Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-05-23
Continued from first page. I

AEoEn br>t page.
when the deputy engineer was detailed by the
vice PR sideht OF the Board OF Public Works TO
prepare that state men. which that sppropria-
on was asked for, were you a member OF the
Board Of Public Works? A. sm not positive
Q. You ave not positive about thstP A. No.
pr. because / an only positive was never asked
about IL
O. You went there in October. did you not ?
A. Yes. sir. on re ga OF October.
q. That IL tue report OF November, 1872? A.
o. YO1 find it there. 90 you not? A. Yes. sir.
a. You we're appointed engineer Of the board,
nssr OF the hO1rf, On the 18th day of December
Is12. were you not? A. / was the ensinser
member OF the board from Oct. ed; aud I WAS
member Of the Doard OF Public Works.
q. under-tand that; but YOU had not ch arre
OF TIE engineer department of the board until
the 26ih OF December? A. That Is correct
Q. Now, that report was made Nov. 1st? A.
Q. When YOU went into the board in Octo-
Der, do you know whether Mr.. Oertey not
erglged at that time in the preparation Of this
kt-temeDt? A am not positive about that.
v: IL was concluded in November, was It not?
A. Yes, cir.
Q. Now, IL was not until t4e latter part OF
December you assumed charge of the en- IL
neeT's Officer A. Ysl, sir.
q. How could a subordinate of yours, az an
engineer OF the Board OF Public Works, respon-
tIble 70 yo1. be detailSi by the vice pre3,-
dent OF the board "a make out tons staten mt on
which this appropriation was based, when, In
Ioi 4 OF fact, that time you had rOthing to %
with the engineer department OF the board
more than any other member OF the board?
a. have Already sad hat mis aderst bod the
question, ia my statement ye5teTtay 1 referred
To the money d. avn out, and have formally
IeIacted', PS far As this point wa7 concerned.
Mr. MattInRly Pre- sing the witness further
on tbs point. Mr.. Hamilton id: That is what
he stated. YOd ought to deal fairly by the Wit
less
Governor Shepherd Mr. Hamilton. 7 think
j have a right TO be fai-ly dealt by also. This
man como here and makes statement by
which ne seeks To sspsrCe my character
public ohcer. New, We want 70 show from the
record that that IS untIue.
Mr.. Enthusiastically. ycg may do that;
but DO u ia a fair way.
Governor Shepherd.-CertainIy
BY Mr. Mattingly:-Q. 4 understand Mr..
Cluss 10 say this: that in the statement which
he made in answer to that question. he m'sun-
ceIstood the question; that MS answer applied
TO the statement on which the money was OBJ
ts'ned fIrm the Treasury department.. Is that
q. That is your explanation? A. Yes, SIR.
e. Now, that - so? a. Yes, sir.
q. Then i ask you this question: Assuming
money was obtained from the Treasury depart
Dent on statements made out by one OF the
deputies of your Office, for whom you were re-
tPODsioie, detailed 10y the vice president of the
board, without your knowledge or consent; do
You mean to say thai?
Witness pausingI
do, please answer. a 1 sm thinking how 10
answer. am correct in the spirit, bat do not
Ike 10 De caught IN the wording.
q. Ii Is simply matter OF fact, Mr.. CIuss.
A My sweeping assertion was, that all these
Government measurements were made without
the least knowledge on my part; that only one
day was called upon 70 sign an spprOpria-
GOn-Sign the statement, You know, on which
Si0C0 Geo was obtained. This is all; the whole
Ihat know in this matter. IL at one time a
signature OF mine has been obtained to any pa
per, II has been a mere clerical matter. i have
never seen any PaPer-I am positive about
that-in detail, except that day when 1 was
Asked 10 sign the rOuFiatiOrl for tha mi
q. Now, asked you a little while ago wheth-
eI you signed the report Of 1879 or not. i have
rot an answer 70 that yet. Did you, or not? A
think igleu IL, but I am not positive; the
original PAPER Will show II; the papers were so
presented, in an Off-hsnd way, that 1 could not
q. Now, here in the report of 1873, the in.
dehtedness OF the general government in the
Distriet OF Columbia, on account Of improve
mehts, as shown in the statement hereto ap-
perdl q, is as follows: "FOr work in and around
government reservations and public buildings
S5'3,lil-Iji fer work on avenues, S1,Oj5.574 SO;
for main sewerage, $3.50, 6Sls3; total, ~ ,O5O,
4Z.-S4-" Do YOU mean 70 be understood as saw
ing you signed that report without seeing that
state meht3 \. am sorry t. say that saw this
Statement Girerward, and the reason saw il
was my refusal 40 sign that application = second
time before this honorable Committee because
OF course, the Ehole sewerage done by the
Board OF Public WEEKS did not cost what they
put down AZ tie governments share: under nv
responsibility OF oifee, / could not sign anv
sUch paper.
q. The statement on page 81. report of 1873.
Is signed by you, Is Il nOti this ststement-TA
statement Was shown of amounts required for
completion OF sewers, government work AMI
streets, signed "a. Gloss eBg 4neer in charger
a. That Il not this report; when / refused the
governor to sign his paper sgain, stated di--
tILctly that hal been made 10 syn this paper
ard the nrst lire Of II was a mistake of Cert
ley's, and this vas the reason tn Il did not
sign the second paper.
q. SO YOU would hot sign the second paper2
a. IL Sas presented 70 me again in some way.
q. State whether this IL your sguaturs?
Banding witness a paper.l a. l think that is
nv signature
q. There Is 4 letter addressed by vou dated
November q, 1873, 20 the vice president of the
Board OF Public Works; 1 wish you would read
n. witness read the letter, transmitting copies
Of vouchers ard estimates OF work done on ave
nUss ara streets in front OF government prop
erty. IN which he says, 'the copies OF vouchers
IN this once j have all certified TO, as re-
guested by yOu.''l
The wltLess--This verifes the statement
which / made.
q. That verifes the statement which Won
II Rce, that YOU knew EOthing about the govern
Bent measurements? A. That the engineers
are. sacrificed by the Board Of Public work.;
this was submitted to me by Mr.. OeTtIey, aud
- mere clerical matter, was signed.
@ Now, Mr.. ClUss, look at these assessments
there, and see IL each one OF them Is not certi-
fed 70 by you a. engineer? A. East Capitol St,
from lst to % street, there is not signature On
thst-On this one.
q. You say your signature is not on that? A.
q. Just please look at that again bsfor, Won
make such positive statement. See il you do
not Ind IL there in red ink? "A. All, yes; that
Is all right.
By Mr. stanton:-Q. Is il your signature? A.
Yes, SIT; that is my Signature.
O. Are lot those the papers on which the
statements made in that lettsI were based? A.
1t would take q close comparison 10 say 80.
q. just see IL these are not all signed by you?
Handing the witness number Of vouchers 70
IeIred TO In We letter. A. This bears out what
i said, that this sys+em Of the Board OF Public
Works that Is in vogue will catch In its meas
UFes the best engineers. I-sse papers were
presented to me a mere cleTica. matter.
did Lot know that signed these vouchers
Q. Then you would sign mass OF papers Ike
that, Mr.. CLUES? You would write out long
letter, giving summary Of this statement, ad
dress II u the executive officer Of the Board os
Public Works, and this a. engineer OF the board,
and come here ard state IL Was a mere clerical
performance on your part? A pretend to saw
this Is the wsv the Board of Public Works per-
form the work, as the Governor kuea very well.
g. That " the way you performed your duty,
T. 10 not That all these measurements hal
been Tor months prepsIIng-these voluminous
papers here? A What 1 am positive about
these vouchers Tor Improvements
The Chairman want TO have him answer
.saaFas N.sFs