New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-23


the Moiety bill, for instance.
2am-At this hour the Senate is still in session.
There is no prospect of vote for an hour or TWO.
THE DISTRICT INVESTIGATION.
HOW THE BOOKS OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
ARE KEPT-TREAsURER MAGRUDER ON THE
srAND-aTTEMPT OF TIE DEFENSE TO IMPEACH
THE ACCURACY OF Mr.. CI.Uss's STATEMENTS.
fBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUSEl
WASHINGTON May 22.-The meeting of the Dis
trict Investigating Committee to-day was one of
the most interesting and important that has occurred
since the present inquiry began. 1t opened with an
examination of Treasurer Magruder of the Board OF
Public Works in regard to his method of keeping
accounts. Both in his published annual reports and
in the answer of Gov. Shepherd to questions pro-
pounded by the Committee, Mr.. Magruder has given
a copy of his cash account purportng TO snow ali
his receipts and expenditures; but when the Com
mittee undertook to compare his actual payments,
as shown by his cbeckbooks, with this account they
found it utterly impossible to identify the CORE
spending items. For instance, on two days
of gwen month Magruder gave number
of large checks several of them calling for $4,000
100000 each, but the cash accounts showed no such
entries during the same month"; nor any other which,
together would aggregate the amount they cover.
Several of these items selected from the check
books several DAYS ago. and Magruder given an
opportunity to-day to show if lac could III his cash
account the corresponding items. He pointed to
number of entries made the next month, which,
when compared, would correspond with some OF the
checks while for Others he could not find any CORE
spending entries 1t does not follow from this most
extraordinary and unintelligible method of keeping
accounts that there is anything wrong about them,
but it is impossible for any one to learn what has
been done with the money from an examination OF
the books. The accounts of the Board of Public
Works seem to have been kept with purpose of
concealing truth, rather than of revealing 1t.
At the afternoon session of the Committee, the
counsel for the District Government began the
cross-examination of Mr.. Cluss, the member of the
Board whose testimony fell with such crushing eff
feet upon the Ring two days ago. The preparations
to break down this witness were of the most for
midable character Gov. Shepherds counsel were
all on hand for the first time since of their num-
Der. Mr. Harrington, found il necessary To come be-
fore the Committee with counsel TO defend HIM
against suspicious connection with the robbery OF
safe in his own Office. Judge Black was also there
as a sort of consulting counsel to suggest puzzng
questions and to see that occasion to take adj
vantage of careless statements or admissions was
allowed to pass, and to put question himself now
and then. The examination was chiefly conducted
by Mr.. Mattingly, and sharp and able. There
at times a KIND OF bullying OF the witness, a
disposition to entrap him into statements and asser
tions that he would not voluntarily make, but the
Committee aud the spectators all seemed to feel that
under the circumstances, considering the grave I'M
putations and charges that Cluss had made against
Gov. Shepherd. il but simple justice to the lat
ter that Cluss's testimony should be submitted to
the scverest test that it was possible to apply.
Mr. Cluss sustained the cTOSs-eXaminatiOn with
less credit than was expected by the most of those
who listened to his direct testimony. The defense
aimed rather to mpcach the accuracy of the wit
ness and to show that he was himself responsible
for many of the false tables and statements he had
already denounced rather than to dsprove the
irregularities and frauds to which he testified in
his direct examination. They succeeded, to some
extent, in showing that he had been loose in many
of his statements. The witness is a man of very
exctable temperament, and this combined with
his somewhat imperfect knowledge of the English
language, led him into errors which Mr.. Mattingly
took advantage Of to place him i'll very unpleasant
position. 1t was shown that Mr.. Cluss had included
in some of his sweeping assertions matters which
he ought to have omitted, and as a matter of form
or otherwise his signature had been appended to
some of thespapers,he had denounced The result of
to-day's work was in some degree to shake conf
fdence in the exact accuracy of all the statements
made by Mr.. Cluss, though thus far the main
body of his testimony stands unimpeached. Mr..
Cluss's cross-examination will continue tomorrow.