Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-05-02
THE DISTRICT INVESTIGATION.
Proceedings Of the Joint Congressional COnnitte.
KIRTLANp's TESTIMONY

In secret session yesterday Col. A. B. Kirs-
land testified before the District Investigating
Committee to the effect that he met Chittenden
at the Arlington hotel, and ascertained that he
was seeking a contract, and had a margin OF 80
cents square yard to operate with; Chitten-
den promised him SO cents a square yard in
case he got the contract.
By the Chairmsn:-Q. We want to know
what you did? A. Well, l didn't work with
any member Of the board, nor anybody con-
nected with il.
Q. With whom did you work? A. 1 10 not
know as L worked with anybody.
=. You never spoke to anybody on the sub
JectY A Why, yes; have spoken TO several on
the subject
Q; Well, to whom? A. Well, to Thousands,
perhaps.
q. Did yon ever speak to Gov. Shepherd? A.
Never, in relation to a Contract.
y. Nor To Gov. Cooke? A. Never.
U Nor TO any member Of the board? a. Nor
any member OF tue board.
No.
Q. Did you have any conference or interview
Win any gentlemen that you expected would
appear before the board with reference to il?
\. Never.
Q. Did you have any interview with any one
that yon expected would speak 10 any member
OF the board upon this subjecP a. Yes; l
think 1 did.
Q. Who? A. William G. Moore.
q. YOu spoke to him? A. Yes, sir.
q. When did you speak to him? A. spoke
to him about the time that commenced work
upon the contract.
Q. Did you speak to him before you had con-
Guided your arrangement with Chittenden? A.
No, sir.
q. YOu had made your bargain with Chitten-
den first? A. Yes, sir.
2. Then you spoke to Mr.. Moore? A. Yes,
Q. What did you expect him to do? A. Well,
/ did not expect him TO do much, except TO ask
MI Shepherd how that contract-what the
| board had done from time TO time and TO keep
| me posted.
| Q. To keep you advised? A. Yes, sir; so that
| l could report to Mr.. Chittenden.
Q. He promised TO do that? A. don't kno "
| as he promised to. He said he would de ali that
he could through the clerks, perhaps, in the
| Office-the secretary.
| q. He promised to help you IN that way, did
| be? A. No, he didn't promise anything OF the
| kind. He said, as friend, he would DO what
| Q. Did he? A. don't know. have no
| knowledge of ii.
| q. Did you ever speak to him afterwards? Is
| that the only interview you had with him? A.
| y, was in there several times. He wa, an Old
| acquaintance and particular friend.
| z. You spoke TO him though again about it,
| did you not? You had more than one interview
| with him on this subject before the contract was
| let? A. think did. Yes, sir; before the
| award was made.
q. Did he not report to you from time to time?
| A. Never until Invent for him.
| q. How, sir? A. He did not report to me, ex
| cept that / went to the store.
| Q. OF course understand that; you went TO
| the store 10 ma out now matters were getting
| Oh, and he would tell you? A. He would tell
me If he knew anything; II was very seldom til at
| he knew anything
Q. Then you would report to Chittenden? A
| Yes, sir.
q. What would you tell him? A. would
teli him that things were progressing as fast as
| they could.
| q. Mr.. Chittenden makes the same statement;
he says that is what you reported to him. Did
1 you have any conversation with anybody else,
except Mr.. Moore? A. Not in regard to this
| contract.
Q. nobody else? A. No, sir.
| q. at no time before the award? A. a. no
time; nobody connected with the board or in
| Washington.
Q. L am not speaking of that; I am speaking
| OF any gentleman who helped you 10 any way,
| whether in Washington or out OF it. A. No, sir;
| nobody helped me at all. l do not know that
| Col. Moore did.
| Q. You had no other one that You spoke 70 on
| the subject? A. No, sir; have spoken to thou
| sands, and written to them-my friends.
q. do not mean ia that sense; mean in the
| sense that you expected either to acquire inIor-
| nation from them, or influence with the board
there whether the award had been made, from
| time to time.
| Q. You went into the Office eft the Board of
| Public Works occasionally? A. / went there
| once or twice, to the contract office, to see if
that contract had been on file, or something OF
that kind.
| Q. But you spoke to nobody except Colonel
Moore on the subject, with view to secure in
| fuence with the board? A. Well, L did not
| suppose he had any influences; in a friendly
way he would ask Mr.. Shepherd, suppose
| what prospects there were, or something OF
| that kind.
| G. But he is the only person that you expected
to acquire information from upon the subject
| a. He is the only person.
NO MONEY TO THE BOARD.
The witness was sharply cross examined a.
to what he did for this s72 900 which he received
said: "I have nothing in the world to conceal
| here, Mr. Chairman, at all, and 1 am willing to
answer all 9 uestions frankly touching the Board
| of Public Works. They have never received a
dollar of that money; no member and nobody
| connected herewith, and 1t has Injured more
than benefited me-"
that money to anybody? A. did after got it
q. To whom did you promise it? A. Well, |
| promised portion of it to VIM. G. Moore.
| q. Why didn't you tell US that before? You
were asked what you did; you we're asked whe-
Their you solicited influence. Why didn't you
tell that before? A. Why, you had not got to
| Q. Never mind about the award, you were
| asked what you did. Now, why did you promise
| that to Mr.. Moore? A. Well, 1t was because 1,
was pretty good thing. Colonel Moore and
Q. How much did you promise to Mr.. Moore?
| A. We'll, said in a laughing way, "Billy, il
get the money on this contract will 60 halves
| with you"
| Q. Did you ever offer him specifically one
OF the notes themselves? A. Well, think
Q. Why did you offer him the notes? A. Well.
because did not think they were worth q great
| deal.
| Kirkland says he first became aware that
| Chittenden was after q contract from the fact
| that one day in his room at the Arlington he
| saw q large envelope addressed to Hon. A. Il.
| Shepherd. 1t was spelled with two p's. Says
| L, "Mr. Chittenden, he don't spell his name
| with two p's." "Well," he said, ''somebody in
| Chicago did," or something Of that kind, and
| tore IL OFF and put it In another envelope, and
| spelled his name correctly. That led to-hc
| asked me then il / knew him. 1 told him no.
1 He told me tn en- what he was after.
THB OFFER OF NOTES TO COL. MOORE.
Returning to the notes again and the offer of
| some Of them to Col. Moore, the witness was
| questioned as follows:
| Q. That Is, you promised him (Moore) some
| OF the specific notes, to hand them over to him?
4 A. Yes, sir; L think did.
Q. And that he declined? A. Yes.
@. What reason did he give for declining 1t?
| A. Well, he said he did not want to take 1t; he
said IL Mr. Shepherd knew it 1t would ruin
| him, and he would rather not take anything at
| all.
Q. Well, after that what took place? A. I
| believe left for Few York then, and tried to
sell the notes, and from there went to Chi
cago-
| Q. Now, before you went to New York did you
L not make another promise to himQ A. do NOT