Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-10-23

the CITY HALL INVESTIGATION.
TESTIMONY OF COLLECTOR Bos.
MR.. W. .. HUNTINGTON RECALLED.
The testimony in the Crane-Bowen case runs
to tedious length, and much Of IL Is of char.
acter to afford very little enlightenment to the
public, but the following is Of considerable in.
terest:
TESTIMONY OF COLLECTOR BoswRLL.
Frederick a. Bossceii, s,oora by Alderman Cham.
pien-By Mr Holmes, lat the instance Of Mr..
q. You were Register OF the city las. year
A. Yes, sir; from July, 1867, 70 July, 1869.
the payment Of money before the Mayor signed
habit OF It. have done such things.
ani1 Ss goSa
contract A. I will state my recollection in
that case. On the 18th or 10Th Of June last.
James Il. OBeirne came into my office, or 1
went into the Mayors office and found him
there, 1 disTemember which. However, we
came together before the Mayor. He stated,
according to my recollection, that on the
was between eight and twelve thousand dol
lars worth OF work done. He wanted to get
six or eight thousand dollars. 1 told him that
1t could not be done. The Mayor told him that
he could not advance any such money. SUB
sequentiy believe that 1 put the question to
O'Beirne myself how much 1t would take to
ss7oO and 5000. tn. Mayor and myssif sI told
him he could have 5000. The estimate was
to be drawn. O'Beirne, who was then in the
He came back ana said Mr. Bias was not in
the ONCE and gave voucher, naming all tn q
streets. do not know particularly about the
east and M street were mixed up in init It:
and upon that statement $1,000 was paid.
l would state think il was the day, or the
day before that, that some colored men-two, 1
Gleason had been paid, stating that they
wanted their money. / said he had not. and
on xScb 81 ,nees men Ras one OF the
arguments for 5000. That is all the money
know anything about.
9; Did you % advise the paymsn. Of tina,
pay ment OF money: may have assented to it
at the time. have no recollection OF ad vising
L. Don't you remember of telling Colonel
O'beirne that you could not do anything about
II when he came to you: that he would have to
settle that matter with the Mayor! A. think
this conversation have spoken Of was between
the Mayor, O'Bierne, and myself, when the
question was asked, show much II would take
to pay these men," His plea was that the men
stopped the work on that street because they
could not get their money, and he could not
60 on with the work.
q. You told him You could do nothing about
thousand dollars, l told him it was impossible
1 think the Mayor also said to him that he
conld not do it, and my recollection is 1 asked
HIM the question, "How much money it would
take to pay the laboring men," His ans wer was
between S2,700 and 5000, and upon that i
think the Mayor asked the question IL he had
an estimate, or could get one.
u. Did you. or did you not advise the pay.
ment Of that money! A. Well, l may have
concurred in it. / do not know, as 1 gave any
direct advice, one way or the other. 1 may
he.s IN %Snsy y 1l % .o asr
for the thing was something never expected
10 hear Of again at the time: and If il had not
been for the mede in which O'Bierne proposed
to get the estimate, would not recollect as
much about it as do.
days ago. that you declined to have anything
10 do with it, and that You told O'Bierne that
you could not do anything about it, that ne
would have to see the Mayor. A. l told you, il
my recollection serves me right that did not
remember all the conversation that took place
Between myselfand OBierne about this money,
when O'Blerne approached m, that is, as 10
What exactly did say to him.
Y. Ihd you ADV the payment OF any other
money 10 y Bierne, any Of those other pay.
ments 10 him. A. think can answer clearly
not: There were but two checks drawn for
O'Blerne that were drawn by me. The check
for $4,000 was drawn either the 18th or I9lh of
The check dated April 2ith, think was
drawn TO Donovan, to be paid out OF the Fourth
WARD rrnd for grazing, and was for s2,7i5 80.
y ~.
the only two checks that drew. 1 did not
take any notice OF the rest. Mr.. Chase drew
what other checks were drawn. l had no
agency in them whatever.
@: Who do you regard as the financial agent
OF the Corporation! A. BY law the Register
is the financial agent OF the Corporation; but,
thing about its dnan eiai condition. The state.
ments OF the bank as to the financial condition
OF the Corporation are returned to the Mayor
During my term Of office. under Mr.. w Waliacu
and under Mr.. Bowen, never had exhibitsd
TO me but one statement Of the bank. 1 think
that was in December of last year, when Mr.,
Bowen exhibited to me statement. We then
had considerable amount Of money in bank,
and, II my memory serves me, Mr.. Bowen was
specializing as TO what could be done whereby
we could make use OF this money benefcially
in Improvements. how much-ne could expend
That Is the only time that ever saw a bank
statemen. to my recollection while was Reg.
lister, through any OF the Mayors.
q. Would not the financial of GER of the Cor.
poIation ne the person to best understand the
condition OF It's funds A. He ought 10 be-
The law contemplated transfer Of the funds
from the ONCE formerly known as the Treas
urer OF this city to that OF the Register, and
every officer OF the Corporation was made SUBJ
ordinate Although he is thus by law recog-
nized as the hnan cial officer OF the Corporation,
yet he never knows anything about the bank
statements.
q. Well, you We're not prepared to give
checks If you did not know the condition OF the
funds Of the Corporation, without consulting
the Mayor A. The Register can draw no
checks in law without the approval Of the
Mayor. The check is worth nothing wi IN the
signature of the Register without that OF the
Mayor.
q. Can the Mayor draw any money without
the signature OF the Registerl A. BY law he
cannot. The law provides that the warrant
shall be drawn, sigued by the Mayor and
countersigned by the Register. / would state
here that according to a precedent which
was set by some one, do not know who, and
which has been followed up to the present
time, The Register signs ths check first and
they are then handed TO the Mayor.
Hy the chairman
z. While you were Register did you ever
know Of any payments being made to contrac-
tors on the estimates Of the Surveyor, before
the contract was completedi A. would 1ot
swear that there had or had not been. L am
under the impression that there was, but
would not like to swear to 1t.
4. Do you know Of any law against such
partial paymentsl A. i DO not know o. am
the proper person to put construction on the
law. i Will answer that By saying, however,
that the law prescribes that when the work is
complete, the work shall b approved By the
Commissioner, and have always taken is for
granted that the came thing would apply In
case Of partial payments on work. may be
wrong, however, about that
Z. DO you knowof partial payment beng made
to II. q. Sherreot, Of the Second Ward, Whiie you
were REGISTER before the work Was oo0piotedi
A. Yes, cir. ] know that sach WaD th0 case.
will state here that l have never assumed to
dlsreeard any oct Of the Mayor, except In one
instance, and a. some alluSi0n was made 20
thAt IN the testimony Of the Mayor, VIII say