Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-05-23


Fletcher proper settlement? A contract
had been made at the rates fixed and there was
no way TO get out OF 1t. L agreed with the board
In their action.
Witness produceda letter OF John o. Evans
asking for hns measurem euts OF eth street iith
street. street ,Farragut square, P street circle
and other work which had been completed
The first endorsement Is in Mr.. Shepherd,s
band writing in pencil "Mes 'rs Oertley and
Barney will have these meas 1rement IN ade at
I once, A. r. s." The letter Is written August
2sth; on the eth of September Oertley makes a
/ req ort OF work done amounting to 1874 ,Oe0 The
account was audited Some of the amounts
! for partial measurements made by OertIey are
bigger than the actual work itself. 1t was two
weeks siter Evans measurements were made
/ ~ Oertley before my attention was called to it.
Barney aud Oertley never made partial mea-
surements without my knowledge.
-. me hnal settien,s mt Of John o. Evans was
not frauduen A. Oh no. the payment was
! correct; the point | want to make is the pay-
ment on partial vouchers by Oertley; do not
complain Of fraud, / complain OF the great ir-
regularity OF doing work in the Office of the
| Board OF Publie Works.
Witness produced the record of his Office
| showing the measurements made by Oertley
! tor John o. Evans were marked 'informsl.n
he dld not think 100000 should be paid out on
b. Mr.. HubbeI-Q. Didn't You know it was
| entered in your book ''intormal?' A. No, sir.
O. Wasn't it your duty to look over your
books? Were you not responsible? A. Yes,
Q. If paper came into your Office "inform-
| al'' whose DUTY WAS it TO correct the infOrmal.
| W. a III was my uQtv.
O. Did yon call the attention of the board to
| th' infornality-you complain il was informa
to address Oertly and Barney instead of you
g. If the letter had been addressed to you L.
would not have been informal? A. No, sir,
and would have gone myself and given the
work the attention ii should have had. 1 did
not call Gov. Shepherds attention to the Gin
formality."
BY MT: Mattir gly:-Q. If Gov. Shepherd had
requested You to make the measurements,
would it have been made the same way? A.
Ii would not have been made by OertIy. 1t
would have been made by Franklin; he would
have sent IL to Mr.. Barney, and would have
approved IL. do not complain OF fraud, but of
the Irregular m inner of doing work.
! the auditor from making fall payment on a
partial measurement? A. Yes, sir; but it is
more sacred in its violation than observance.
For instance, Connolly was given full pay on
partial measurements, when 90 per cent, should
have been retained.
Mr.. Mattngy, handing witness the Connolly
youcter:-Q. Didn't you approve that voucher?
A. Yes, sir; according to the award Of the COM
mission appointed.
Q. You say considerable prominence was
given to your testimony, and you claim the pro.
lection OF the committee. Didn't YOU etpect
that being q member of the board, your
testimony would be given prominence? A.
meant IT would be given prominence with refer
ence TO the tagging.
Q. Did you appreciate fully the position you
were taking when you gave yeur testimony?
A L did; and for that reason l answered so
frankly
@. You didn't say conscientiously? A. No,
sir; that is your addition. may have erred in
my testimony in formalities, in substance 1 am
correct.
Witness wish you would proceed faster.
L am afraid that you are wasting too much
time on technic lities, and You will tire the
committee before you reach the important tes-
tiDony.
Mr.. MattInely.-I am SIRE , am tired. Mr..
Cluss. This is painful operation 10 me, AMI
IL you VIII Q y answer my questions we Will get
along fast enU 'gh.
witness.-I- September last Mr.. Forsyth was
ordered to remeasure certain work for G. f.
Evans without my knowledge. 1t covers %
vouchers.
Q. Has there been any final settlement? A.
l know a final settlement is in progress uson
these measurements of Forsyth.
Q. bias there been any final settlement? An
swer my question. A. final settlement has
not yet been accomplished.
WITNESS was shown and recognized letter
written TO him directing him to m AXE an in
spection OF the work OF the Evans Concrete
Pavement company.
A CONTRACroR's LvTrHe.
Mr.. Allison read the following telegram, as
he said, III justice TO q. f. Evans:
NEW YORK, May 22, 1SI4-To the Chairman
DISH ct IRrestGGtion Comnittee:-Learning tn 4t
your engineer has reported that i'll no case has
he found the measurements of the board cor
rect, or less than they should be, would re-
sPectfully ask, if consistent, that you appoint
any competent engineer to remeasure with me
Bly entire work at my expense, as l want not
one cent that has not been honestly earned.
&. e. EVANS,
PRESIDENT Evans Concrete COmpany,
EXAMINATION OF MR.. CJUss RESUMED.
q Dcu't you think your direct evidence i'm
piled fraud? A. spoke OF Irregularities. 1t
is not for me TO convict or indict.
q. II was for your testimony to make imues-
SONS. Don't you think it inferred fraud? A
came to the committee to tell the truth fear
leFsly.
Q. Did you approve eff the final voucher for
circular curb around the T. street circle? A 1t
was Mr.. FOrsyth's voucher.
z. Ii you signed all of these vouchers with
making iuf rad tyish
there wasn't much use in having You at the
mead Of the engineers department, was there?
You approved the voucher. That is your sig
nature, is II not? A. Yes, sir.
Witness was shown two other vouchers OF the
Evans concrete company signed by him. He
admitted the signatures.
witness.-It shows that among twenty vouch-
ers signed two; there must have been a pecu-
liar reason for il.
Witness was shown another voucher of the
Evans concrete company which he signed. He
said IL was for work done around the residences
of Senators Baysrd and Edmunds, which he
gave his personal attention to.
q. In testifying on last Monday, when you
said you did not sign the Evans concrete COM
paDy's vouchers, you did not mean what you
said? A. mean did not sign the vouchers
tor their large amount OF work.
q. Why didn't you cay so then?
MI Mattingly.IThere are number of other
will not bother you about now.
Q. There has been considerable feeling be-
tween you and Mr.. Forsyth, has there not? A.
Il
like his plumbers. Whenever | would pass his
house his wife would ask me to take drink,
and 1 did il.
@. Where are the assessment sheets kept. A.
AS far as am informed they are kept in Mo.
Forsytb's office; there Is Office Of superinten-
dent Of assessments; have been in ms Office.
q. Are not members of the Board of Public
Works allowed 10 see the papers of subOrdi-
mates? Did you ever apply for paper which
was not given to you without order from the
vice president? A. / really don't remember
any such case.
O. Did you apply TO Mr.. Forsyth for Informs
ton concerning the assessment sheets on 18th
street? A. have not applied to him, because
IL came up in board meeting. The oficer whose
business it was to apply made the application,
The sheet came back without quantities.
Witness was then questioned concerning over
..--ts alleged to have been made TO the
Fyans Concrete r.,tns Company.
Witness said Taylor and FlIDeis were alloWvs
extra pay for grading on + street upon his
Recommendation.
He was also questioned concerning Albert
Gleason's me esuremeuts on south street,
wherein he said in his former testimony they
were frauds.
witness.-I mean 20 say they were 80 excess
sive; they were frauds; / m IAN to say they we're
a