Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-10-27
THE CITY HALL INVESTIGATION.


aGans- mayor Bowen we present below some
further abstracts Of such Of the testimony as
appears TO have some bearing on the subject,
and some interest to the public a. rr
Benjamin N. Meads, sworn By Alderman
Connolly, and examined By Mr.. Hall and
others:-He Is now Assessor Of Internal Rsve.
nue. for the Disuics Of Columbia; he succeeded
Mr.. Edwin Klopfer as Mayor clerk or book
tTact win John Donovan was made for grad.
ing aud grayelipg x, q, M, and LIST streets; this
contract, when made, passed Immediately into
his custody; neither the bids nor specifications
tracts witnessed; he had not seen the original
con tract SINCE the LIST of May until to-day (Oct
ID the words: 1.-THE work to be done according
10 specifications and bids, which are herewith
into has custody, for the bids and specifications
referred to in that passage were not attached to,
nor were a part of the contract when II came
into his possession; the contract bears internal
evidence OF the fact that the period after the
word "rolled" has been changed into - com.
ma" ana those words added after the word
"rolledi' these words were added to CORES
pond with the addition OF the bids and speci-
locations; they could have had no reference to
either the original old or specification, bes
cause they were not attached either to the
bond or TO the eontract-neither one nor the
other; he had the contract in his custody ND TO
the time he LEFT the Mayors once in May last;
no printed contract, from the time he went into
the Mayor Office until he left II, contained
any such clause; nor, although he had exam
insd many OF the old contracts under prevlou
Mayors, could he lad such clause IN any pre-
viously printed forms; ia number OF these old
contracts, ranging from 1858 to 1855, We're here
produced-none Of them containing this clause:
"The work TO be done according TO specif1ca-
tions and bids, which are herewith annexed;''l
no other contract during Mr.. Bowen's term
contained that clause-not one; but the clause
And upon the faithful execution and compile
ton Of the said work. as required by this agree
ment, the Corporation hereby agrees to pay
&c, II one common TO all the old contract s
under Mr. Wallach. Mr.. Bowen al ways man
Ifeeted, during the time he (Meads) was With
him as clerk, an anxiety to enter into no con.
tract, to make no payment for services, for
work or material, at any greater rates than
ne would be willing to pay for them II the same
were to be rendered tor himself individu-
ally he had repeatedly heard Mr.. Bowen
ask: whist would You do this work for
me as private individual The parties
would reply, and Mr. Bowen would then say:
land yet yon charge the Corporation so much.
am not willing to pay aRy more for the Cor.
poratiOn than am for my own work."
The Donovan contract was in his MEAD 81
possession until some time IN the latter part or
March or the early part of April, when he sug-
Rested to Mr.. Bowen that his desk was inse.
cure-that the locks were of such . character
that anybody could get in; he had missed
several little things from his DESK and IL struck
MIN That 1t was not very safe place for the
contracts; he therefore asked permis sion Of the
Mayor to put them in the pigeon cases back OF
MS (the Mayor's) desk, which he did, and,
locking the desk, gave Mr.. Bowen the key;
what confirmed his impression of the fact
tnat there were no bids Or specifica.
tons attached to this Donovan contract,
was, that such a procedure was contrary to
all rule or precedent: there never was one con-
tract that came into his possession with q
specification and bid attached; he belle we'd Mr..
Crane composed the form of specifications,
and had them printed; the specifications and
bid had nothing whatever to do with the con-
tract-the context and closing sentence of the
contract showed this.
In reply 10 the question put by Mr.. Holmes:
"Suppose MI. Crane were to tell you that he
gave you that contract himself, and state to
you where you stood at the ume!" MIR. Meads
said: 81 would not believe him If he told me
30. have distinct recollection of how these
stated that he took down all the bids at the
time they were made from the originals. He
here read them from his paper as follows: Sid.
ney NC Farland and ID. Hudnell, $24,2s6-s2; J.
Oostello& Co, S21.s0l.Sl; A. j. 9. Dodge, S23,-
81 81; J. Burnside. s24, %; John Donovan,
sE,. 1875; Andrew Gleason, S20, 49,. So; 5. Cook
20, 2l,iE.4e; w. A. Fletcher 81 Co, s2O,.
'30.2S: and w. Bowen Il Co., S22,522. %. These
were all the bidders on the four streets: he
MeadsI took down the bids at the time thew
we're opened; there was q conversation at the
line; he could not tell whether II was between
Mr.. Bowen, Mr.. Bliss, and Mr.. Crane, or be.
ween Mr.. Bowen and himself. The con yersa-
ION " n In re1erence 10 the statement thar Don
ivan was not willing 70 take any one or those
he was not willing 70 take any one unless ne
,ould get all; bis bid had either TO be accepted
IS a whole, or rejected as whole; Donovan
as declared to be the lowest bidder; there
vas some subsequent discussion as to who
v as the lowest bidder; some OF the bids We're
lscussed that were informal; there were some
lids that had no sureties or had insufficient
uretles; the statement was made that by
this contract 20 Mr.. Donovan several
thousand dollars would be saved to the Cor
there was other conversation, but it
10.
ract 10 Donovan; II was IN relation to the form
Il some of the bids; Donovan was awarded the
contract because he was the lowest bidder in
he aggregate, and because, by the accept
nee N his bid, several thousand dollars
would be saved TO the Cooperation; that
vas repeatedly and distinctly stated; it
was also said that. by treating this contract as
whole, the surplus earth in one street could
DO rendered available in other streets; ia this,
Is in every other business transaction that the
Mayor had ON behalf Of the Corporation with
parties having bills against the Corporation
Tor work, labor, or service, whether rendered
under contract or otherwise, MIR. Bowen
guarded the interests of the Corporation as
carefully as he could have guarded his own.
All contracts Of the nature OF Donovan's, he
Meads) always read; the particular reason
why, An Donovan's case. was, there are three
distinct appropriations for that work, which
had TO be entered separately on his books; IL
was necessary for me TO note upop what ap.
preparations these payments were TO be
drawn, so that, when the payments were
made, could charge them up TO their several
appropriations; all that work Is not done un.
der one appropriation. nor that contract made
under one appropriation; hence II was ne
cessity for him TO read all such contracts, and
note Its provisions; he knew OF par.
ties coming to the Mayors Office, and applying
for the original contracts, got them; he believed
that the Donovan contract had been so obtained
and taken out of the office; ne could not tell by
whom; sometimes the Ward Commissioned
sometimes the contractor, and sometimes the
Surveyor, when he had TO make up his esti.
mate, would come 10 him tMeads) for the
II had been a subjeet of controversy
between himself and Mr.. Bliss; he believed
that this (DonovanD contract had been SO o.
tanned and taken ont OF The office.
WIllism A. Cook (sworn by Alderman Con.
nOlly) was examined by Mr.. HOLMES: He had
not possession OF the original contract on las
Friday night; he saw the Mayor last Friday
and asked his permission 10 look AZ the cOn-
tract: did not remember whether he gave hlt
permission then or not; certainly he lheE knew
that Mr.. Meads was to be examined as To the
alterations effected in this contract since il
was made he did not bring the contract 10 thai
sitting OF the committee, simply because he die
not know " neither or not they would reach
that point IN Meads examination, and for the
additional reason that he did not dem
necessary that il should be produced on
that occasion he chose to produce his viii.
nesses before that committee according to
the dictates OF MS own Judgment and not
10 the wishes of Mr.. Holmes or any
body else; he would answer any question.
either OF the counsel or OF any member OF the
committee. but would ans wer no question pl,
by Crane; be had no recollection Of seeing the
contract on saturday; his recollection was that
ne saw the contract on Friday night; he uity
possibly have seen 1t at some other time, btt
he had no recollection of II; he was, however,
certain that the Mayor never gave aim, iaa