The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-10-05
THAT CONTRACT
Those Chickens and Eggs
MI Ora NE EXPLAINS


Mr.. Crane Answcrs About he Altered Contract
He Denies he Alteration, and Says None
cas Maidstone Conundruns for ne Mayor
10 1nsTer-Thc Difference Betreen "Pe-
riod' and a "Commd"-The Charge Of A.
trotion Trick, Like he Moore Arrest-
Somebody Accused Of Being Fory-A Reply
10 James Murth-"Hs Mdrk'-Mr. Crane
has no Objection 10 HdVing ms Grocery and
MIR Bills Pdrdded Before he Public II The
Mayor and Corporation Attorney Desire n
-HoT he Presents Of Chickens, Eggs and
MIR Uere Brought AJom-4Nr. Crane Does
Not Object 10 Presents Under Certain CIR
e,mStanees- Intimdtion that Other Officials
Hare accepted Presents.
We have received the following from Mr..
j. II. Crane. One is In explanation Of the
alleged alteration of the contract, and the
other OF the charge Of accepting presents Of
chickens, milk aud eggs, both Of which have
appeared In the REPUBLICAN.
THE ALTERED CONTRACT CASE.
To THE EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN, Your
Saturdays issue (sccond instantly contains
an article headed "wanted, an Explana-
tion-Thc Charges Against the Mayor-who
Altered the Contract" The article charges
that forgery has been perpctrated by which
the John Donovan contract has been altered
by adding the following wordsi "The work
to be done according to specifications aud
bids which are herewith annexed" II the
person or attorney who has made this asser-
ton had have read the advertisement invit-
ing proposals for this work, the specifca-
tlons and the contract itself, In q careful
manner, he would not probably-if a man
OF sensc-hayc made such reckless state
ment.
As I am tho person who prepared the
whole of the contract referred to, II being all
In my handwriting, II would seem TO be
| proper that / should notice what pronounce
a cowardly and Infamous attempt TO fasten
| upon myself the crime Of forgery In order 10
turn the attention Of the public from the
charges preferred against the Mayor Of the
| city.
Der 81, 1868, and for ten days thereafter, you
M,Iot'' orgies, CRY HAst,}
,% xii ss ,c =; PSI 70; nscs
IL O'Clock, m, Saturday, January Q, 1869, for
grading and graveiing k street north, from
North Capitol street to Boundary street, un.
Also. for grading and graveling NJ stree,
north, from North Capitol street to Boundary
| street, under an act approved November 0, 1885.
uoiiS SG siNsS Ss G ssS ST' .lssF to
street east, under an act approved November
Also, for grading and grsvelIux First street
east, from q to II streets north, under an act
approved November q, 1893.
Specifications for doing this work may be
spectfuily notified that no bid will be enter.
tained that does not strictly conform with said
'''''"' ''' Commissioner Foarth aV Wsrd,
| lwrote those specifications at the request
OF the Mayor, who, about the cath OF Decem-
Der, requested me to do so, saying that he
| was anxious to improve the mode In regard
| to the carrying out OF contracts for grading
streets, aud for this, as well as 10 prevent
triaing In regard to bids, was directed to
carefully prepare list of specifications for
the grading and graveling OF streets In the
city OF Washington, during the year 1869.
did as he requested, submitting the specl1-
cations to him, which he approved, and or.
dered me to get 1000 copies printed. got
them printed, as requested, ordering lot OF
blank pay rolls at the same time. The books
| OF the printers Will show that those spccifca-
tons were charged to the corporation on the
9Th of January, 1869. remember that they
were not ready to give out to contractors for
several days after the first day tho streets
| WtlC uhNtIItCu. lHc DAFT oil
the appropriation will be paid until the work
has been approved by the city surveyor, the
commissioner Of the ward, and the assistant
commissioners" were suggested by the
Mayor himself, who said that he intended Ia
do business different from what had been
customary heretofore, and to have contract.
ors bound so strictly that there could be nc
Misunderstanding or opportunity for fraud
Now those specifications either mean some.
thing or nothing. If not intended for use,
why did the Mayor order them printed lie
has admitted that he did so under oath. II
Intended for use can any reason be given why
they should not be attached to all contracts
for grading and grayeling streets during the
year 1907 II this Is the only instance that
they have been attached to contracts, then
those who have drawn up other contracts
have not done their duty. The John Dono
van contract Is the only one given out In the
Fourth ward since said specifications were
printed, except one awarded by the Mayor
without being advertised, he thereby Ignor
Ing the City Councils as well as the commits
sioners, by trampling their laws under hii
feet as he has done In five or six other In
stances; but II any other contracts had been
given out and written by myself, the clause
now claimed as forgery by Mr.. Benjamin
+. Need and Colonel William A. Cook would
surely have been Inserted and the speclica
| lions attached.
Mr.. Donegan ordered some specification.
for the guidance Of the contractors for fool
pavements about the same time, and au
confident that every contract for paving, &c.
has copy Of said specifications attached
aud that the contracts require that the work
shall be done according to said specifications
II Is charged that 'period" has been al
tered into "comma" TO make the addet
words part of the sentence. Itis singular
that the keen eye that can detect the altera
ton OF a "perlod" into GONNA" coult
not sec that only "comma" was eve
needed In that place.
The statement that there Is no law re
qulring the signature of ward commissioner
to bills for whole or partial payments TO
street Improvements will, we think, strik
contractors as well as old city officials a
strange. Is 1t possible that corporation OH
/, GERS have been noundering about In the darl
on this question for the past twenty years
Are we indebted to the learned CORPORATION
attorney for this illumination
The John Donovan contract was al
+ written by myself at one time or within tw,
hours Of the same time, and not one wore
was ever put into II after II received the sig
, nature Of the Mayor. It Is said by thos
who are so sharp ut detecting alterations o
'periods" and Commas" that only the bont
was attached to 1t when the Mayor signe,
a ", Ut WHICH Hlcu away. Inc truth Is tina
no paper at all was annexed to the contrac
, until after 1t was signed then all were at
i tached at one time by order of the Mayor
! gave 1t folded up to the Mayors book
keeper on the Esd Of February, and notices
that he laid 1t away without opening. II h
, read 1t at all 1t must have been amer tina
,, time. ] have not seen Ii but once since
,, (until / saw II before the investigating com
, mlttee,) and that was in the presence Of tn
Mayors clerk, about one month ago, AM
then only long enough to copy that part @
II which the Mayor directed me to insert o
the day 1t was signed.
= This trick, like the Moore arrest" an
! the milk and chicken story, all of whic
emanated from the same brain, will fail 4
Its purpose, and Its author made rldiculou
before the public, whose confidence he ha
betrayed.
, You will have to try again, Colonel. W
i admit that you are cunning and foxy, bu
this Is putting 1t on too steep. A REASONABLE
story might go down, but to ask people I
a believe such stuff Is taxing human credulit
! a little too much. j. II. CRANE.
THE CHICKEN AND EGG CASE.
To TUE EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN; TIL
mornings REPUBLICAN, contains an afIidf