New-York tribune., 1874-03-25
THE DISTRICT INVESTIGATION.
TESTIMONY OF JOHN o. EVANS ONE OF THE Favor
TTE CoNTRACToRs-sTRANGE FACTS BROUGHT TO
LIGHT.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE,

LIGHT.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.I
WASHINGTON March A.-The District Investigat-
ing Committee continued III session FIVE hours
to-day and made few additions to the sum of its
knowledge in relation to the method of giving out
contracts and of executing them. The most impor
tant witness was favorite contractor, John o.
Evans, who was mentioned in the Kilbourne letter
as one of the leading members of tho Pave
ment Ring. He received contracts from the Board
in which he alone interested; he shared
the profits of some of the contracts awarded to
Lewis Clephane; he was President of the Washing
ton Asphalt Company and divided the profits of con-
tracts executed by the Company with Clephane and
Kibourne he stockholder in the Metro
politan Paving Company another corporation that
has done large amount of paving and he had an
interest in some of Albert Gleason's contracts and
in some of those of j. II. Teemyer & Co.; all
of those of Linnvile and perhaps some Others which
escaped his memory to-day. This simply shows how
intimately interviewer were the interests Of the
most successful contractors who were supposed to
be rivals in the work.
During the examination of Mr.. Evans some ques-
tious were asked by Mr.. Wilson in regard to work
done around P-st circle. for which the United
States has paid very large sum of money. Between
$4,000 and $4,000 of this money was paid out of
the appropraton of January g. 1878, and the act re-
ouired that Gen. BabcOck should measure and GER
tlfy to the correctness of the work before the bill
should be paid. Mr.. Evans testified that he COM
pleted the work in the Spring or early Summer,
but could not remember just when. Gen. Babcock
certified that the work had been DONE and that the
measurements were correct on Jan. II, 1878, and
Eyaps's contract for part of the tagging included
in this work was dated Feb 3, 1S73 % days after
Gen. Babcock certified that he had caused the work
70 be measured. The only explanation OF this
strange fact that is possible, was suggested by
Evans, when he said that he presumed the con
tract was awarded to him. and he did the work be-
fore the formal contract was signed. Records that
were called for by tho Committee to be produced
tomorrow are expected to throw some light upon
this mystery.
The Board of Public Works charged the United
States for large amount of circular curbng used
about this psf circle and for brick used for side
walks Several members of the Committee visited
the circle this evening and found not foot of cir
cular curbing and no brick The Committee has as
vet taken no action in relation to the con-
tempt of Hallet Kilbourne, who yester-
dav refused to tell who composed the
famous real estate pool" but it is expected
that if he persists in his refusal the Committee will
move for warrant for his arrest. As an indication
of the utter lack of confidence of the House in the
honesty of the District officers it may be remarked
that in the bill passed last Saturday appropriatng
money for teachers salaries, clause was inserted
nroyiding that it should be disbursed by the Com
missioner of Education.