San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-25
GRAND JURY IS
AGAIN PROBING
CITY POLITICS
Employe Of Street Depart
ment Known to Have
Been Summoned.
NEW CLUB IS FORMED
Disbanding Of Original RE
den-for- Reelection
Club Is Effected.

Investigation into the "Rieden for
Reelection Club" alleged to have been
organized in the city street department
to raise funds for the campaign OF
Street Commissioner William o. Riedeu,
was re-opened by the Bexar county
grand jury Thursday morning, accord
ing to rumors in circulation at the
city hall. One employee of the street
department is known TO have been
summoned to appear before the grand
jury Thursday morning and it is pos
sible that others may have been
subpoenaed also.
simultaneously with the report that
the grand jury had resumed its inves-
tigation Of the "Rieden for Reelection
Club" came a report from the city
hall that the old club had been dis
banded and that new club was Or
ganized at the city material yard We'd
nesday afternoon. This new club, ac-
cordins to the story, has for its object
the same purposes as the old club
which was broken up when City En-
gineer D. ID. Harrigan objected to the
collection of funds from day laborers.
Joe Beck, il is understood, was named
as treasurer of the new club. succeed
ing Jack Dunsmore who filled that
office in the "Rieden for Reelection
Club According TO one version OF
the Wednesday meeting, 1t is planned
to attempt to persuade those who cou-
tributed to the old club to either de-
cline to withdraw their contributions,
or il they do SO to Immediately turn
them over TO the new organization.
Will Return All Money.
Jack Dunsmore, treasurer Of the old
club, stated emphatically Thursday that
the money which he has in his posses
sion will be turned back to the men
who contributed it.
II do not intend to turn this money
over to Joe Beck or to any other club,
Mr.. Dunsmore said. 81 have a check
in my pocket now covering a shortage
in the Rieden for Reelection Clubs
funds and am going to see that every
man who paid in money to this CLUB
gets it back"
Mr.. Dunsmore declared that he knew
nothing of the organization of the new
club as no one had spoken to him
about il. He stated that he already
had refunded all money contributed by
employees in the engineering depart
ment to the old club and expected to
return every cent paid in by the others:
Investigation into the collection of
funds for the Rieden campaign Thurs
day brought to light the fact that an
attempt had been made to collect funds
in at least one department at the city
hall when the Black faction first took
office. At that time, it was learned,
certain candidates on the Black ticket
had an outstanding note for about
$1,000, the money having been used to
defray campaign expenses.
80 Refused To Sanction Plan.
After the new administration had
taken office, it is understood, one man
active in the campaign approached one
of the commissioners and suggested that
the employees in his department kick
i'm on this note. This commissioner
had not signed the note as he had paid
in cash his pro rata of the campaign
expenses. For this reason and be-
cause he was opposed 10 such proceed
ure, this commissioner declined to ask
his men TO contribute.
He was then asked, according TO re-
ports, if his employees could be solicited
for funds TO help pay the note. He
stated emphatically that he would not
consent to this. He is understood to
have informed the person that if any
employe in his or any other. depart
ment voluntarily contributed he had
no objection but he did object to them
being solicited.
Whether other commissioners were
approached on the subject is not known
but it is understood that the note has
been paid. The commissioner thus
is understood to have look
ed with disfavor on the collection of
funds from employees of the street de-
partment and not to have learned of
it until recently.