to wash
heir races IN the morning WITHOUT CALI
ng up and asking the permission OF
Nr. I.auGhl!n: nor did they lie down
o pleasant dreams at night before re-
,eiving his royal consent.
What Present Officials Houad.
I'm other words. the conditions IN
in the summer and fall OF
9l9 we're simply h continuation Of tho
conditions left by the Laughlin admin
stration. do not wish TO reflect upon
hat administration as a whole. I be-
ievc that some Of its members had
rood intentions. and that some Of It's
difficulties were due to the continued
Illness Of City Manager Nagle.
However that may be, when the
present administration assumed power,
ye -ound houses Of assignation spread
broadcast over the city. Several were
n the Island. a part OF the city which
lad never before been invaded by that
vii. There were falf dozen large
AXE hotels, while street walkers were
s thick as flies around honey.
Immediately on taking office, the
ew administration had many big tasks.
ut just as soon as pressing business
matters we're in fairly good shape, the
wills mentioned above were systemlt-
cally attacked. In a few months they
lad been greatly losscned and the
trcets OF Wheeling had been made -
lean as those Of any city in the United
states. g.
"Wc proceeded In this work after con.
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