Evening star., 1869-10-11
How Mayor Bowen Conducts the Affairs
of His Office.


O'Beirne Contract.
How Mayor Bowen Conduets the Affairs
of His Office.
TESTIMONY OF JAMES NJ DALroy.
| James ". Dailon- sworn by Alderman Tn omas
! q. Will you please tell us ali you know
about This contract made with ohm Donoyau
for grading and graveling certain streets iu the
Fourth ward, the signIng OF the bon.i, &c. a.
Yes, sir i was on the guaranty Of John Don.
ovan as bidder. as well as on the guaranty of
bid OF Andrew Gleason, II my recollection
serves me right. / was called on 70 back up
my guaranty by going on the bond. When 1
looked at the contract / directed to it as not
eontsining tae prices i had guaranteed for. The
prices were great deal lower, and l refused
70 90 on the bond until had an opportunity 10
con suit with Mr.. Gleason. 1 knew Gleason TO
oe Oonovans brother III. Ia and felt sure that
n Donovan GOT the contract Gleason would 40
the work When I objected TO the prices 1
was TOLD that the prices were lowered be-
cause the Mayor considered lt better 70 give the
entire job OF all the streets to one party as
that party proposed TO do II for less aggregate
price than any other bidders had done. That
whilst the prices given for some OF the streets
were lar ger than ether par lies who h ad bid for
the wsrk, yet, on the whole, . saving ~ the
CorporatIcn would result. / remarked that I
did not think IL possible for any man to mo We
three cart loads Of dirt for the price OF 10 or IL
cents Whichever II was. / considered IL I'm
possible for any one TO make money out
Of the job unless the matter was arranged
differently. Gleason tried 10 explain 10 nae
Low, by having all the work, at even less
prices tnan had guaranteed for, be would be
able 10 make handsome profit. I TOLD him
couldn't see how IL could be done, but would
80 and talk TO the Mayor about II. I went aad
saw the Mayor; i told the Mayor th At when i
went on the guaranty did II in good faiLh, and
tnat being so, having shouldered the RESPONSE
bility, was not disposed to back down, and
would go upon the bond, but with the distinct
understanding that Gleason should do the
~ Qnnf Aanp in oh
make AZ least a reasonable profit had 10
interest then, either present or prospective, in
the contract, and have none now, excep, 10 see
the work faithfully executed ana my skirts
kept clear.
q. How long after tnat was 1t that You
learned Of OBeirne & Fry being interested 10
weeks; II was, at all events, WI; hin q month.
e. DO you know OF any contract having been
Drawn up by Mr.. Ennis, by which those three
never have seen it. 1t has been lately stated to
me, however, that Mr.. Ennis did draw MP
some agreement between them to 90 the work,
with the understanding that O'Beirne was TO
furnish all the money. and that they Were TO
get nothing from the Mayor until the work was
done. When learned OF this, asked Gleason
why be did not tell me of that arrangement
de said ne thought O'BeirRe had told me.
asked O'Belrne why he had not told
me, and he said he thought Gleason
had. That was the excuse that was made
when complained Of not having been
informed of the desne or intention 10
take other parties in. Gleason told me that
the way he came to take them in was U O'Bslrne's
TO carry on the work if he and Fry could have
sn interest in the profits. O'Beirne failing to
do 80, Gleason asked me 70 speak 10 him abour
II: told him l had nothing to do with
" beirnei thAt had not bonded for O'Beirne
to do the work, but for him, (GleasOn) I
told him that il he had made known % m.
his inability TO do the work, 1 could have.
and wonld have, got plenty OF men who
would have advanced the money TO carry on
the work AS his bondsman 1 would have
felt bound TO do It.
or any BODY else say that the Mayor was going
to furnish every month su6cient capital to do
tha tousiness with9 No, sir. / never heard
sush an lnumatioa nom anybody.
Q. Iou have read The contract A. Yas,
z. Is that a copy Of it, (Handng witness
copy OF eontract) A. As near as j can recol-
ect n, II is.
Q. Did you ever hear hum say aEy thing
ibout not being paid for taking The dirt fL..m X
street ana putting ss on G and ist streets! A.
q. You notice that that clause is In the cen
ractf A. Yes, sir. / recollect IL being in the
,ne i saw. After the first evidence Of the fail
lre Of OBeirne to furnish the necessary cap I
tai, and the consequent embarrassment Of the !
work, 1t having been practically stopped by |
ne snsS % g n M2
should cease ali connection with II, as be had |
failed his bargain, they had represent ted II
10 me. i know nothing, except what learned
from them, as to what the bargain is. asked
OB. iine what interest ne bad 10 IL, and be told
me that be was 70 furIish the capital iof ,pe :,
interest given Ian. could not swear on INV |
'atn Wnat interest II was, any more than Giea. |
on gave me TO understand that he expected TO |
pay y Beirne third OF The profits for tn. nee. |
ssafy capital. i told Gleason that If O E,eirne /
vent out, that, as his bondsman, would see |
hat he " as not embarrassed any more for want 1
# funds. They chose not 10 take my advice |
II nothing IN ha
xeept to see Gleason faithfully execu.s the
q. Have you had any con yer sation with Fry |
Iboutr {! Ayes, sir; and know he Is inter. |
.sred- He came to me complaining about |
J'Beirne's failure To furnish the money. i told
him they had made the bargain outside of me,
O. do you know what interest Fry had A.
Nc, sir. never saw any bargain except what
hey have stated. i Incidentally learned that
Ennis bad drawn up the paper but do not
TESTIMONY or j. sAYLIs BRowH.
J. Sayles Brorn, sworn by Alderman T. q.
BY Sir. Hail, at the instance of MI C,ok for
q. Have you had any conversation with
John S. Crane, late Commissioner of the Fourth
Mayorl A. l have had good deal OF con yer
saticn with Mr.. Crane pending this contro.
versy between him and the Mayor.
Z. Have you had any particular conversa-
John Donovsn for grading and graveling X
street north and 1sr, q and M streets, general
ly known and referred to by Mr.. Crane as the
O'Berne contract-If 80, what did he sly! A.
In one of my conversations with MIR Crane In
regard to his difficulties and the Mayors, he
stated 70 me, before these charges Were prefer
red-how long before ] do not Knows an
evidence OF what he regarded as the hardness
Of the Mayor, his doggedness, that when he got
anything into his head, he hung on
10 IL. He said he had Just been called in 10
give his opinion, or 10 be present az some con.
yersation or examination in regard 70 contract
between O'Beirne ana Gleason. He said that
contract was very hard one for the con-
tractors; hat IL was capable OF an in'erpreia.
ton by which the Mayor might let those men
MP; but he found he had got a good cJntract
tor the cry, and he Wa disposed TO take all the
ad vantage OF II that he could; and that the
result OF il was ttat these contractors are
going 70 be ruined That Is the subs tance OF
the conversation in regard TO that latter
with me.
u. What have you found the Mayors dispo-
sition 70 be in relation 70 traRsacting business
connected with contracts for the interest Of the
city! A. Well, my observation in regard to
that has been limited. do not know a. am
capable Of giving anything but an opinion.
y. From your observation! A. The result
OF my observation has been that the Mayor is
disposed to insist upon men keeping their con.
tracts. whether 10 In regard TO hard contracts
or not do not know.
q. What disposition has he manifested as