New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-27
WASHINGTON.
THE DISTRICT INVESTIGATION.

OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS CoNFifMEp
BY THE BOARDS MANIFESTATION THE BOARD
MEETINGS WE'RE HEID-TiE PRESIDENTS MIS-
TAKE GENERALLY REGRETTED.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO rHR TRIBUNEl
WASHINGTON, May 26.-Engineer Cluss of the
Board of Public Works, who, for exposing the gross
irregularities, not 10 say frauds, of the District
Ring has been branded by his associates in the
Board as pcrjurer, abused beyond measure by the
Ring newspaper organs and removed from Office by
the President at the dictation of the men whose
shortcomings he exposed, was thoroughly vndlcated
by the testimony taken by the investigation COM
mittee to-day and the truth of all his material
statements proved by the admissions of officers OF
the Board, whose testimony cannot be impeached
One of the most important charges by Cluss, it
will be remembered was that the Board had not,
during the greater part of the time he was con-
nected with it, been in the habit of holding regular
meetings that Shepherd would meet one member
of the Board on one street corner and another on
the next, and call it a meeting of the Board, and
enter it as such on the journal of the Board; and
that whenever Shepherd wrote a contract or die
tated letter. he called ii the action OF the Board,
and spread record of it upon the journal
as though he had been instructed to do
it by formal vote of that body. Mr.. johnson, the
Secretary of the Board. was called upon the stand
this morning and the so-caed records of the Board
meetings for 1878 was placed before him. He said
that whenever the names of those present were
entered the journal the meeting was formal, but
in all other the records of what purported to
be meetings were made up from informa-
ton received from the Vice-Presdcnt of the
Board, and from the letter-book containing
the official correspondence of the Vice-President.
Between the first formal meeting at which the mem
bers present and transacted business in the
customary way and the second, there We're the
snf yphi mad i'm he
irregular way described. In other words, when Mr..
Shepherd wrote letter awarding a contract,
whether he wrote it at his residence,
at his store, or at tho office OF the
Board, the Secretary entered in the Journal that
the Board met. and it was ordered that a contract
be awarded to Mr. Blank. When Mr.. johnson was
asked on what authority Mr.. Shepherd did such
things these, he read an order OF the Board which
simply authorized the Vice-President TO execute
the orders of the Board and bring business to its
attention at the meeting. In this way Mr.. Cluss's
first charge of irregularity was fully proved.
The next witness called was Mr.. Barney the very
competent Assistant Engineer of the Board. He ad
mitted that Mr.. Clusss testimony in regard to the
habit OF Shepherd of giving orders to subordinates
in the Engineers office, without the knowledge of
the Chief Engineer, literally true. He constantly
received such orders from Shepherd himself, but he
always communicated them to Cluss, who re-
peatedly complained Of this way of doing bust
ness The only way in which it is possible
for an engineer holding Cluss's place to keep the
run Of the work is for him to receive al orders
directly from the Board and detail the men himself
to do the work. Oertley, the other Assistant En-
gneer, did not communicate the orders he got from
Shepherd TO Cluss, but reported to Shepherd, and
made out vouchers. and money was paid without the
knowledge of the Chief Engineer. 1t will be remem
bered that of these measurements of Oertley's
have been proved to be fraudulent.
Mr.. Cluss testified last week that as a member of
the Board he had never approved an estimate on
which an appropriation had been asked from Con-
gress and counsel for Shepherd produced pile of
estimates amounting to 81 600 000 on each of which
Cluss's signature appeared. Judge Black then
brOwbeat and badgered the witness, accusing him.
by implication, with perjury and, in short treating
him as no respectable court would allow. When
the same vouchers were placed before Barney to-
day, he swOre that the only significance
of Clusss signature those papers was TO certify
that they were certain extent copies of vouchers
in his Office In other words. he only attested that
certain vouchers in his Office had been correctly
copied, and in no sense approved the estimates
These are samples of the way in which the Ring, in
its desperation attempted to break down the test
mony of this honest witness; but their tricks have
been exposed and the blow they struck recoils now
upon themselves.
Mr.. Cluss himself again placed on the stand
to-day and numerous vouchers were produced show
ing the irregularity to which he had before testified
In one case the date of Shepherds order to Cert
lev to measure some work the 30th OF
the month and Oertleys report and the pay
ment of $4,000 on the voucher were stated
the 29th-the day before. In another place Cert
lev under the direction of Shepherd measured work
as done. when nothing has been done to this day
bnt to tear up the street and spoil it. Even the
most earnest supporters of the President greatly
regret his interference to throw odium upon Cluss
and sustain the Ring The only course left for
him is 10 withdraw the name of HOxe, nominated
for Cluss's place The Committee hope TO complete
the testimony tomorrow
sFMIOFFICIAL DETAILS OF THE TESTIMONY.
GENERAL PRESS DIsPATCHl
WASHINGTON, May 26.-ln the District of
Columbia investigation to-day, Mr. Charles S. johnson.
Secretary Of the Board OF Public Works, examined
with reference 10 the minutes OF the Board, and how
they were made up. After a sharp examination by
Judge Wilson, he testified that the minutes
not the record OF the Board meetings, but were
made up by data furnished by the Vice-Presdent
from letters received and sent out by him he did not
pretend TO say records in the book actual
Board meetings a rule, at formal meetings he took
notes in some other that not DONE but the
substance, through the VicePresldent, was iDcOrpo-
rated on the journal this generally done with the
consent OF the Board
8. p. Brown, esq, former member OF the Board OF
Public Works testified that be never received dollar
from any contract while member OF the Board since
he had left IL.
Charles l.. Barney esq, an assistant engineer officer
OF the Board, stated that Mr. Oertley made all the