Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-20
SEA ISLE CITY ROAD
Job UNDER FIRE
Witness In Cape May Freehold
ers' Trial Declares Work
MiserabIy Done
COMMISSIONERS PROTESTED
Rv a star Correspondent

Cape MAY Court House. n. D., sept.
20.--A road at Sea Isle City 20 poorly
resurfaced that most Of the top layer
was Swept off, came under the search
light todny at the trial of Cape Mny
County freeholders on charges growing
graft scandal.
Despite the opposition Of the Sea Isle
City Commissioners IL was shown the
road resurfacing had been 90 per cent
paid for by the frceholders.
Mayor Irving Fitch, Of Sea Isle City.
clerk of the bonrd Of freeholdcrs Of Cape
May County, was the first witness.
He described the Landis avenue job
between Shell and Swain streets. Sea
lsle City. This contract amounted to
$16,550, he said. and was for resur-
facing. So poorly was the work done.
he said. that the commissioners of Sea
Isle City had protested by resolution
against payment for IT,
A thin coat of asphalt, Mayor Fitch
said had been spread over the road
surface and over this had been thrown
from quarter to a half inch of loose
Stag.
Stag Swept on Road
So loose was this Stag, he said. that
most of 1t has been swept off the road.
What was left had cut automobile tires
and some had been ground into the
road.
Robert II. McCartcr, of Newark, for
ner Attorney General, counsel for the
defense. tried by cross examination to
show the top stones on the road we're
tight. All Mayor Fitch would admit
was that some stones had been pressed
this work had been paid for, It Is
charged: there had been no formal ac-
ceptance of the road.
Jurors chosen with very little argu-
ment were Edwin z. Mills. Cape May
Court House; d. Cyrus Tudor, Bur
leigh; Louis G. Abrams, Woodbine :;
Leonard II. Davis, Cane May; John
Douglass, Cape May Court House; Leon
Devault. Palermo; Edgar J. Welsh,
Mnrmorn; Leslie Caldwell. wildwood {:
Howard Sites, Becslcy's Point Curtis
Robinson, Ocean City; Charles Soffe,
Pierce's, and Jacob S. Levin, Wood
bine.
Two Acquitted Of Conspiracy
Defendants acquitted Yesterday were
Hope w. Candy, of Tuckahoe,
chairman of the Bill Committee of the
Board of Freeholders, and Otto
Koenccke, of Wildwood, another board
member. They had been charged with
conspiracy. in presenting bills not
properly chargeable to the county, on
Koenecke's part. and the illegal ap-
proval Of such bills by Candy, the bills
not having been accompanied by atf-
davits as required BY law.
The case against Koenecke and
Candy went to the jury at 3 10 O'Clock
(standard time), and the jury brought
In it's verdict at Q :i5 p. NJ.
There are twelve cases altogether
against twenty -one defendants, with a
total Of eighty nine indictments. The
men acquitted have been tried on six
counts only. Other indictments still
stand against them, thirty three in
Gandy's case. They were tried yester :
day for conspiracy in the mulcting Of
the county by means of bills presented
twice for the same service.
1t was charged motor jitney bills and
mileage bills for the same trips were
both presented and paid. The men may
still be tried for malfeaSance in office In
connection with these charges.
The total amount involved in the case
against Koenecke and Candy was only
$572. This amount was spread over
the period from January /, 1920, to
October 5, 1920. Candy testified he
had ridden about on his bicycle and
therefore had felt justified in putting In
his bills for the mileage Of three cents
per mile travelled. Koenecke did not
take the stand at all. There was one
woman on the jury. She was Mrs.
Oliver McAllister, Of South Seavil!e.