National Republican., 1874-04-01

1 believe there was good deal Of fault found
8. Charles h. Blissi A. Yes, sir, thasts IN.
nams. ~ ~
@. You took this gravel with bis consent and
kn0wiedgei A. Yes, ar. -
Q. Was 4 Dictionary among contractors tc
take the dirt and sell 1t, and do what thsy
pleased with III A. Yes, sir.
Q. That wac the habit A. Yes, SIR.
by Mr. Wilson: O. That was the reason you
did II 80 cheap, Is N A. Yes, sir.
TEsTMcsY OF D. W. MAHoN.
D. W. Mahon having been duly sworn,
testified as follows:
By the Chairman: Q. Are you employed In
the Treasury Department. A. lem.
Q.sDo you know any thing about this sppro-
priation Of s75, 900 for some interest in the Ju-
dietary square Improvement A. I know the
Beard Of Public Works made reQuisitfon on
the Secretary Of the Treasury, and he advanced
the money to them, and 1t was charged then on
the books of the Register Of the Treasury. That
| indebtedness has been Cancelled. ~ = Z
| Q. Was there any tronhleL about securing
that money! A. Not that am sware Of
By Mr.. Christy. Q. Have you the draft or
reouisition drawnf All have nothing TO do
with it whatever. II does not come 10 me. 1t
goes to the Secretary alone. ~ = yJs...'--
Q. 10 you know James A. Magruderi A.
do.
o. Did you pay this money to him' lido
not pay any money whatever.
Q. Did you giveto him the order upon which
he received TT A. No, sir; It was paid on
drafts issued on q warrant of the Secretary OF
the Treasury In conformity with the provisions
of law organizing the Department. am the
First Auditor. - % ''1''A'' ~ p -'-t
By Mr.. Merrick: Q. You simply audited the
account. A. No, sir; It was paid on requisi-
ton.
Q. Do you not know that there was hesita-
ton with the Secretary, or upon the part OF
some one who had duty TO discharge, with
reference to this payment, I'm regard to paying
It, until certain work had been donei A.
have no Official knowledge whatever. la'ies
q. Have you any knowledge, personal or
oficiall A. No, sir; cannot say that have.
ID wM. SAWYER RECALLED. .1st
VIM. Sawyer recalled and examined by Mr..
Allison, at the suggestion of the counsel for
memorialists:
Q. State your business. A. Ihave been en-
gagged as special superintendent by the Board
OF Public Works for the last sixteen months.
Q. What has been your occupstionl A. Prin-
cipally locomotive engineer and machinist.
@. Were you IN charge of this sewer that has
been testified to by Mr.. Samuel Strong2 A.
Yes, sir; the r street sewer. That is, ostensi-
bly, in charge of 1t. superintended It as a
special superintendent all through from its COM
mencement to its completion.
Q. What do you know about itl A. know
that he went on and did the work.
Q. When did he do iti A. could not give
you the date of the commencement; not now; !
can get It. .. e.. - ....- ...-'
Q. Did you keep an account of the men and
materials put in by Mr.. Strongl A. Yes, sir;
that is, as near as could get it. ,
By Mr.. Merrick: Q. Allow me to suggest to
the committee that perhaps If you would ask
him to give narrative of all his knowledge in
reference to it, that he would get along little
fasterl .. ..,...
The Chairman. asked him in the outset to
tell all he knew about It. will put the same
question to him again.
Q. Just state what you know about that
sewer during the time that you were superin-
tendent of III A. Il would be a pretty hard
case to put 1t in ship-shape. l know that he
commenced It at Ninth street, and run along
some 403 feet, at what is termed board prices
for building. After running about that distance
he gave it up; he said that he would do no
more work there. Then he commenced and
went on some 292 or 295 feet, more or less, in
connection with the sewer commenced on Tenth
streets three-foot sewer. This was q FIVE
foot We were on. then understood that he
was doing the 295 feet, more or less, at a per-
centage-15 per cent. above the actual cost. In
the course of construction he showed me con-
tract. didn't look at 1t very closely. He took
1t out Of his pocket and said that was his con-
tract. He went on and completed it.
Q. State how the work was donel A. The
work was done we'll, as far as the bricks were
concerned, the brick being laid and good mate
rial used. The bricks were made well.
Q. Was It difficult sewer to buildi A. We
had some water to contend against; I don't
know that It was any more difficult than 1t Is
in anY other mart of the city
Q. Was there any quicksand therei A.
There was small vein OF quicksand, but that
was nearly at the bottom, and could hate been
obyiated BY bracing.
Q. You kept the correct timei A. / keep
the time. 1 had to take it from Mr.. Wnley's
time. a
O. State all about the time-whether 1t was
correct or not; and, If not, in what respect It
was incorrect. A. In employing so many men
as we had employed there 1t was almost impos-
sible for q stranger, unless he is calling out the
names, to become familiar with every name
and person. Some would work few days and
some would work longer. We would change.
Nearly all the men were colored men, and they
all looked about one color to me.
Q. Did you keep the time correctlyl A. l
kept the time as took 1t from Mr.. Willy. Mr..
Wiley would go over the work and take the
time; then would take the time from his book,
count the number of men which he gave me,
and then ! would 60 on to the work and under
take to count the number Of men inside.
Q. Did you make correct reportl A. As
correct as could get It.
Q. You kept the time as correctly as you
could, and made q correct report to the Board
of Public Worksl A. Yes, sir.
By Mr.. Merrick: Q. Did the number you
counted correspond with the number of men he
gave you alwaysi A. Not always.
Q. Just tell how that was-an about it-any
A. know there were some men
there whose names were marked on the roll
who afterward ascertained were never at work.
How many men there were cannot tell. It is
almost impossible for me to say.
By the Chairman: @. You were the superin-
intendent, placed there by the Board of Public
Worksi A. Yes, sir; special superintendent.
Q. With @ vieS. to ascertain the time of the
men and the materials put into that sewerl A.
Yes, sir; TO keep correct account Of every
thing. '.
o. Did you discharge that duty to the best
Of your ability A. As near as could.
By Mr.. Merrick: @. Did you make any re-
in reference to It at aIli A. Yes,
SIR; repeatedly in regard to the manner In which
the work was done.
Q. To whomiA To the foreman ard TO others,
and also to my general superintendent.
Q. Who was your general superintendent
A. DR.. Clarke.
W. IOu tuc OUlcCtlOu W h5 70 tue
manner In which the work was being con-
structedi' A. Yes, sir, verbally; and also at
one time to Mr.. Willard-H.. A. Willard, vice |
president Of the Board Of Public Works.
Q. In what respecti A. thought they were
doing 1t as economically and practically As they
should doit.
O.. They were making 1t cost more than 1t
ought 70 have costi A. That was my idea
Of 1t. .. G.. e. ~ s
By Mr.. Merrick: Q. With regard to the
size of the excavation, was the excavation the |
proper size, or larger than 1t should have beeni
consider 1t altogether larger than necessary
for such q sewer.
@. Tell us all about that; how large was It,
and how large ought It to have beeni A. 1t
Hss carried-the excavation, think, at an
average Of 10 feet wide.
Q. How much would have been sufficient TO
have done that work thoroughly and properly
A. think 6K feet would have been sufa- |
cient. -' = -'.- ---- s'--
Q. It was carried 10 feeti A. Yes, sir, It was
carried, as near as / could measure It, about an
average Of 12 feet.
Q. What ought It to have oeen-six7 A. |
Yes, sir, little moro than six; about ~ feet.
wish to correct my first statement; 1t should |
have been carried from TO ~ feet.
Q. Did you make that subject o.. .remon- |
STRANGE alsoi A. I did.
Q. To whomi A. To Mr.. Clarke and also
N Mr. atrouuIs fnrarnaa