The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-12-23
rA. .:..., Han ew..als.

Th. r..S 4...a sv-l-e,ls.
We have already published the cub
stance Of tho sworn ,nifidavits on this
subject. Of Messrs. Troy, aid Fry. Sf Mr..
E. j. SCOTT, Mr. O. n. Bsldw wid, Mr..
Hardy Solomon and MEh, d. San; all
of which went to 3hoak8 k8baA. .tha. &ropef
contract price of,the City Hall was about
$50, 600; and that certain members, il
not all, OF the City Council knew this
fact. and yet suffered the contract to
be sA7.arded to Allen, for ,st8S. .OOO-at
least $50. 600 over the Legitimate oop:
tract price, The matter has since as
sumed adothef form. ana The proofs OF q
regularly organized conspiracy to de-
fraud the city out OF large sum OF
@SqheH arb 3oI upbnt. t.rsoS!d. This 1re-
sult-this unveiling of an infamous
transactionAis due to the course ken
ct the. lsst sb5. AessFa Clark sW.ripg, r.
W. johnson and Mr. Parkins, the archi-
tect. They properly determined to make
full aud candid disclosure of all The
faota that they were conversaut with.
Thoy have taken their place with the
good citizens Of the city. and are ready
to unite with them in tlse effort to pro-
tect tine public, ,intareata.,s They have
ch,osen we'll The, affidavits OF Messfs.
iWasipga Johnson and Earkinss are 8 very
important. We give these aifidavits,
They will speak for themselves. They
give the main grounds upon which the
prosecutors, Through their attorneys,
Messrs. Waties & Bachman, and McMas-
ter and LeOonte, and J. T. Rhelt, Esq, i,
make the charge Of conspiracy to de.
fraud the city. against Oomptroller-G Gen.
oral Neagle, State Senator j. NJ. Allen
and Alderman and Judge OF Probate
w. 81. Wigg The whole matter is now
in the handssof the;lsw.l Until Decem-
ber 27 next, the present injunction and
restraint stand. The following are the
affidavits referred to-: > NJ = (
AFFIDAVIT .oF r. w. JOHNSON.
sonally appeared 6sfofe me%Robert W.
johnson, who, on oath. says that he wes
aPprosoiioa i1y DE. S.iIi. ksssses;af ksses; 500 !.
the last OF the summer or the tirst Of the
fall, who introduced the subject of the
City Hall; said that good deal of work
vould be done here; suggested that the
contractors Who would bid should make
liberal estimates, and not work for no.
thing, aud proposed that the work should
be divided ont amongst the contractors
the brick work to one, the carpenter
work to one, and the mill work to the
other. The brick work was to be for
Mr.. Clark Waring; the carpenter work
and mill work was for james MsAilen
and myself-as to the division OF which
it was not then clearly defined. I told
him I did not see how his plan would
work. He answered me that it would
work; that he conid and would 80 fix
matters that it would have to work; that
he could tie up the money aud block the
matter. I saw him again, and talked
ON this matter q second time, and
to the same purport. Both Of these .oon-
versations we're before the plans and
specifications came. The evening the
plans and specifications came, DR.. Nea-
gle told ma that they had come, and the
bids would be advertised in the morn
ing's PHRNIx-at the same time request
ing me to go to the Asylum, and esti.
mate whatI would aek to finish Allen
contract. showing me at the same time
Aliens contract, assigned to him. ]
spent several days at it, sent in my esti.
mate, and have never heard from it since
We. on that occasion. again discussed
the matter of the City Hall. He urged
again the proposition made at our first
interview, saying, moseover. that he
wished the contract awarded to Mr.. AL
HAAEnnOknH 70 hSl L: !
that the contract should be awarded to
Mr.. Allen.
About o'clock on the day that it was
advertised that the bids we're to be closed
at '12 O'clock, Dr. Neagle came to me- j
had supposed. that the bids we're ther
closed, according to the advertisement
He solicited me to bid, naming the
an1ount- do not fecollect now vha,
amount that was-alIowing me q hall
hour to hand in my bid. did not hand
in my bid at that time I went home t.
my dinner, and went in the country tc
look after some work, and got rid oi
the matter. On my return, met
James NJ. Allen, and / informed him
that would not bid. as I had iad
no time to make q proper estimate
de lntimated that the matter would be
fixed up, anyhow; think he used the
words I'VE would hx the matter" Iun.
derstood from him that he desired me to
make the bid; we parted. Later in the
; evening, about O'Clock, I was at Mr.,
Wings mill; MIR. w. 81. Wigg, Chairman
of the Building Committee, rode ND and
solicited my bid. told Mr.. Wigg L did
not wish to bid. as was not prepared
having had no proper opportunity to
make an estimate. Mr.. Wigg appeared
disappointed and hesitated. 1 intimated
to Mr.. Wigg that the time for bidding
was out. He said he had extended tile
time to half-past 8, and intimated that i,
was for the purpose OF getting my bid.
| think he said theY were waiting for ma