National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-11
DISTRICT INVESTIGATION,
FF,o,t1n.rd fro,n FIRM Pdoel

A. Yes, sir. Less one square, wnere tne Ane'
ket -house stands. Iput the curb down; a.
O. You put all the curb down. a: ies, sir
Q. You put down sewer from what POM
what polnti A. From Fnteen'n s'1ee'
Nv re Chairman: q. Who pat down the
sewer from Ninth street to Ffteentn street
A. John Chapman that was from Nintn tc
~ he Chairman. Q. Did he have another
contact. or did he do It under thisi A. 1 dc
mt know anyBhi1g about what authority he
had. sir: but know that he did the work
There was man by the name of Brennan
putting one square Of sewersgei in on the south
side, between thirteenth and Fourteenth
streets.
By Mr.. Wilson Q. Do you know who did
he-grading underneath the wood pavement
the grading for the curb-wsy7 A. Yes, sir.
Q. Who was thatl A. Mr.. Matthews.
Q. Who is Mr.. Matthewsf- A He is the gen
Aeman who was attending the work for Mr.
Baldwin, He was doing the grading and lay
ing the blocks. =, -. - -
3. Was he the sub-contractor, or simply th,
superintendent He seemed to be the superin
tendent. Mr.. Baldwin seemed to be thu
principal man. ..-l f. Z 81. ..-.t l. .--O-.-sL
20. Was Mr. Baldwin the sub-coutractor, a
you understood 1T A. Really, do not know
sir. ...r.E 81
@. Did that sub-contractor prepare the car
Tiage-way for the blocksi A. He prepared 4
entirely. -.....s -. .-'-.n-a g.
Q. The men Put down the blocksl A. Mr.
Matthews had force of men there to put then
down. He superintendent it all the time.
Q. Do you know for whom he put down the
blocks. A For Mr.. Baldwin.
Q. Mr.. Baldwin was the spb-contrastor fol
both the grading and the payingi A. pre-
sumo so.
Q. Where does Mr.. Baldwin livei A. think
he lives on FOur-and-a-balf street
Q. Is he o contractor of this city, A. Yes
sir; think be is. He does great deal Of
work. Ipresume that he is a contractor from
that very reason. -
9. Do you know a man by the name Of Tai.
-botl A. No, sir. ..-
, Q. Do you know whether there was any such
man as that who had anything to do with that
contract? A. do not. - ....-. -..-.....
Q. You say Mr.. Bingham lives In Philadel-
phiai A. So have been informed. -.-.-
@. Do you know what his business is therei
A. Somebody did say that he was postmaster
/ do not know. .....-..s... -.f
Q. Is it not generally reported that he was
Postmaster of the city of Philadelphia A.
have heard it spoken Of; whether there is any
truth in it, ! am not able to say. IWould not
like to say that it was the case.
Q. You never saw him about therel A. ]
don't think 1 ever saw the gentleman inmy
life. .. --..
SuTlSLy. Ju6 hlLuCeS III
-teTogated in regard to these certificates. am
Informed that he has them in his possession. It
Is apparent that some Government reservations
were included in his work. To the witness. ]
O. Have you any certificates with you'll "A.
have one or two, believe
Q. would Ike to have them produced and
exhibited to the committee. A. have several;
which would you like to havel 49,
Q. Any relating to this particular work; not
any other A. Hero are two
Q. Are these two the certificates you now
holdl A. have some that / have borrowed
money on, which are in possession of other
parties. 49, IT,. r.----
Q. Some you have hypotheeatedi A. Yes,
sir.
Mr.. Wilson. ono of these reads:
''OFFICE AUDIToR BOARD OF PUBLIC Works, I
t'WAsHISGToS. D. C., Septeml or Is, 1873. !
'I hereby certify that have this day audited
and allowed the account of Thomas Lucas for
work on K street north, from Ninth TO Twenty
third street west, amounting to 5000. B.
80. G. LAY, Auditor"
And written scross the face of it is this:
"This certificate will be paid In sewer eertif-
Gates, bearing interest at the rate of Sper cent.
N or before November IS, 1873.
GAMES a. MAGRUDER,
Treasurer Board of Public Works"
The Witness. would like TO say something
in regard to that. would not accept those
for cash on 4 street, and under the circum-
stances would not take them without did so
ct the price they were current on the street.
Mr.. Wilson. l will read the next:
''0FFICR AUDITOR BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS,
''WASHISGTOS, u. c., September ID, ls73. !
81 hereby certify that have this day audited
and allowed the account of Thomas Lucas for
work on K street north, from Ninth to Twenty
third street west, amounting to $4,000.
81. c. LAY, Auditor"
Written across the face OF 1t is this:
This certificate will be paid in sewer ccrtffl-
Gates bearing interest at the rate of per cent,
on or before November Is, 1873.
HJAMEs A. MAGRUDER,
Treasurer Board of Public Works."
Mr.. MeTrick. Was that for the sewer work!
Mr.. Wilson. 1t was for the work done on L
street. 1t shows on the face what it was for.
By Mr.. Wilson, Ito witness:) Q. After these
were due did you present them to Mr.. Magru-
der for payment A. Yes, sir.
Q. What was the result of thati A. he had
no money, and he could not give me any check.
Q. How Gid this happen to be written on the
face! A. Several months after the issuing ofthe
certificates found I was in want of money,
and went there, and he wrote on them and told
me what he would do on or before the 18th. l
told him then that he had written on them;
that would not accept them without took
them at the price current on the street.
Q. What were they worth on the street at
that time-these sewer certificates A. About
IS cents. He said that he could not give them
TO me, but took them at the face of them. =.
By Mr.. Wilson. Q. What is this kind of pa.
per worth on the eheet now2 A. Really do
not know, sir; all that have ever sold Il that
! got so cents for them.
Q. How long since you sold anyl A. Not
since last spring.
9. What do you understand them to be
worth now! A. They told me that they were
loaHing money at so cents. That is what l
have got loaned on them. Ihaye receipt to
that effect, fyou want to see it.
Mr.. Christy, Ito Mr.. Wilson.) would like
you TO extend the examination TO such GER
tiicates as he holds Of the same character that
are hypothetical to ascertain what extent he
has been in feet paid
Mr.. Wilson. You can ask him that ques-
ton.
By Mr. Christy: Q. To what extent do you
still hold certificates. for work done on K street
that have not been redeemed by the Board OF
Public Works; whether they were certificates
hypothecated or mott A. Those two were the
only two that have in my own possession. l
have some that l hypothecated-I suppose
about SIG, coo.
Q. In addition to those you have hypoth-
ecated SIG coo Of the certifcatesl A. Yes, sir.
L have had to let them go for want of money
to pay -
The Chairman, Ito Governor shepherd.) Can
you explain how il happened that these two
contracts covered the same work2
Governor Shepherd. hework was originally
awarded to Mr.. Bingham for paving that
street, including the footwalks and parking.
Subsequently it was found that Mr.. Bingham
could not do il, and it was awarded to Mr..
Lucas about the same time. 1t was within a
few days, think. Mr. Lucas was paid for the
work which he did-the curbing, footways and
parking, and dr. Bingham for that which he
did-the paving of the carriageways. recol-
1ect when Mr.. Christy called attention to this
matter. made an explanation Of 1t in the
other room. l showed the connection between
the contracts of Mr.. Bingham ard Mr.. Lucas,
ard have been hunting for them, but i can
not put my finger on them just now. Each
contractor was paid for what he did.
The Chairman. only wanted to get OF this
point with reference to it.
Mr.. Wilson. Who is Mr.. BinghRm7
Governor Shepherd. Mr.. Bingham repre-
scented company in Philadelphia, the Beidler
keystone Company.
Mr.. Wilson. Do you know whether there
was anybody connected with the company eI-
cept himself
Governor Shepherd. I think there are sew
eral parties in the contract. I do not know
who they are. ....
Mr.. Wilson. Who is Mr.. Bingham himself
Gu T.