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Varney, Geo M 1st Blood News_DailyRegister18960430_5

20250131GHLn-
First Blood, Republican Camp, John Felsing's Lip Split by Supt Varney of the City Water Works
The Daily Register
Wheeling, West Virginia •
Thu, Apr 30, 1896 p5
CLIPPED BY
wetzupdoc • 31 January 2025

• THE FIRST BLOOD DRAWN
In a Row in the Republican Camp, Yesterday.
John Felsing's Lip Split by Supt. Varney of the City Water Works. Mr. Felsing Afterward Discharged. The Matter Brought Before the Republican Executive Committee Last Night, and Will Go to the Water Board To-Day-The Sheriffalty Fight In It.
Trouble broke out in a fresh place in the local Republican camp, yesterday afternoon, and last evening evidences of it could be seen all around.
To-day an official investigation of the matter is scheduled to take place, when additional facts may be expected to be developed.
The scene of yesterday's difficulty was the pumping station of the city water works, qnd the parties to the row were Superintendent George M. Varney and John Felsing, one of the force of men employed about the engines and pumps. The affair culminated in Mr. Varney striking Felsing in the face, cutting his lip, and then discharging him from the force at the works. Mr. Felsing gave his version of the affair to his friends, and last night, when the Republican Executive Committee ffiet' it the Ci y H ’ n or tw< friends of tiie discharged man appeared and a statement was made of the affair from their standpoint This done, the committee left to interview Mr. Henry Jones, of the Water Board, and as a result. it was announced late last night that t h< re would b > a meet ing oJ 1 h • Board this afternoon, at which there would he an investigation.
From what could be learned of the affair last nigh:, the trouble dates away back to the deal made by the Republicans in Council, three years ago. by which they succeeded in getting control of that body and capturing about all the city offices worth having, but the Republican contest for Sheriff, last Saturday, also figures in it to a very considerable extent. When the original deal was set up for the control of Council Chief Engineer Schneider, who had been at the works for a good while, was slated for Superintendent, but in the whirling of the political wheel Mr. Varney, who set up a few pins quietly, got things his way, and was chosen Superintendent, Mr. Varney continued Mr. Schneider in the position he formerly held, and this was satisfactory all around, but later Mr. Scneider stepped out. Mr. Richards and some other Couneilmen were favorable to Schneider’s candidacy for Superintendent, as the story goes, and as a result of this it is alleged that Mr. Varney had little genuine affection for Mr. Richards, and was not for the Second ward man in the primaries. Mr. Felsing. on the other hand, was most em- I phatically for Mr. Richards, and on Saturday wanted off as he and his friends claim, to work at the polls in favor ot Richards. Mr. Varney is said to have; not only refused to let Mr. Felsing off until his time was tip. at noon, but is further said to have expressed the wish that Mr. Felsing’s time did not end until six o’clock in the evening. Mr. Felsing therefore worked until noon, and then put in a few licks for Mr. Richards where they would do the most j good. This, together with the allega- j tion that Mr. Varney voted against Mr. Richards himself, and allowed one of | his employes to work at the Second ward poll against Mr. Richards, appears to have caused some feeling, but it was tolerably well suppressed until yesterday, when the men at the pumping station got to talking politics pretty freely. Mr. Varney is understood to have objected to this, and one word led to another until the row and the blow resulted, followed by Mr. Felsing’s job becoming vacant. This was 1 the situation last evening when the | Commit ee of friends of Mr. Felsing ! appeared before the Executive Com- j mittee. They brought word with them 1 that all of North Wheeling was aroused over the injustice alleged to have been j done to Mr. Felsing, and that if neces- j sary four hundred Republicans from j the upper end of town would appear Mr. Felsing’s behalf. The Executive Committee, of course, deprecated any more trouble than was absolutely necessary, and preferred that the matter should be settled by the Water Board, but Mr. Varney got decidedly the worst of it in some private conversations during the evening, some unkind things being said about his method of running things, viewed from a political standpoint. It was so late last night before the details of the situation were grasped that Mr. Varney could not be seen, he residing on the Island, but doubtless there is quite a different side to the affair, which will be properly developed before the Water Board, if the investigation talked of last night is held..

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