New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-03


Committee has had great deal Of trouble with one
witness, namely. Samuel Strong. He was repeat
| eddy subpenaed but did not appear. lie sent notes
to the Committee saying he was sick, whle at toe
| same time he was seen Oh the streets OF the Gay
| When he did appear he declined to give any difect
| testimony cvadng the questions OF the ComInittee
and conveniently remembering as little as possible
When last on the stand no was ordered TO produce
| his check books, &c, showing his money uahsac
| tions in any way connected with his contracts vi
with members ok the District Government To-Day
he came again before the Committee with certain
books. but they were not all the books called for
and those that he did bring were mutilated some
of the stubs having been torn from his check-book
| and the Endorsements for others having been
| altered.
| Among the accusations against Mr. Cook, the At
torney of tho District is one that he has SOLD MS
opinions to contractors, and the meinorlalists at
tempted to prove this by Mr.. Strong. His memory
was very treacherous on this subject lie could not
| remember whether he had given Cook check that
had not been presented at the bank and, indeed No
| eyaded more questions the subject than he an
swered. The Committee were very lenlent WIN uie
witness, who would have been committed Tor con-
tempt by any court for such conduct, and simply
ordered him to produce the remainder OF his books
One interesting fact which Mr.. Strongs check-oook
|
to Mr.. Same, Gen. Babcocks engineer
| A Mr. Eslin a contractor, who graded and paved
| B-st adjoining the Smithsonian grounds, TESTIFIED
that he had done S7 900 worth Of work, and that he
had been paid between $4,000 and $4,000 IN certi-
Gates but no cash. The point of this testimony was
in the fact that the Board Of Public Works received
pay for fiye-sixths of the work in cash from the
United States. Additional testimony was taken to-
day in regard TO the signing of contracts after the
work covered by them had been completed and SET
tied for and of many of them since the lnVestlga'
! ing Committee organized The Boards con-
tract clerk testified that 30 or 40 contracts had been
| signed since this session Of Congress began,
and the most of them related to work that was pre-
| yiously completed and settled for.
Mr. Jewett asked the counsel for the District Gov
eminent why contracts were made and bonds taken
| after the work had been finished and paid for and
they replied that it only to secure the care and
repair of the work by the contractor for three years
! from the time it was completed. But this does not
explain it, for some of the contracts were so executed
that they contain no such requirement. The only
inference is that these contracts were completed to
meet the charge Of the memorialiss, that work had
been given out without written contracts, such as
the organic act of Congress required, and without
| bonds for it's faithful performance. If the docu-
ments in the Office of the Board OF Pubic WORKS
had been examined on the day the Committee was
organized. this fact would have appeared; but be-
fore the Governor sent in his these contracts
were completed, and some of them, at least. were
| signed by Henry ID. Cooke months after he had
ceased to be Governor, or TO have any official con-
nection with the Board of Public Works. At the
| time this manufacture of contracts for old work
was going on the fact was reported by several cor
| respondents. The Ring newspaper organs IN this
city denounced the report in the strongest terms
| and said if it was true those engaged in the work
ought TO 60 to the Pcnitentiary To-day the charge
was admitted. The investigation proceeds with e1-
| aSpeTating hardness.
sEMI-oFFIcIAL REPORT OF TIE Ey1DENcE-FUR-
! TIER STATEMENTS REGARDING THE SEWER TAX
| MEASUREMENTS, AND THE SIGNING OF CONTRACTS.
| GENERAL PREss DIsPATCH
! WASHINGTON, April AT the session of the
| District of Columbia Investigating Committee to-day
several witnesses were examined the value OF real
the section OF the city, which has been
subject general tax of two cents per square
foot that the amounts to large part OF tho
real value thereof Mr. Todd, citizen OF Boston, tes
fed that improved property in the eastern acc
ton OF the city which is assessed at about $4,000 and
that the aggregate Of his this year. including
special Improvement sewer and general taxes, Is over
81 900 Samuel Strong large contractor was recalled
aud questioned length In relation to what moneys he
had paid to William A. Cook, Attorney for the District
|
Strong had been feeling this attorney to decide
in his favor on certain matters in which he involved
with the Board Public Works Strong denied the i'm
putaton, and showed that Cook had been his lawyer
for some years. and that the moneys paid him were
! legitimate counsel fees.
Mr. b. seyerson presented number OF statements and
! estimates made by him from actual measurements
and reports OF the Board Of Public Works and also
from reports OF Babcock relative to the various
contracts executed under the Board He stated that he
believed the statements were correct. Most Of these
papers were coated from different reports, and contain
comments made by Severson In relation to the nature
of the work DONE He had made calculations for
the tpemorisists. The work around Rawlins square,
Government Reservation, the witness had remeasured
and compared with the measurement made by the Gov
eminent engineers. The Chairman stated that the
presented would be referred 20 the engineer ap
nouted by the Committee 10 verify the measurements
| which had been questioned by the memorialsts.
Geo. W. Linvile testified that he had one contract
DIST; John 20. Evans partner and he sold out
to Evans before the work was completed tho original
that Evans was to furnish the material
and means and divide one-ha the profit with the wit
ness The witness was questioned regarding what he
knew Of Mr. Evanss transactions with the United States
Government and Hallet Kbourn, but replied that he
had no knowledge of those imaers; he was interested
with Mr. Evans In the lumber business, and sold out all
his interests at one time.
Daniel A. Connolly, contractor stated that he sold
q 900 worth Of dirt to Edward Clark The Board found
II out, Cancelled the witnesses contract, and charged
him the dirt Gov Shepherd told the witness that II
he ever did such thing again he should never have
another contract The witness got his contract back,
but had very hard work to do It, The witness hauled
this dirt at times when the superintendent away.
No one Indirect interest with the witness
in any contract Under the old system, Government