Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-05-22
"a Put Tn Job

Under this head the R,PUblieaR say s editorialIy
DAY:
Fer q week past IT has been reported that
fMT. Ciuss was going TO testify and that Mr..
Giuss was having daily private conferences
with Mr.. Wilson at the lstter's room, and else
Nhere, in cyance Of the testimony. We could
lardly believe this statement.
We did not believe that even with Mr..
WILSON'S little pre- ndiceS he would permit any
witness 20 IN his evidence in advance, much
hss be party to IL. But the specific evidence
If the outrage was plainly apparent In the
EXAMINATION OF Clue on Wednesday. Mr..
Whom had prepared, or hsd been furnished
With written list OF particular questions,
arranged in regular order, on the points OF the
evan nation, and Mr.. Ciuss, by a strange coin
CiCence bad written answers % 'ht' these
questions, which be gave with great readiness,
accompanied by verbal additions and eXplana-
time. Thus trained, Mr.. Wilson succeeded In
getting all Of Cluss' statemen In evidence,
in their most one sided and damaging asp sct,
b fore the witness gave any evidence what
SCCyrT responsive to the Independent eXsmi-
nation OF the committee. This proceeding
attracted attention at the time, AMI
since BEEN the subject OF much Omnent.
But, "a n to carly out an evidently prepared
IuTpoSs. the correspondents of papers who
AXE District affairs their daily diet were also
trained In advance. and caught up the 'ixed'
evidence and sent that to the country, ami no
ether. ON the pregnant point addressed to the
v ttnesS. that be, being member OF the board,
ttuu.C have reported any irregularities or
tTTOTs, Mr.. Wilson dumb. HIS work was
core. Ciuss had arranged With bIm in advance
I'd Others. To make 10 fast and sure 1t was put
IL writing Nov, the sequel OF this 'pIt-up
JOB l. Vet To come. Cluss IL TO be CrOsS-eN-
aiuiued on the record Had he been called in
regular manner, and examined without pre-
ylOus training, he might have saved his reputa-
ton. ct hat he had lett thereof. But IL Is now
tCO late. The records OF his own Office will show
him an uncODsCiCnabe liar or a cOnsu m nate
fOOl-a liar II he knew the facts, or fool ID he
did not. He sWOre deliberately, according to
TIE correspondent Of the Tribune, who is GER
talnIy a. free from prejudice in this matter as
J. MI. Wilson, that all the measurements Of the
Evans concrete con- pany we're made, and the
counts paid, without his know led ge or approval.
A basty inspection OF the vouchers shows that
be signei and approved not less than sixteen
OF these vouchers alone He says that he had
uOthing 20 do with fixing the price of tiagging
laid around government property. The record
shows that he, and he alone, ixed the price.
And 90 on in regard TO every material ailega-
tCn he made. How he could ever have bsen
persuaded TO place himself in a position to be
literally disembOweled by his own signature and
his own acts IL uneXplainable, except upon the
Hypothesis which has Tor years found embOdi-
IneBt in this community in the expression
'CraZy Cluss - or upon the other, that the ru-
nor that he has been promised, in any changes
likely TO be made In the local government more
hstteTlDg recog nitiOn, il true.
But, suppose 10 shall be shown that Mr.. ClusS
has sworn TO facts which his own signature re-
flutes" What is the name OF that crime? and
" hat shall be said OF a committee member, sit
ting in solemn judgm on this case, who has
suOOrned a witness TO such disgrace and out
rage"