Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-05-26

nabit? A. 10 consult majority OF the board
before giving out the work.
=. Do you know of any exceptions? A.
can't say that do positively.
Q. Was Mr.. Cluss in the habit Of coming
there? "A. Not so frequently as other members
1T was not customary to notify members of tn.
board to meet except TO consider special sub
jects.
By Mr. wilfon:-Q. Did Mr. Shepherd trans
act business at his private office? A. Yes, sir
q. Then ii was reported TO you, and you en-
tered 1t upon the minutes? A. Sometimes.
Q. These minutes, then, do not represent for
NAL meetings of the board? a. Not altogether
formal meetings.
By Mr.. Arison:-Q. How often WAS Mr.. CIus.
in the babit OF being in the Office of the board.
A. Frequently.
q. Was lie ever sent for, that You know OF:
A. Yes, sir; notices were sent to the officers o
the board when it was desired to have a ful
meeting; the specific purpose of the meeting
w not indicated in the notice; at the infor ma
meetings it Is the habit to hold acton on i'm
portant matters over until q full meeting OF the
board.
Q. That has been the habit since Mr. Willard
came in as vice president? A. Yes, sir; it was
not so much the habit before.
.. AS rule who directed you what to put In
these minutes? A. At all formal meetings
took nOtes. In some other cases that was not
done, but the substance through the vice presi
cent was Incorporated on the journal. This
was generally done with the consent OF the
board.
@ Were you satisfied always that YOU were
making correct records of what really trans
was incorrect.
By Mr.. Mattingly:-The minutes are q record
Of what has been done, whether done at a
formal meeting or through its executive off e
s. p. Brown, sworn:-Was q member of the
Board Of Public Works from April 10th, ISL
up to June, 1872; my attention as been called
to the testimony of p. III. Reiuhardt. Witness
read a statement requesting that ID. g. Forney
and MI Faebtz to be examined on the subject
and testified that he had never received dollar
rom any contract, either while member o.
hQ Iaff IA hnor
Charles l.. Barney recaled:-Have you seen
the original papers, copies of which appear OF
page 2aO4, OF the the testimony? A. Yes, sir; /
have seen them; did not assist in m aking
measure ments for that work.
Q. The endorsement is Messrs. Oertley and
Barney will make these measurements; did VOC
assist in making the measurement? A. did
Q. What do you know about any such
measurement being made? A. Mr.. Oertley was
out and made measurements; presume he was
directed by Governor Shepherd; all the fna'
measure ments were made by Oertley and 81 nee
by myself; Oertev made measurements for Tay-
lor al Filbert, Follansbee rather.
q. Who sent him out? \. L presume Gov.
Shepherd
Q. Then the matter did not go through the
Engineers department? A. The matter NAV
have been regular, and know nothing Of IL;
have examined Mr.. Cluss table of sewers they
are correct; the measurements of tagging for
John o. Evans were mostly made by Oertley; !
only measured the tagging at b street for
Evans; the tagging on b Street and the Botani.
cal Garden is quarry faced tagging.
Q. How much machine dressed tagging have
you seen in this city? A. Only that around the
Patent and Post Offices.
By Mr.. Stewart Did Governor Shepherd
ever request you to survey up work? A. Yes.
sir. He was the executive officer of the board.
and applications for measurements were mad
to him.
Q. Did he ever direct You how measurements
should be made? A. No, sir.
q. Did you ever hear il Unlimited that he di
NV he ma la
urt ments except to hurry the work up? A. No,
sir. The final vouchers made foT G. Z. Evan
were made by Mr.. FORSYTH; did not certify t.
thsm. neither did Mr.. Cluss.
q. Have you tested the work since? A.
have not
Witness was questioned at length with refer
cree TO the measurement OF 18th street. He
said the measurement was made by Forsyth
without cross sections.
@. Did you ever tell Forsyth You had the cross
Sc ;tions for the street? A. think Mr. Mulleti
directed Forsyth to use the cross-sections;
won't be positive, but 1 know something was
said about II; the difference in measurement for
grading is that Blickensderfer makes it - 900,
yards. Mr. Forsyth Al 600.
BY Mr.. Wilson:-Mr. Forsyth did much of his
work in the City Hall; he could have had the
cross-sectlons If he had come for them;we did not
conceal from Forsyth that we had cross-sec
tlens; the measurement on East Capitol street Il
wrong; the property holders have been over
charged, both in grading and curling.
Q. Is it or not the fact that the engineer IL
ants and sign his measurements as a matter o.
foIm? A. would first test the men to know
their accuracy, teen / would, IL found them
correct, sign their measurements as matter OF
form.
Q. Do you know anything about Oertley's
measurements, made last summer, on whict
government appropriations are now beins
sought? A. know he was out measuring.
Q. Was Oertley acting under the direction OF
the engineers Office? A. 1 think, sir, he wa.
acting under orders of Governor Shepherd;
y. Iol. - a..
make a report to the engineers office; In Mr..
Cluss or myself certifying to these measure
ments We would depend altogether on Oertley'r
accuracy.
O. How long would it have taken you to have
tested the accuracy or Oertley's measurements.
A. Ii we would have had to remeasure it, 4,
would have taken some time; If Oertley should
bring a measurement TO me, and was CHIEF
engineer, L would Ger tify to it; If it turned Out
to be all wrong, i should consider that the
blame should not fall on me, but on MIR. Cert
ley.
been Gone accurate, and will stand severe tests
1 regard the errors found in measurements
merely errors, and not frauds. have no rea-
son to suspect any or the engineers OF any in
territorial wrong.
BY MIR Anison:-when witness was directed
to make measurements by Governor Shepherd
he always reported first to the engineer-in
chief. Mr.. Cluss did object to my receiving
orders from the vice president TO make m sas
urements. He thought he should be first noti-
neu, ana tneu uctall me. Wllucs3 never told
Governor Shepherd that Cluss objected.
q. Did the vice president ever direct you not
to communicate with Mr.. Cluss? A. No, sir.
Q. How do yoI account for his communi-
eating to you not through MIR. Cluss? A.
don't know, unless he might have been in 8
hurry.
q. Do you think Mr.. Cluss would have di.
rected Mr.. Oertley to make measurements il he
had been communicated with instead Of you.
A. don't know any reason why he shouldn't.
BY Mr.. Allison:-Oertiey made q mistake in
Z street s0u6 by taking street at ninety feet
wide. which in reality was only fifty.
Q. This is the street Mr.. Cluss testified to a
being so far wrong that IL amounted to q fraud:
A. Yes, sir; there has been no final estimate We
made Of the street; there has Been paid Glea
son, who did the work, about $4,000 OF tn,
amonnt Of s1i8 900; q week ago last Saturday
Cluss told me he had been summoned before thu
committee, and I assisted him In making up tn,
tables he presented this committee; they were
made mp from actual data In the enRiueert
Office. Witness assisted in making an assessment
Of Pennsylvania avenue, from 1st to Iuh stree
east, at the request Of Mr.. Cluss; he explained
by diagrams submitted how he arrived ct re-
suits.
By Mr.. Stanton:-In Maryland and New
Hampshire avenues some work was done beforS
cxoes-sectioBs were made.
By Mr.. Mattinsly:-Q. Do you know anythhS
Of the alteration Of Mr.. CIuss' figures on q It'll
street voucher? A. The figures we're down In
lead pencil and the clerk linked them over.