National Republican., 1874-05-13
DISTRICT INVESTIGATION
THE EVIDENCE aITEH ON sATUR-
DAP BIZ HoDNETTvs CLIENTS,

EoN-PAYMENT OF LABoRERs AND SUB
| coNTRAcToRs-CoNrR TREATING
THE OFFICIAL sUPEsINrEHDENrs
| WHILE sPIRITfNG AWAY THE PROPERTY
UNDER THEIR CARE-HoW HoDNETr
| TRIES TO GET HIS OAR IN.
wAsHxeroS, d. O., Mays, 1874.
Testimony taken before the Ohsirman on the
part Of the Senate and House Of Representatives.
TESTIMONY OF MATHEW x'xAMARA.
Matthew McNamars sworn and examined:
| By the Chairman: O. Did you work for Will
liam H. Adams, contractor A. Yes. SIR.
O. How longf A. worked from the sth Of
September, lsT2, to the 18th Of January last,
think.
Q. Does Adams owe you any money! A. Yes,
| sir.
Q. How muchf A. Ono hundred and ,ixty.nve
dollars and seventeen cents. That Is what he
allowed me on his payroll. but he owed me more
than that; but as expected to get that amount I
did not say anything about Il. thought would
rather lose the difference than go without the
money.
Q. Now, tell us what you know about Adams
taking Government property for his own use: A.
I have seen him take bricks on OF B street. along
/ the Smithsonian grounds-of the sidswalks-and
use them In other places.
Q. Where did he use themf A. The drivers
took them away. They were bringing them to F
street at that time.
By Mr.. Wilson: q. Whereabouts on street,
A. cannot say. never worked on F street. i
| know that he was working on street at the time
IF street southwest.
q. What were they using the brick down there
for, as you understood itf A. They were using
| Q. Between what streets-on B street, did they
take up those bricksf A. 1t was between Seventh
/ AMI Ninth streets.
q. street, north or southr A. street south.
Q. How many Of those bricks did they take up
| aud cart awsyf A. Well, In my time they had
| taken about, as near as 1 could Judge ten or
twelve thousand. I was called away from that
job to another one.
q. What were put down in place Of those brIcksr
sidewalk, and lowering It to the new grade OF
pavement. We had taken the bricks up and piled
| them on one side along the fence.
| q. Then they were hauled aWay2 A. Yes sir;
b. The oS.iTnan: Q. Were they good brick
Q. DO you know how long they were down
there? A. could not say. They had been down
there not very long. There was very little travel
Q. Whose teams hauled them aWayF A. They
were working tor Mr.. Adams.
By Mr.. Hodnett: Q. What did Mr.. Adams tell
you when you were laying the bricks about any
one coming around and asking you where the
bricks were golngf Did he tell you not to tell
anybody whore they, the bricks, were sent to A
One day we had worked until some or 10 minutes
before six, just short time before quitting time
and we had loaded two or three carts, when gen.
those bricks were going. answered him that /
did not know. The next day William II. Adams
came around, and told him that gentleman
was there the night before and inquired Of me
where those bricks were going. He asked me
what said, and told him that had said that
are
| Q. What did Mr.. Adams do when the superin-
tendent was there looking over the bricksf Did
bricks we're being loadedf A. He had . watch.
man there on the bricks, and when the carts
would come down to take the brick away those
parties used to be taken into q saloon, and while
they were getting their drink the carts were be-
| ing loaded. Of course we were workingmen, and
had to comply with their wishes or else be dis.
i Q: Who was the superintendent there A. Mr.,
"a'iSaSts q, = Adams. s' .rn:TJnts"d.n, 81: :, ~
intendent; but believe he pretended to be doing
q little for both sides.
BY Mr. HOdnett: Q. He was oficiaIly appoint,
ea Dy the Doardf a Yes, SIR; he was inspector
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. What was whittemors',
SSsnsss' petoTs az ne went on there as s1psrn,
carts working on the streets for Adams. He
seemed to have charge Of Adams men, besides
Q. Do you know of any Government or private
property that was taken or hauled away in this
mannerf A. No, sir, do not
TESTIMONY OF DANIEL cLANUcY
Daniel Clanucy sworn and examined:
By the Chairman: Q. Did you work for William
H. Adamsf A. worked on the same street that he
was working on-B street southwest-lasT July.
saw him having his horses and carts hauling
bricks away And taking them down to street
southwest, and putting them on the pavement on
one side Of the street
Q. Hauling them from street and laying them
down on streetf A. Yes, sir.
Q. Between whsk Streets do you remember?
A. Pretty near the whole street. do not re-
member the streets. 1 set the curb near the
BY Mr.. Wilson: Q. Do you know that 1t was
the same brick that went away from street be-
tween Seventh aad Ninth that was laid on
street, A. Yes, sir; the same brick. They took
them from B street, between Seventh and Four
i teenth.
greatest part. He took some up to the upper part
Of the city. 1 do not know where.
q. What kind Of brick were these2 A. Good
pavement bricks.
Q. What do you think they were worth a thou
sand? A. Twelve or thirteen dollars. He hauled
some to the Thrteenth-street sewer-Thirteenlh b
street northwest. The brick were put on the
sewer there, and they must have been good brick
if they were Mt for the arch Of the sewer.
Y. These brick were taken from the pavement?
A. Yes sir; right opposite the Agricultural
Q. Put in tho seusrG A. Yes, sir.
By Mr. HOdnutt: q. On what street Is that
sewer situated? A Tbirteenth street northwest.
Mr.. Almond is paver on d street, and he knows
all about Il. have sent for him.
Yes, sir
Q. Does he know that Adams hauled them awayr
| A. Yes, sir; he laid some OF them down on +
Street after they wero hauled down there
Q. He knows that they came from street and
that they were laid on F strest7 A. Yes, sir: he
/ laid them.
Q. Did you do the curbing on B ssrsstH A.
| Yes, sir.
q. Did you work as a sub-contractorr A. No,
sir; l worked BY the day for Adams, sub,
Q. Does Adams owe you asS money! A. Yes,
q. How muchf A. sevsnty-two dollars and
some odd cents
@. Do you know Of any other property being
taken or used In this way-either Government
property or private property? A. No, sir.
q. Who superintendent for the Board OF Public
| Works on that street7 A. Mr.. Whlttemore.
| Q. What was his business before he wont there?
| A. do not know what his business was, but he
1 was employed by the board.
Q. Did he have any carts? A. He had some
| keeper for Adams.
Q. Did you lay, any Of the bricksH A. Yes,
sir; laid come in the F-street sewer.
| Q. Those were Government brick? A. Yes,
| sir.
BY Mr.. Hodnett: Q. Did Adams ever approach
You when you were loading those brick and tell
you to be cautious and not tell anybody about It
A. No, sir; did not see Adams around when
was loading them.
By the Chairman @. How long did this go ont
| A. He was hauling them from the 10th Of July
until October, different parts Of the time.
O. How many carts would be hauling? A.
4
| there, as / understood; Government wstchmen.
| Y. You saw the brick taken up on street,
/ from Seventh to Fourteenth A. Yes, sir.
Q. Can you give an Idea OF how many bricks
/ were taken upf A. ! cannot; Mr.. Almond can
| give you an idea.
By Mr.. Hodnett: Q. Who took the Govern
| ment vatchmen that were watching this property
| away and treated them to o drink while the brick
| were loadingf A. Charles Adams, brother of
William H. Adams, as understood. While
| these bricks would be loading he would take
them into tavern; whether they drank anything
or not do not know.
TESTIMONY OF ROBERT BURNS.
Robert Burns sworn and examined:
By the Chairman: Q. Did you work for William
II. Adams? A. Yes, sir. -
G. Where: A. I worked for him good deal
thsse last two years.
q. On city eontractsf A. Yes, sir; worked
on the F-street sewer -out to the branch, Twen-
tieth street, street and pretty much wherever
he has been working.
Q. Do you know anything about taking up
bricks away from B street? A. Yes, sir; saw
some taken away from B street. ---.-
| Q. Where were they sent TOT A. believe
they went down to I street, and others went
down to Thirteenth street and Twentieth street.
q. Do you know of any bricks taken from
street and put into sewer7 A. Yes, sir; be-
| lieye there were some that went into sewer.
z. Were they good brick? A. Yes, sir; they were
| frst-ciass brick. Inspectors would rather have
| them than the new ones.
@. They were frstclass pavement briekf A.
Yes. sir.