National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-17

charge Of the Washington aqueduct be, and is
hereby, authorised and emp1werea, IN con1u ,,
SIs 70 Sis sn, aSe into OOnsrac ac
The Chairman. 1t was Governor Cooke and
Governor Shepherd. Major Elliot at that
time had charge, but subsequently it was
turned over to General Babcock.
By Mr.. Thurman, TO the witness) Q. Cen
eral Babeoch had nothing to do with 1t at that
timel A. never saw him, and did not know
him. ....
Q. Your proposal was signed by you'll A.
Yes, sir. ....-- -.. ..'
Q. In what part of the paper did Governor
Cooke tell you you ought TO have signed to
make it regulsri A. He never spoke to me.
When Major Elliot introduced me to him and
told him that I was the one who was the low
est bidder, but that my estimate was informal,
and told him I gave o bond for 1000, and
had signed it; and not only that, but by the
advice of notary, the Governor says: 1T
makes no difference, sir: It Is Informal" Says
I, 81 know 1t is, sir; but If belonged to the
ring there would be no informality in 1t at all -
Q. You say that he told you that the in
Formally consisted In not signing your pro.
posal in the right plaeel A. Yes, sir; but
told him that II there was any irregularity,
that was there to sign it, and do anything in
regard to it. l said: 81 am the only bidder
who belongs to this District who has bid for
this material"
O. Did he make any objection to your bid to
do the worki A. Not at all, sir.
O. Did he make any objection to the sureties
of your bond! A. None whatever, sir; not at
all.
@. The only point was that you had not
signed your proposal IN the right place; but
you had offered to sign it in any place he
Designated A. Yes, sir; that is what Invent
for.
Q. But he did not give you chancei A. No,
sir; he sent me the Specifications Afterwards
about two or three weeks afterwards-but /
threw them on one side, and would not have
anything to do with IL.
By the Chairman: Q. There was no other
letting, was there? A. o, yes.
Q. The work was not let under that bid at
ala A. o, no, sir; it was not.
By Mr.. Bass: Q. Were all the first bids re-
jected? A. do not know. That l cannot tell.
By Mr.. Stewart: @. Was 1t advertised anewl
A. 1t was advertised anew.
By Mr.. Msttingly: Q. Why was 1t not let
under the first bid! A. That is question that
l do not know. could not get at the bottom
of that.
By Mr.. Bass: Q. You did not bid the second
time? A No, sir.
By the Chairman You never could under
stand why it was! A. No, sir 1would not go
near them any more.
By Mr.. Bass: Q. Did you try to find QUIT A.
Well, no did not think it was any good after
the Governor treated me SO discourteously.
.. simply ask you the fact; did you try to
find out! A. No, sir.
By ME: Wilson, g. Were there ever any ad-
that is, the tile pipe you have been speaking of
A. do not recollect of any.
Q. You never made an application for any
contract! A. Oh, no, sir; l never made any
application for contract for this simple reason;
that think the Board of Public Works were
the contractors, and the men doing the work
were the sub-contractors under them; because
they were furnishing their own material.
Q. That was a mere conjecture of yours, I
presume? A. Certainly.
By Mr.. Thurman. Q. Has the Board of Pub
lie Works had any plumbing done within your
knowledgel A. A great deal, sir.
Q. Whereaboutsl A. They had good deal
done in the Morrison building.
Q. Do you know anything about what was
paid for it! A. Nothing; but the report says
about six or seven thousand dollars.
Q. Do you know anything about how much
OF it was done? A. That could not tell you
without seeing it.
Q. Have you any definite idea then, or any
thing from which you could state with any
reasonable certainty as to whether a proper
price was paid for that plumbing! A. l could
tell in half en- hour how much it was worth
after saw it. $3.50
Q. Who did it9 A. The Governor.
Governor Shepherd. Ny firm did it. 1t was
in 1871.
By Mr.. Thurman: Q. After the Governor
came in? A. He was vice-president of the
Board of Public Works.
Governor Shepherd. had nothing to do with
it. 1t was done for the District government.
1t was all explained in the last Investigation,
and is all a matter of record.
The Witness. have one thing to complain
of to gentlemen here, and that Is, I think the
Governor is prostituting his office for the sake
of the benefit of his firm.
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. In what way, just ex-
plain that. A. Well, sir; will explain It. I
make this charge and make 1t publicly: The
United States Government, so far as private
men in my business are concerned, might as
well put sentinel before any one of our doors
There is not job that has ever been done In
this District since he has been Governor that
he has not done out of his store, and 1t works
to the detriment of people that are in the same
business that he is.
By Mr.. Thurman: Q. Do you mean work for
the United Statess A. do, sir; in two in
stances where have been turned away almost
from work; 1t has occurred Just because Mr.
Shepherd is Governor of the District of Colum-
bla. One instance is this: made bid for a
small job of plumbing work; think 1t was
last year. The amount was S292.75, to the
best Of my recollection. l gave 1t to a carpen.
,er. He was bidding for job for the United
States Treasury Department. After I had made
The bid he came to me, and says he, 81 have got
hat work, and when am ready for your plumb
ng will make call upon you" Says 1, every
rood" I presume he progressed with his
work some five or six weeks and he came 70 me
md said, 'sYou cannot do the plumbing work
n this building" Says I, "Why" Says he, 81
I'm ordered to have Mr.. Shepherd do it." Says
!, "Thst is not treating me very WE'LL" "Well,"
ays he, "You can't have it." Says I, "What
hem that had got q bid from you, and that /
'ould not very well get of from giving you the
work at this time. They said it did not make
my difference; that you could not do the work,
md Mr.. Shepherd must do it."
By the Chairman: Q. Who is this man that
Tou are speaking of A.. Iwould not like to men,
ion the name without you compel me, because
think 1t will injure him. will give 1t to you
n the morning.
1.-THE witness was directed to give the name
The Witness. 1t is Charles T. Smith, q car
,enter of this town.
By Mr.. Thurman: Q. What Government
fficer did he say had told himl A This was
n the Kidwell building, where the Treasury
department. took some OF their room. |
". Wnat Oulcer OF the Government told MIN
hat he must give 1t to Mr.. Shepherd! He did |
lot tell me that. .... .-
Governor Shepherd. 1 never knew you did |
ny work there until this morning.
The Witness. Well, he says this: He says, |
Suppose Mr.. Shepherds firm asks more to do |
his work than Evans, what am to doi'' |
They said, "Never you mind, you go to Shep- |
erd's and get him to give you bid" He |
vent to Mr.. Shepherds establishment and got |
bid, and the work that offered to do for
1922, they gave Mr.. Shepherd S525 for; and |
ave got Mr.. Shepherds bid in my possession. |
By Mr.. Thurman: Q. You say the same work |
hat you offered to dot A. For the very same
york; identically the same.
Q. You do not know what officer of the Gov |
rnment it was that required him to employ |
dr. Shepherd A. do not; Ibid not ask him |
he question,
Q. Where does Mr.. Charles T. Smith liver |
Nj. Smith lives Oh the corner Of N and |
streets.
Q. Whore is that bid you spoke of having of
hr. Shepherds A. At my house. will pro- |
luce it tomorrow.
There is another job at the Columbia hospi- |
al that had worked at for some four months. |
have not the chance to get at it any other |
way. There is no other way for us 10 state |
'ur grievances to the United States except |
through you, gentlemen. I had worked on |
hat work-that job-for, l suppose, four |
months, doing what we plumbers call the dirty
york of 1t. After had been there some four |