National Republican., 1874-05-29

walks or cufbhsif A. Yes, sir; I sm now ask
I ing f6f the returns for those things.
lEe-In rhst xay=did= they giye you this e
sessmentAin certificates or byTyou say all
A. All know about II is they merely com
municated to me they would refer TO thu
auditor to audit.
9. That is the last you know OF iti A. Yes
/ sir.
By Mr.. Stewart: Q. Do you contest the wholt
OF 1.-THE whole assessment, as Illegal A. No
| sir.
| Q. Imean the whole special assessment A
/ may as well state. in all fairness to the bank
stated another point which would dispute
under legal advice. I told the cashier Of the
bank that the certificates issued thought
had right TO pay in the certificates which the
Board OF Public Works have issued topsy con-
tractors. The construction put upon the law
was could pay with these certificates.
9. You could buy certificates they issued
| and exchange themY L. / told him thought
l could pay thcm; that hsd the right to pay
them whenever / sscerteined the aggregate
amount and to pay the aggregate amount OF
these certificates, and that was advised !
could do so by the bes. legal authority.
Q. That Is the reason you have not paid any
OF themf A. No, sir; have paid great many
Of them. / have paid some of them where,
have no doubt, there was an oyercharge, but
old not care much about It. thought would
get rid of ID.
Mr.. Mattingly. What is the date Of your first
letter 70 the board? A. A few days after they
sent me the notice. l received the notice on
the 9th or 18th Of November, do not remem-
Der which, and on the 21st of November wrote
them letter.
Mr.. Christy. desire to call the attention of
the committee TO what is on page 2252 of the
| record, where there was difference Of recol-
lection, and not question of veracity between
| US. 1t Is merely to settle, by reference to the
record, question Of recollection that has
arisen. ..- .. ..- .,.- a- p
The Chairman. In reference to WHAT
Mr.. Christy. About this matter of contro-
versy growing out of the execution Of an offer
to arbitrate the matters in controversy between
the board and Daniel Strong, in which Mr..
Cluss thought proper to make q statement,
which was denied with q great deal of empha-
sis, as you will remember. 1 simply desire to
place before the committee that record to which
made allusion at the time. The first appear
ance is page 73S. The first allusion to that
matter was made by Mr.. Strong. He was in
terrogated in regard to it.
The Chairman. You need not read what is
said, Just refer to the pages.
Mr.. Christy. Then, on page 73l, Mr.. Magru-
der was interrogated and withheld the fact, as
claim, that be or Governor Shepherd had
signed an agreement not answering in regard
to that, but simply speaking of q paper which
ever to the fact that 1t was that particular
paper which proved to be copy to which there
was no signatures.
The Chairman. He was not asked about that
at the time. remember that myself
Mr.. Christy. Now, on page 955, Mr.. VIII
lard was examined upon that subject. He
likewise makes reference to il, stating the ex-
istence Of the paper and It's history. Then, on
page 96S, there is this testimony. The matter
under discussion was whether any statement
had been made by Governor Shepherd in regard
to It. ...
CMr. Christy then read from page s6s Of the
record.l
ADOLF CLUss RECALLED.
The Witness. May ! add one worda The
fact that Governor Shepherd stated publicly
that this paper had been handed to him by
Mr.. Harrington, and thst Mr.. Harrington said
that it was good thing for the District to do,
that was what led me astray. was positive
aud sure that all these very complicated opera
tions between the Board Of Public Works and
Mr.. Smith could not In any way or shape be
known to Mr.. Harrington, without his having
referred to the records of the engineers office,
where days and weeks had been spent in trying
to effect settlement. And so thought II was
O very unfair statement. It was impossible to
be made. How could Mr.. Harrington know
that this was good for the District William
A. Cook, the attorney, might have know n
something of It, but no application had been
made to the engineers office. thought it
was extraordinary that Mr.. Harrington should
say it was good thing for the District to pay
all these accounts, dating back for 30 many
years.
On page 2029 wish to read: I am talking
about that general law for these main sewers.
The Legislature passed an act-seven mills for
Georgetown. That was for all those sewers.
Now, 1 refer to page 2e63, where I, together
with Mr.. Barney, after my subpoena, looked at
the cost OF the main sewers. Here find that
the total cost of the main sewers In George
town is, for one sewer on Beall street, S22,
7gs. .05. There is only one other larger sewer
in Georgetown. This is on Bridge street.
However, since this sewer on Bridge street has
been assessed to the street proper It cannot be
included also as main sewer. Even if this
se yer was to be included 1t would not amount
to more than only $40 900. hsve the voucher
here for this sewer, though mean to say, in
kindness, that memory fails others as well as
me. I have got another page here. Since
yesterday q very extraordinary document was
circulated, and was presented as peEiurer
to the President of the United States and the
country. Ihave had little time to look over
these things.
GThe witness then read from the record to
the effect that Governor Shepherd stated
that Mr.. Mullet received only $1,000 in the
aggregated
The Witness, resuming, said: Now, Mr..
Mullet received about 5000, and 1 have the
voucher for 1t. He did not receive It in gross,
as Mr.. Shepherd states.
1.-THE witness then read the following paper:l
wAsHIxoTos, March Il, 1878.
The Board Of Public Works,
To A. B. Mullett, DIR.
For services chief engineer, from May II, 1871,
to August -, 1s71, and from December 10, 1871,
Ap 1s52 sesSn %on'h' and
For services as consulting engineer, from
August q, 1871, to December 10, 1871,
and from April so. 1871 to October IA,
1872, nine months and six days, at sa,5 500
per snnum, Lslo OF
s,l2s %
Approved:
H. d. Cooke.
ALEX. r. SHEPHERD.
JAMES A. MAGRUDEr.
ADoLR CLUss.
S. p. BRowE.
Received payment. A. B. MULLErT.
By Mr.. Mattingly: 9. How much do you
make It he has paid In grossi A. / say he was
paid In detail, and not In gross. T.
The Chairman. i don't think il is worth
while to spend much time over that: that is all
In one voucher.
The Witness. Yes, sir.
Mr.. Stanton. He was paid, in the aggregate,
81, 900.
Mr.. Cluss. have Q couple Of more refer
ences, but what I have read are enough. Just
want to show what Christians these gentlemen
are who have branded me as perjurer through
out the country.
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. Did not you certify on
the voucher for that certificate, that that was
certainly curbi A. 1 do not know. Bring me
the voucher and then will show 1t to you.
Q. Don't you recollect you didi A. 1 do not
recollect.4
Q. VIII you
Mr.. Wilson. Mr.. Mattingly believe I have
the witness; I was going to examine him my,
self.
Mr.. Mattingly. This Is voluntary state
ment, as understand, made by him Of his
own motion.
Witness Cluss. believe the curb is one OF
those vouchers that Mr.. Forsyth has passed,
you know. I do not think that, that TO the
best of my recollection and belief, you
know - do not want to retaliate. have
six children and wife, and do not like to be
branded as q perjurer by gentlemen whom
do not consider as Christians. l am satisfied.
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. understood you to say
the other day that you had seen Senator Nor
rill in regard to the manner In which the Board
of Public Works, or the business Of the Board
of Public Works, was being carried on some
thing like year ago. State whether or not
you made any suggestions to him with refer
ence to your resigning your positionf A. !
spoke to Senator Morrill, Of the irregular way
in which this board business was done. / do