Show I llyn y SCENES AT ATi i INVESTIGATION OF i I PAYROll I METHODS j George M. M Bridwell Before the Board of Education Continuation Tonight I Part of the charges made during the thelast thelast I last three months agai against st Geor George e M M. Bridwell superintendent of buildings i and grounds rounds of ot the board of education were admitted at a session of th the board boar last Jast ni night ht sitting bitting as a committee of the whole The meeting was a lively one ono and at times considerable feeling was 1 displayed 1 Mr fr Bridwell admitted the employment employ employ- employment ment in in his department of six ix of l his is relatives one under a fictitious name and the employment of three of the four our sons of William N. N Newman a member of the board from the Third ward under assumed names names' and the payment to his brother Thomas J. J Bridwell la last t to September of 9 3 9 a dathe da day the union scale wale for double time timp for r three days' days labor 3 bor performed as a carpenter carpenter car car- penter on holida holidays one holidays one s one for Labor day dav and the other for two Sundays Sundays Sundays-al- al although thou though h I his s brother was not then a member member mem mem- ber of the union at least leat he lie refused to tomake tomake tomake make the positive statement Tuesday evening evenin that hi his hies brother was then a 3 member of the carpenters union Mr Bridwell further admitted the payment at the same time to David id Crockett and Theodore Newman each cach of 0 49 9 a x day for two or three days' days labor labor la la- bor hor performed on Labor day dav and Sunda Sundays Sun Sun- da days daIs s but it was not brought out whether tho the Newmans thon then were members members mem mem- bers of the carpenters union Mr r. r Bridwell was the tIle first first And and onT only witness examined Tuesday evening ll He Ito was interrogated by y Mr Thomas and was evasive e and sometimes stubborn to the tho point of in insolence ol There Thero were four or five file spirited te tilts between Mr r. r Bridwell and Mr fr Thomas Thoma and once the investigation threatened to break up iii ill a row TOW or possibly blows bows This was when Mr Thomas made a slight allusion to Mrs Bridwell n in connection connection con eon nt with the development that she has frequently a assisted Mr Ir Bridwell in checking up the tho time of the men under hi his dirC direction tion As a n dutiful wife wilo should interpolated interpolated inter inter- Mr r. r Thomas Yes YeN sir and aud a as ns your Tour wife would retorted Mr r. r Bridwell You sou will please never mind uund wife is not warned Mr Thomas My My is under discussion Ju Just t a a. Little Clash H. H C. C Edwards whom Mr 1 Bridwell has employed t to represent him objected object ed cd to Mr Ir Thomass Thomas's A manner of questioning questioning question questIon- ing Mr 1 Bridwell to which Mr Thomas retorted d that he ho would ask Mr r r. r Bridwell Bridwell Brid Brid- well wen such questions as he desired And AndI And I dont don't propose e to be charged bv hy you with in insulting tho the witness either cither added Mr 11 Thomas Thomas with considerable warmth Mr Cummin Cummings s interrupted the threatened threatened threat threat- ened break in the social amenities with tho the statement that so far as he was concerned hE ho had heard enough of interruptions interruptions in in- from Mr counsel counsel coun coun- 11 sel and Mr followed this with the tho declaration that with Mr Thomas ho he proposed to ask Mr Bridwell such questions as he pleased Mr r. Cheesman Chesman sprang prang prang to to a a. defenso of Mr 1 Bridwell l with the tho assertion that the affair was being conducted tho same flame as a Ii trial 1 understand the payrolls be began all Mr Mu Chessman Cheesman But T i dont finished finished fin fin- Mr r. r Thomas and aur I dont don't propose propose propose pro pro- pose to have m mv my motives mothes in questioning the witness th thus s impugned A rather spirited tilt between Mr Jr Thomas and ana Mr Cheesman ensued at atthe tho the close of or which Mr r. r Cheesman Chessman professed professed pro to be he disgusted and left the tho room but soon foon returned Judge Henderson lIen Hen derson diplomatically poured oil on the troubled waters and ana the investigation proceeded but not until Mr r. r Bridwell had mado made what some considered a threat threat upon Mr Ir ThomasI Thomas I I consider Mr Thoma Thomass Thomas's s 's reference to my mv wife as a piece of sarcasm and I resent it Furthermore I will hold him personally responsible for it Only Mr Martin was absent when ben the i investigation vesti began Mr r. Thomas Thoma took took tho the initiative as it was under his resolution that the investigation was wa called aIled and suggested that Mr r. Bridwell who was was then theu occupying Mr Ir Martins Martin's artin K seat move to a n chair by the tho side of tho the steno stenographer John Hollo Rollo at the tho clerks clerk's desk To this Mr Bridwell objected objected ob oh- which created a mild sensation but jut but finally bv by force of circumstances was compeller compelled to tako take this seat He lIe did dia not uso use it however until near tho the end of the tho session choosing to remain standing standing- while Mr Thomas occupied a chair a few feet away from him Beginning of Grill Mr Thomas first took tool up payroll No Ko covering the month half begin beginning nin ning September 1 and ending September Septem Septem- bor ber 35 In 1908 asking Mr Bridwell to explain how this payroll came camo to remain remain re re- re main in his possession from September r of 1908 until March 18 of this year six months when it was supposed d to bo ho returned to the tho clerk of the tho board within with with- in n n It few days i Mr Bridwell gave two to reasons reasons- fin first that the pa payroll roll was always retained retained re- re until the men have receipted for their money and second 1 that it with other papers pertaining to the board hoard waS wa'S removed to tho barn oarn while his Mouse house was being and amI that it there became lost ost and aud could not Dot bo be found for a lon long time timo Mr r. r Bridwell gave gaTe the additional information information information in in- formation that he ho is something of a philanthropist having frequently paid tho the men in his employ with his Ius own personal check k although the money was for public services and then reimbursing bursing himself out of school board money Tho only certification employees make as to tho the correctness of their time it was also developed is when they receipt re re- re for fot their mone money Some of ot the men mon make mako up their own time sheets and Ind others dont don't Mr r. Bridwell Bridwell Brid Brid- well weIl said The general enera rule rulo is for tho the foreman to certify the time up to him While ho he professed to have o personally checked up tho the time of lots of the tho men lIe he admitted that he lIe hardly over eyer checks up E. E H. H Evans his foreman In this connection he bt deni denied l haviD having made marle a statement to Mr r. r Thomas or anybody else that Evans has lIas not made a report to him within two years Cars He lIe remembered Mr Ir Thomas saying saing however that if it he ho were superintendent and such a con condition J prevailed under him hini ho would firo fire Evans Eans bodil bodily Another Admission Mr r. r Bridwell admitted David Newman Newman's Newmans Newmans Newman's New mans man's employment under the name Damo of David Daid Crockett but said ho lie could not tell teIl how long he worked for the tho board I under that name Ho lie laid the tho blamo blame of Newmans Newman's employment under a fictitious fictitious fic name upon his foreman Evans Bvans I Later it developed that Evans employs many of the m mon men n but that they are arc approved by Bridwell Mr r. r Thomas s then took up payroll No r covering the tho same period but for different men meu In response to tho the I question as to why he retained this payroll without warrant for six months I Mr r. r Bridwell said that the tho system o or of having tho the men receipt on a a. f separate sheet for their mono money y was invented bv by him hilll without instructions instructions or authority from from the school board in order to protect protect pro pro- ro test himself IIo lIo returned it to the the board he said because the board asked for it Tho The board furnished some of tho the blanks he said but originally he furnished most of them hims himself lf paying for them put out of his own pocket This however is not verified by bv any of tho the board members Later on Mr r. r Bridwell admitted that the tho sheet blon belongs s to the tho board and that tho the board loard certainly has hasa a right to it In this connection it was brought put out that in some instances the tho mens men's si signature nature or receipt for money paid raid them for labor performed was not no not exacted thus leaving the board Doard without anything to show for or the expenditure of this this mon money Mr r. r Bridwell remembered remembered pointing out to Mr Thomas in October of last lat p year car the tho names of Ed Green and Arthur I smith as fictitious names name being the I assumed names of Arthur and nd Edward Eward Newman but could not recall Mr r. Thomas' Thomas telling him that he was lav laving laying lay lay- in ing himself technically liable and that Iio ho 10 mi might ht be inviting penitentiary lodging ing Mr Dir Bridwell further admitted adding tho the word Newman to tho fictitious fie fic I name of Ed Smith before the tho payroll reached tho the clerks clerk's office but was ivas unable to tell how l long n young roun Newman Newman New New- man worked for tho the hoard board under this name without referring to his b books he lIe said Tho Time investigation will be continued a at ati i 30 this evening e |