New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-02-09
COMMITTEE ON AJDS.

COMMITTEE On FIR AlDS
The A.lermansc Committee on Frauds mel assia
M Nm w. Ieggest, Clerk in the Street Depart
,nent wss .vorn lie ssid-i have been Clerk sBce
NAV 1850; there il ordnance recorded relative W
tue regulating and grading o. fhiIy second street.
E,bhI II ia COPY OF the original assessment roll
took that copy from me roll about week since sss
rol was in the office OF the Collector OF Assessnenss
Messrs Mcneil, Oakley and Dooiey were me asses
.or-. TIE roll was sworn Ia; Joseph ~ lsy"t was
the Collector of Assessments he - the collector Of
oil asse.sments Terence Farley was the Owest odsef
for the fry. secoEds,reet contract his oh'r VISA
sil6l, e1cay atipg earth and rock al " cont. siaam
foot curb aud gutierng NJ 70 cents foot, Hags'ss"
9 O. nts q foot John Mc'rane was the neat oi'aS
hs bid WA e. 6t, excayatIng earth at w cents fock
a. - cents curb and guttering At ~ cents naggH
10 g, pt,; the highest bidder Wa WIN. a. Cumming
A. az ~; the coutruct was awarded by the arest
rnumjssiooer 10 Farley Dot I, 1870, examined the
rroceedngs A. to whether tho contract was conhTmei
but disrenember what action was takeo.
To Mr. Smith-The contract WAS mot conhrmed. IN
ma copy of the abstract Of bid. is written, opposite
Mr. Fsiiey's name, declined BY letter. the letter
,anrot be found; do not find any contract with Far
ev on the books; SHOVE paper this II a true COPY
fthe contract maze 10 Mr. McGrane, the next lowest
bidder in June 1871 when the work was nearly done
he original surctes TO Farlcys bid were Jacob SHARP
and Iletry Dubois; Charles De'hn ana John va
patrick appear on the books a. Mcorahes sscui.s
Exhibit shows that the contract was awarded D! we
Denuty and Street Commissioners 10 Mctrane' 'hs
wok Is finished and that the assessors could go %
and make the assessment st at the following pfce"
Rock excavation, - cents curb and guttes, e" cent?
per linea foot tagging IL cents square ioos' asd
81 900 cubic feet of wall at % cents culvert,
foot the contract calls for curb aud gutter per oot
20 cents tagging. per foot, 10 cents, ana no wal OF
cmlyert Mr. Chas. Turner certified TO the eosreetaes
of the Inspectors time Nj. Joseph l. Dodge sur
viewed the fcb.
f,bib;t il shows the assessment made by tho A.
.essoIs ,or the work slO.J9i The difference betweea
the nrices in the Street Commissioners cctlhcste and
the Surveyors certificate Is 3 900.
MI j. H. Smith -tated that tue specifications OF ths
GO intact were not complied with.
Mr. Charles Turner, eNamined-lhls v one Oi Move
csz where the Common Council neglected to cos-
firm the contract signed the paper but was isno
rant Of is contents did not suppose the clerks would
deceive me. . .
Mr smith said he prepared TO show that Fss-
lev did the work and received the money.
Mr. Turuer cOu.d not account for tho way the wei
got into the contract but believed no allowed tns
parties to sign the contract after the work was DONE
lie performed the duty Of the Street Commissioning
his abe erce h only knowledge of whether the york
was DC he or not was from representations made -
him.
George Rogers shown papcrrl-I filed out this coa-
tract don know whether by Mr.. Turner'S orders or
not | don't remember; | don't think would hsve
made such contract unless by Taylor or turner's
O Ian Won give us information how this wall came
in here? A. don't know of anything that is not IN
this book; after contract leaves me- know nothing
further Of IL know Farley sent letter declining 10
mike the contract; don't know why; perhaps the
letter can be found wrote in the contract that Far
ley had declined for my satisfaction that was my
usual course; have not got the letter
John McGIsne sworn; made the contract for the
work on Fty-second street; signed it under Mr..
Rogers; knew at the time that not the lowest
bidder; cant tell how I got il; { only know thstI
made il assigned il to Mr.. Tracey; did not do the
work there; ! presume Mr. Farley did the work; the
work was partly done before took tho contract and
took tho contract and assigned It to Mr. Tracey
don't know why ] assigned it over, nor who did the
work; the work was completed before got the oon.
tract.
Q. This work was done before the contract was
made ? A. Yes; believe
Q. l. it usual TO make contract after the work Is
done a. Why yes, in some cases, on littls job like
that.
for the highest bidder 10 come in and take the con-
tract A. don't know.
O. VINO got this money! A. Idont know; made
an assignment 20 Mr., Tracey
q. Then you don't know II Farley got tie money!
q. Did you have eny interest 10 that contract, a.
No, not a dollar.
@. What MADE you take the contract theul Al
can't explain that matter; had no motive.
q. DO you generally take contracts and assign thon
without motive A. Yes; ~ oblige my neighbors.
Q. What neighbor did you intend TO obligel A..
don hnow whether / was Tracey or Farley Isup-
pose II was TO oblige Farley.
q. Did not Farley ak you n go End take this con-
tract and assign over 10 his father n-law Tracey
don't know, but think there was something OF
q. Can you tell the Committee why that course
was taken wasn't il for the purpose OF getting the
larger price for Farley a. No, SIR.
Y. We're you in the habit Of doing such things, A.
have done such things
Q. DO you remember anything about wall in that
contract a. No. Sir
q. The Street Commissioner said the work was
done the 10Th Of June; after il was completed you
went TO the Street Commissioners Office 10 mako
contract for the purpose of assigning il over TO Mr..
Tracey; It seems to me that you shoad know some
hing Ut the work you were about u undertake a.
don't know any thing of what the contract
z. Was not this arrangement, between you and Far
ley entered into 10 enable him 10 get your bid A. II
knew would tell YOU
q. Was the arrangement between you and Farley
for the purpose Of getting higher price A. dis-
remember that now
Mr. Joseph r. Taylor testiAed-I cannot give any
inform alton to how the original ont roll wa<
oct; il has been abetracied since last Tuesday; IL
was the first list We have missed hore Il true
copy Of the roll
Mr.. Mcneil Was the Assessor under this assess-
ment; saw the original roll ] think I prepared Il;
have copy q the Assessment for regulaiing and
setting curb and gutter in Fifty second street fom
I ith to Sixth ayenue; il is as follows:
R'rls,ing curb and cutter and Tagging Fifty .ecosd ar<
bstSern finh snd Sisih avenues:
3 OHH Yards ot rock Al -
soo yn9' o eath q w
D. 80 yard q wal Il ll0@
20 bet q cuk eft mo-
,sio fss curb sud sutter I'll 5o........... 2rto
'hs Rect u ungsDs a. ne',s.,.....,,,.....,... ds
saSaw
IA r. n-es-SuTye!ing ....,..,......,.s.......s<S
lSpee'ns. ist