National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-05-22

tered. 4 This book is KEEP. by clerk. do not
look At &c every day, although occasionally
look over Il. One day, In looking over the
book, found hsre entered Albert Gleason,
August %, application for estimate Of grading |
10 square 3t2:. also for e street south, from
Tenth to thirteenth street west; also for c /
street south, from Thirteenth to Fifteenth |
street west; for Fourteenth street west, from
street north TO B street south; for
Twelfth street west, from b street north
to B street south; also Tenth street west,
from street south 10 Water street; filing on
Maryland avenue from Thirteenth 70 Four
teeush streets; grading Maryland avenue west,
from Seventh street TO Long Bridge, Rhode
Island avenue, between Fourteenth and Six
teenth streets west; = street, between Seventh
and Ninth streets west; II street south, between
Seventh and Ninth streets west; P street |
north, between Twelfth and Seventeenth
streets west; also, an estimate TO cover ex-
penSes Of Seventh street west, between Z and |
G streets north; r street north, between Fifth |
and Ninth streets west. I find that five days |
after this application was made TO the Board |
of Public Works-snd It generally takes day |
or two until such application reaches the
engineers ofice-i find on September 5, five |
days after this application was made, Assistant |
Engineer 0ertly, without the aid of instru- |
ments, without the aid Of rodmen or anybody
to help him, had made an estimate on all these
streets. The estimate is signed here September
| 1, 1878, B. Oertly, deputy engineer, delivered
to Mr.. Gleason b. order. The voucher Is for
S14s, 230.11.
O. BY whose order was that done, yoursf A.
As soon as l found 1t out I asked Mr.. oertly.
in looking over the books saw the same thing
| had been done IN several instances also-I asked
\ him how he did thisl He said that 1 must not
blame him, that he was following the orders
oftbe vice president. -
Q. Have you copy of that voucher, A.
| This Is all the records have.
BY the Chairman: Q. Give the page of that
book, sir' A. Three hundred and forty mine.
By Mr.. Stewart: Q. Who was the vice presi-
dent at that time! A. Mr.. Shepherd was vice
president, think. In looking over this bill
found various items, which looked to me very
odd; shall read the bill Of items.
BY the Chairman: Q. Was that made by
Mr.. Oertly on these several streets' A. Yes,
| sir; the total amount of work done by Albert
tGleason, ESQ.,, on the following streets, name
ly: Twelfth street from north to B south,
taking up cobble and old material, setting curb
and sewer, 81, 264 0G; L street southwest from
Tenth to Thirteenth street, grading and haul
ing to canal, SIT 1885; 1 street southwest,
from Seventh to Ninth, grading and hauling to
1 canal, SIS, 184.5S; square 2l2, grading and
hauling to canal, $4,000; G street southwest,
from Thirteenth to Fifteenth, grading and haul
ing to canal, So, 1919; Maryland avenue, from
/
Maryland avenue, from Seventh to Eleventh
street, grading and hauling to canal, s., $50 go;
Tenth street southwest, from II to F street,
| grading, sl,623.60; Fourteenth street west,
from to b, S4,Si3!93; II street southwest,
from Seventh to Ninth, grading and hauling to
canal, 50, 81 20; Massachusetts avenue, dig
ging trenches for retaining vaults between
Fourteenth and Fifteenth, S9S; B street west,
from Twelfth to Fifteenth, sewers, $3.50. 40;
+, from Sixth to Ninth street, and Seventh
| street west, from E to G., $50, 121 go; Rhode
Island avenue, 53.22-total, s14s, 23o.11.
Now, on looking these things up, l found that
another voucher was passed, also concealed
from me, for about one-half Of that amount,
and that the amount of the former voucher is
carried over here, so that this voucher repre-
sents both; but could not possibly see how
Twelfth street could be any way exactly meas
ured in four or i've days, without the aid of in
struments or assistance of anything, so looked
q. little at it. wish that the committee In full
or subcommittee should go to E street south
east, from Tenth to Thirteenth streets, where
Sl7, 765 .25 Is charged for grading II tLoy will
look at the grading they can form their own
conclusions.
By Mr.. Stewart: Q. Did you measure that
afterward. A. I did not think of that, be-
cause thought Mr.. Gleason would come for
bis final voucher, as we call It, this being a
partial measurement. Twas waiting for this
final voucher, and certainly would have
looked this matter up on the final voucher; but
under the very queer Instructions Of the Board
Of Public Works, the engineers office Is pro-
hibited from making any measurements, par
tial or final, without It's being asked for 1t; so
of course, If a man has another measurement,
in partial measurement he will never ask for
a final voucher. have told that frequently
to Mr.. Willard, but he don't see the point.
By Mr., Wilson: Q. So that Mr.. Gleason has
i not called for the final voucher on that casei
A. No, sir, that has been the last that has been
heard from him This is dated September l,
| 1873. .. ...- .....
By Mr.. NattIugty: Q. Have you measured
that yourseM Do you know how much would
be the proper amouutl A. Under instructions
of the vice president in the engineers office, as
I have stated, there are two rules, which have
never regarded as binding, however; that the
engineers shall not measure any work unless
there is distinct order from the vice presid snt
anu so, of course, IL was deferred from sending
out party to measure this work over.
By the Chairman: @. When. did you see that
entry on the booksi A. Several weeks after it
was made.
Q. You did not see the first entry at the
timei A. No, sir.
q. understand you; to say there were four
or five days intervening between. the time that
that application was filed and the time that the
measurements were nadei A. Yes, sir.
Q. You did not see that entry until several
weeks after it was madei, A No. sir; did
not.
z. What did you say to Mr.. oertlyi A. I
told Mr.. Oertly that had noticed number of
such measurements irregular, and told him
that if he was repeating those things there
would be trouble in the office, and he would
have to leave.
Q. What did he say to. thatl A. He said
that he would not repeat it; but since that
iuna IF al he hal
the vice president would have more strength
than /, and lie followed his orders to some ex-
tent.
Q. Did he say to you that they were extraor-
binary measurements, or did he claim to you |
that they were true measurements A. He did
not say either, but he said he had done the |
whole with extreme reluctance; that he did
not like to disregard me, but he followed or
ders.-
Q. He did not say whether they were correct
or incorrect measurements A. No, sir.
Q. Do you know they were correct or incor-
rect measurements. What Is your opinion as
the chief engineer of the boardl A. Ny opinion
Is that they are gross outrages.
Q. That they were excessive measurements
A. Well, more than that; more than excessive
measurements.
Q. That they were fraudsl A. think So
At least the one mention and asked the CON-
mittee to look at.
Q. When did you come to that conclusion!
A. Well, at the time when l noticed these
vouchers. did not 60 around the street, be-
cause was waiting for the opportunity when
the final measurement was called for; and then
when this final Measurement was not called
for, for which / was waiting-then It might
have been about New Years, last winter-I
went around to see what those things meant.
Q. And then you made up your mind that
they were fraudulent measurements? A. At
least the one that speak of. The others were
excessive, in my opinion, and these we're fraud
ulent. .--
By Mr.. Stanton: Q. And yet you never took
any measurements yourself, you sayl A. No,
sir.
By the Chairman: O. Did oertly tell you
who directed him to make those measurements
A. I spoke as am accustomed In these things,
pretty loud, when I found this thing OUT
Mr.. Oertly, to the best Of my recollection, told
me that the vice presiden. ordered him to do
so.
Q. Who was hei A. Mr.. Shepherd.
Q. Mr.. Shepherd was vice president at that
timel A. Yes, sir; and that 1 remember dis
tinctiy, that one of the clerks told me afterward
that had been rather too hA I'd on Mr. 0artlv