Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-05-23
THE DISTRICT INVESTIGATION.
Proceedings Of The Joint Congressional Committee
CIostng Procecdinr- Ye.trrdax.


Committee closed yesterday Jonathan Taylor,
| of the hrm Of Taylor 6 Fnbert, testified that he
purchased several contracts for work in this
city, but without the knowledge OF any mem.
Der Of the Board Of Public Works.
CROSS BXAMlNATION OF ADOLF CLUss,
Adolf Cluss was recalled, and cross-examined
by Mr.. MsttiDgly. He said he was appointed a
member Of the Board Of Public Works October
23d, is ?, and on the 2oth of December was re-
luested TO take charge Of the engineer depart
ment-
Q. In your testimony on page 1850 of the rec
orc you say, in answer 70 a question put 10 YOU:
''weII, the organization OF the board is such as
70 seriously impede the operations OF the very
oest engineers III at could be on hand. 1 foani
this state OF things when I cana here. 1 have
done with frmness and courtesy he best to rem
edy what seemed 70 me lack OF system; but 1
do not think have been very successful in NV
efforts. The vice president takes the as sistaut
out OF the engineers office and gives him prI.
waite tons 10 take up work and pass bills
without the engineer knowing of it,"
q. lie that the only reason you have for making
that state ment? A. No, sir; have a good many
other reasons. My opinion is that the Board OF
Public Works have so far murdered the reputa-
ton OF able engineers as much as Blue Beard
dld his wives. Laughter
q. The story OF Blue Beard numbering his
wives Is only matter OF fiction. and do YOU
mean TO say that the reputation OF the able aud
competent engineers that you speak of was muir
dered IN the same way? A. have no answer
to give TO that.
q. On this same page of the record, second
ter OF government measurements, you say:
again, the government measurements whics,
think, according TO the reading Of the law,
are certainly under the engineer in charge OF
the Board OF 2 ublic Works, and 10 be controlled
by him, and remeasured by the engineer in
charge OF public buildings and grounds, were
done without my knowing a word Of them. So
oil those errors, wish TO Say, sm not respon-
slble tor, nor the department under nv charge -
they were not done under yoar SUPERVISION
A. No, sir.
Q. Have any OF those matters been.supiected
10 your inspection or supervision after they
were done? A. Which matters?
=. those matters in regard to government
measurements, sc A. The first l saw OF them
was In the printed ststement-ia the Governors
Q. Is that correct? A. No, sir; I wish 70
correct a couple Of errors that appear in the
printed testimony.
@. Do you mean TO say that you did not saw
that, or that IL is "A mistake OF the reporter
A. Well, 1t was an error into which L fell In
those many statements had to make in a few
hours.
q. You fell iuto a good many errors? A. M.
sir; there Is only one OF them; the others have
got here IN black and white.
Mr.. ChrIstle.-He has the right, Of course, 10
correct.
The witness ought to answer, of course,
that this was printed ia the former report, but
mean To convey the idea that the Governors
answer only gave the key TO unlock the mys-
terles oil those former reports. These answers
we're terra iHC09Hifd, without the answers given
IN the Governors answer; and so as not TO fan
into an error, might be allowed, perhaps
made one statement, namely, that a contract
for ~, eco square yards OF wood pa VEN ent was
given in blank to the successors OF DeGOlyer &
Mcclellan. L ought To have said 10 the best
OF my knowledge that IL was given to the
trustee OF Austin z. Brown, Z. Jones being the
trustee.
Q. That is the same matter already referred
To before? a. L am not through vet. In this
item / think have not been correctly recorded.
l said that by the stroke of the pen or the vice
president a million doll lrS' worth of contracts
had been given out or awarded in his private
office Tor main sewers. said these main sewers
were awarded TO CarTOhan * Co., GraatZ *
Appleman, Samuel Strong, Gregg & Co., Wm
| =. Adams. certainly said. at the same time
| Dartlett & Williams. II the lat's name was
lot included the million would ssem 10 be eX-
hungarian eXaggerati0D.
The Chsirmsn.-lf you will allow me to say
word fhere. think you did not mention by
name Bartlett * Williams; / mention that in
justice 10 the reporter who was here at the time
Senator Stewart think you did not.
The WItness.-l might have been mistaken
TIE Chairman.-You mentioning a great
number Of Dames, it is very natural you may
have omitted one of them.
The WitIess.-Ths is, think, all.
BY the Chairman:-Q. These are all the cor
rectioDs you desire TO make? A. Yes, sir.
q. You signed, Mr.. Cluss, tue report Of the
BOARD for 1873, did You not? A. Well, sir, 1
have told the Governor that as a courtesy u
him signed his report when il was presented
To me; signed il az matter OF courtesy, w It'll
| ought to have done, and told the Governor
also, wbe the Governors answer was printed,
ana he laid certain statements as government
| claims before ne L refused to sign them, be-
cause in this very report of 1873, careless figures
| were laid before me; | was good enough % sign
them without closely looking over them; this re-
| port in the Governors answer, therefore, came
before this committee without my signature; il
| is q claim for about two and a quarter millions
| for main sewerage, &C.; to the BEST Of my rec
! objection this PAPER was in the handwriting of
4 off hTr N mr. NJ n -
| sign il; IL Is here without my signature.
q. Did you sign this report OF 1873? A. do
not know even for sure that / signed il; the re-
ports Of the Board or Z ablic Works are not such
| as have been accustomed to before was
| member OF the board.
Q. You have seen the report purportiny to
| have your name appended there? A. have
| seen many reports where my name was adj led
| without my consent and without my kno Wedge.
| Q. What reports of the board have you ever
| seen, where your name appeared when You h ad
rot signed? A. Papers in the Governors an
| Embellishments in the Governors answer
| presented to this honorable committee.
q. What papers?
| The Witness win You give me the Cover
Dors answer? copy Of the Governors an
sweT was handed TO witness A. II you will
| tuIn TO page S3s you will fnd there are some
| papers there that never say; never saw these
papers before II was printed, to the best OF my
BY Governor shepherd:-Q Do voa say you
lection, did not.
Q. Swear one way or the other; did you sign
| il, or did you not? 1 want q direct ans wer.
| When you make charges or forgery We have a
right TO demand that you shall answer it, yes or
no.
By Mr.. Mattingy:-Q. Did yoU sign II or not?
| A. To the best OF my recollection, did not sign
It. desire the papers to be presented here.
q. You stated not a moment ago that there
are papers in the Governors answer purpOi &
| ing TO be signed by you which you had not
| signed. A. Yes, sir; i did.
q. Now, is there any doubt in your mind "a
| TO whether you did sign that paper or not? a.
| will tell you in one minute; am almost posi-
| tive you know that this other paper on page 337
was not presented to me; that is the second.
Q. Hold on q minute; let US see what that Is
| You are almost certain you did not sign that?
A. am pretty certain did not sign tn at sigma
ture on page 3Sl; 1 demand the papers 70 be
brought here.
| Mr.. Mattingly:-we will have them here.
The witness:-There seems to be another
paper which did NOT sign then.
q. What is that? Let US know. A. IL Is some
estimates, you know.
Q. Estimates for what? A Contracts, OF
| course. 1 did not come here prepared, you
| know.
Q. When you make statements as TO forge
| ries, Mr.. CLUES, you ought TO come prepared to
| substantiste them. A. am prepared to sub
| stantiate Them.
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