Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-09-16
The Charge. Asain., Mayor Bower,

Ahe ShdTSes ASaAnst "oSVf DOWeu.
THE INVESTIGATING CoMMfrTKB-REPORTs As
TO THE EVIDENCE BEFORE THEN.
The special committee Of the City Councils
to which was referred the charges of Mr.. ]. H.
Crane against Mayor Bowen is steadily pursu-
ing its Investigations. The committee deliber-
ates with closed doors, but portion Of the tes.
timony, given on Tuesday evening, has lea ked
out it seems, and the following is said to he me
purport OF 1t: Mr.. Joseph H. Hutton, foreman
OF the work on 4, G and LIST streets, testified
saat the principal amSqnt o. an. tns DIRT taken ont
corroborated the statement Of Mr.. Crane with
reference to the quantity OF dirt taken out of
street and put In said u aud LIST streets. He
testified tina; he had not been paid by Messrs
O'Beirne and Gleason, contractors for said
work, since the 1st Of July last, and there is
still owing to him about $40. The first time
the contractors paid their hands of, the pay.
rolls amounted to about Sl,7UO, and thew r..
csiyed at that time about -, 200 from the Msvor
out of which sum Mr.. John b. Fry, one of the
contractors, received S45o. Witness said he did
not know what became OF the balance. Wit.
ness said he considered the work not Done in
workmanlike manner, as the contract re.
quired, the streets being too narrow and tue
matter was talked over with Mr.. Gleason az the
time the work was being done.
The next witness was Mr.. John f. Cook
City Register, who stated that for S6,OoO OF the
amount paid sad contractors no vouchers
appear in the Registers office. That the law
requires all moneys shall be paid on a war.
rant, signed oy the Mayor and countersigned
by the Register. Witness did not know of
$4,000 being paid to the contractors about the
last of July, but il paid it was done without
his signature and in violation OF law.
VIM. s. Huntington, cashier Of the First
National Bank, was next examined. who stated
that on or about the 23d Of July he received an
order from the Mayor tor $1,000, ON account of
an estimate made by the City Surveyor for
sl2, 600 for work done on X and CT streets north
and First street. SAID 5000 to be deducted from
the first taxes paid in this year. Tue Mayor,
in the above order, showed that 8, AS had pre-
viously been paid on account Of the above con.
tract, and that the $1,000 was receipted for by
Nessrs. O'Beirne, Fry and Gleason, on the
back of the estimate.
The next witness was Charles III. Bliss.
former City Surveyor, who testified that there
was no surplus earth on K street at the time
the work was measured that the embaukment
and excavation nearly balanced each other 1t
is said that he ana Mr.. Crane ad a sharp con.
uoversy in the presence OF the committee.
Mr.. John Is. Fry was next called to the
stand, who testified that he had an equal inter.
est in the contract with Messrs. O'Beirne and
Gleason that he understood the contract pre-.
cIsely as Mr.. Crane understood il: that he
did not understand it so al first as he had
not seen it until the morning of the 9th of
April, when he met Mr.. Crane, with Colonel
OBeirne, in the Mayors office, where a
lengty conversation took place regarding
the terms Of the contract After that con-
versation he had an interview with the
Mayor, and read the contract, and found Mr.
cranes construction OF It was correct. After
this interview with the Mayor, he paid the bill
as estimated by Mr.. Bliss, (S2,7 3s.) That In
this bill was included the sum of 8 1922 96 for
grading g and 1st streets with dirt mainly
taken from street, but he thought he had no
right TO claim pay for that under the con tract;
yet he did not notice that allowance for that
work was estimated In the bill at the time II
was paid. Witness received out of that money
SiSo, part OF the rest being paid for labor, but
what became Of the balance he was unable to
state.