New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-24
THE DISTRICT INVESTIGATION.

MR.. LATTA REGARDING THE REAL ESTATE "POOLp
MR.. KILBOURNE MAKES INTERESTING STATE
MENTs BUT REFUSES TO GIVE NAMES.
IBY TELEGRAPH To THE TRBUNE.l
WASHINGTON, March 23.-The District investga-
ton lost of its interest to-day after the coun
sci for the memoralsts had presented additional
charges against the District Government and the
Board of Public Works. These charges consist of
the same items which were gone in the investi-
cation at the last Congress- and contain general ac-
cusatons Of extravagant administration 10y the
Board. Also that the engineers Of the Board have
made false measurements of the work done under
their supervision, and that the prices for various
items of work were increased by the Board in many
instances after the contracts for said work had been
closed.
Mr. James NJ Latta, the real estate broker, was
called and produced decd executed to him in Sep
tember, 1871, by w. w. Rapley, and conveying to
him as trustee in consideration of S21j 2j certain
real estate in the northwestern part of the city.
The deed contained a clause relating TO certain
paper bearing the same date and signed by Mr..
Latta declaring the beneficiary of the trust. Mr..
Latta testified that this property was purchased for
one person. and not for association but whenasked
who the beneficiary was, refused to answer. AT this
point discussion arose between Judge BIack-who
appears, not as counsel for anybody in particular,
witness from answering questions which might lead
to evidence damaging to the Board of Public Works.
but which the counsel for Gov. Shepherd do not
wish to take the responsibility of Directing toand
the counsel for the memorialists, on the question
whether the witness should be required TO answer
or not Judge Black said that if the memorialists
would say that they expected to connect this bene
ciary with any improper conduct on the part of the
Board that if they would say that he was one of
the conspirators who had combined with the Board
to increase the value of their property at the expense
Of tue citizens of the District the witness would be
bound to answer and if the charge was proved, it
ought to consign those concerned in 1t to
lasting disgrace. Mr.. Merrick replied that
they had shown by letter, winch the
other side had admitted as genuine, that
o real estate "pooP had been formed in connection
with patent pavement ring, and that Gov. ii. d.
Cooke, then member of the Board of Public Works,
was largely interested in the pool" Kilbourne and
Latta had purchased, as trustees, more than
S5OOOOO worth of lands, and the benefciaries Of
the whole of these were covered up by this trustee
business The memoralists expected TO connect
some of these benefciaries improperly with the
Board, but they could not say whether that would
he the case in this particular instance or not.
All the afternoon session of the Committee MI.
Iatta described the property which he had pur
chased as trustee and pointed out its situation upon
a plan of the city. The whole property cost about
but he still refused to give the name OF the
beneficiary He finally said that all of the purchases
had been made for one person. and after he left the
stand he returned and said that, having received
permission from his principal he would say that IN
all the purchases he made he acted trustee
for his partner, Hallet Kllbourne. and that
he had, in October, 1872 transferred all of
the property in question to Mr. Kilbourne.
Mr.. KIlbourne was then called, and admitted the
eenuneness of the letter often referred to- in which
he informed Mr.. Huntington that ii. ID. c. had
told him TO draw for $4,000 cash for the real estate
"pooI." He admitted that real estate e. pooP had
been formed at about the time the present District
Government came into power, and that he had pur-
chased for that pool" more than 100000 worth OF
real estate in the northwestern part of the city
then an open common with no streets and no i'm
movements. He admitted that the iirm of Jay Cooke
g. Co.. Of which Henry ID. Cooke was then men,
ber and Governor of the District and er o6tco Pres
ident of the Board Of Public Works, had advanced
S25 900 for this pool Further than this he re-
fused to answer. No member of the Board of Public
Works or of the Government of the District of Co
lumbia he said. was in that pool" except Henry
d. Cooke: but when asked if any members of the
last or present Congress were in it, he refused to
answer ONLY one OF the contributors 10 the poor,
he said. resided in the District Of Columbia
These ad missions and refusals to answer taken in
connection with the hints thrown out by some OF the
local newspaper of the ring form very strong
chain of circumstantal evidence. that the rumor
long current in Washington. that great number OF
members OF Congress were c0-conspirators
with the Board of Public Works, ior
their mutual profit, is true. The mem
hers of Congress, it has been reported. were let
into this real estate pool" which 1t was expected,
and il has turned out would realize large sums OF
money by the advance caused by the improvements
to be made by the Board in this particular section OF
the CITY, and in return TO see TO ii that the
Board got large appropriations from Congress. III
such an understanding was had, 1t has worked
WELL for Mr.. KilbourDe testified today tha''
when he bought for the pool no paid only
from % to 40 or i5 cents per square FOOT
while the land is now worth from 81 to ~ %
per foot. That the members of Congress carried
out their part of the bargain is proved by the
enormous appropriations made during the last ses-
sion of Congress aud the assurance with which the
Board went on during last Summer, and, IN dchance
liabilities of the Government to them of more thsn
$4,000,000 more.
The Committee will probably infora Mr.. Kill
bourne that he must answer the questions put 10
him to-day, and if he still refuses, will report him 10
Congress IN in contempt. Then. it. NAV be possible