National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-14
DISTRICT INVESTIGATION.

have; and, II 50, what were theyi A, 90 not
know that they had any facilities that could be
defined as superior facilities.
O. Was there an understanding between any
OF the board and your bank-presidenti Wee
president, or cashier-that If you would pur-
chase vouchers at price below their par value
that YOU could go to the treasurer of the board
and secure the payment of those vouchers1 A.
That cannot say.
o. Was that in fact donei A. lido not under
stand exactly what you mean.
o, Was your bank in the habit Of purchasing
vouchers, and then transferring them to the
board, and securing the payment In full OF
those vouchersf
witness. Do you mean transferring at once
to the boardl
within month"; A. We bought the vouchers
and then sent them to the board, and collected
the money on them whenever we could Cd
tain It.
By Mr.. Merrick: Q. Were the certificates
YOU bought always redeemed ct some time or
other-shorser or longer-by the Board OF
Public Works in money! A. All that we pur-
chased IShlle was connected with the bank
were redeemed, believe.
Q. They were all paid in money! A: Yes,
sir.
o. You say the treasurer of the Board OF
Public Works had no deposit-accouEt with
your bankl A. No, sir.
By. Mr.. Stewart: Q. Do you recollect when
the last purchase was madel A. will not
state that exactly. 1t was in the winter or
spring of 1875 &c
The Chairman. think if you had the presi-
dent of the bank here he could give you more
definite Information in regard to this.
Mr.. Christy. Yes, sir. We would like to have
Mr.. McKelden, the president OF the bank, sum-
moned.
The Chairman stated that he would be sum-
moned in accordance with the wish expressed
by Mr.. Christy.
o. Have you any papers relating to the
DeCiolver 4 Mcclellan contracts in your
possessionl A. l think l have some letters of
Mr.. Chittenden.
Q. Written to whoml A. Written to Mr..
Huntington.
Q. Have you them with you'll A. No, sir.
Mr. Christy. The matter that / allude to
are the papers that were in the possession of
Mr.. jenkins, and exhibited to him. The wit
ness is not aware of the fact, perhaps, that the
letter is in evidence to which he alludes.
The Chairman. I am aware there is one
letter in evidence, but understood from you
that this witness hsd Tome other letters in his
possession.
Mr.. Christy. That is not the point that
desire to present; and you may have been mis-
led BY the subjec: in the memorandum.
desire to have the witness Intercepted as TO
certain letters exhibited to him by Z. E. Jen-
kins, at Wizards Hotel, in this city.
Mr.. Stewart. We have called Mr.. Jenkins as
MI. Chris.y. Blu. the letters are fugitive; we
were unable to trace them by Mr.. Mcclellan.
Mr. Harrington. On, no, sir; Mr.. Mcclellan
traced them directly into the hands OF Mr.. Jen-
kins.
The Chairman. Mr. Mcclellan stated that
he transferred the letters and papers to Mr..
jenkins.
Mr.. Christv. 1t was not identified with any
sort of certainty. It will only result in our
asking Mr.. Gassaway to be retained as wit
ness until Mr. Jenkins is called. He was anx-
ious TO be discharged.
The Chairman. I will ask him the question
if he saw any letters in the possession Of Mr..
JeDkins1
The Witness. No, sir.
The Chairman. That seems to answer the
question.
Mr.. Christy. Unless Mr.. jenkins stated to
him the fact that there were letters in his pos
session.
The Chairman. That, think, we will want
to ask Mr.. Gassswsy about.
The witness was discharged with the under
standing thst he would he recalled If his pres
eDce was required.
TESTIMONY OF H. N. EksDY.
Horstio n. Easily, sworn:
By the Chairman: @. What is your pro-
fessoDl A. Ship-Euilding. have been engaged
in the lumber business, but ship building Is my
profession.
No, sir; notify profession.
Q. Have you made measurements of street,
A. Yes, sir.
Q. From where 10 where? A. To Seventeenth
and Twenty-second streets northwest. West
of the War Department.
Q. Measurements ftEe gradingf A. Yes, sir.
Q. Of the psVingl A. Yes, sir.
Q. Of the curbing! 4: Yes, sir.
Q. OF the 1agging5 A. No, sir; there is no
Tagging there.
O. What is the result of your measurements;
have you all your results on paperi A. Yes,
sir. Produces paper, and hands the same to
the Chairman.
Q. When did you make these measurements
A. made them in November, 1872, and have
verified them since that time.
Q. Who helped you to 90 thisl A. 1 did it
myself had laborer to assist ma-to hold
the lines.
Q. This is the result of your labor' A. Yes,
sir.
The Chairman. We will put this in evidence,
and submit it 10 the engineer we have selected
after having looked ii over ourselves.
The Witness. VIII you allow me Just to make
an explanation about thstl desire to say that
published q statement in relation to this mat
ter some three or four weeks ago in the news
papers, and after the same was in print dis
covered a mistake which have corrected in
this paper. / simply want, in justice TO myself,
to call the attention of the committee to that
and to state
@. Mistake in the newspaper article7 A.
Yes, sir. One mistake was against the Board
of Public Works, and another In their favor.
Q. This paper you regard as correctl A.
Yes, sir.
The Chairman. 1t is not necessary to go into
eny further explanation.
The Witness. With your permission, I merely
wish TO make
The Chairman. We do not care to go into
that matter. If you have q correct staten ent
here we will take It.
By Mr. Merrick: Q. Did you make any ap-
plicstion TO the board or officers of the District
government for facilities to enable you to make
measurements, and L so, what was the RESULT
a. Not to make measurements.
Q. You got the necessary data for making
the measurements A. Yes, sir; did.
q. What was the application, and what was
the result of your application A. can prob
ably answer your question by going into brief
statement. hold in my hand bill which /
received from the Board Of Public Works, or
rather from the assessors Office, November 9,
1872.
o. A bill for your assessment A. Yes, sir:
this bill charges me with carrisgeways and
footwsys Rlong my property Of s7.62 per foot
and for coping, steps, walls, &C., S2O6.75
making a grand total of 12,063Sl. When
received this bill was ct loss to comprehend
how so large an amount could be charged
against my property. had made some rough
IN error somewhere. went down to the
Office of the superintendent of assessments, to
Mr. Bell, who held that Office then, and doe!
now, believe, for information in relation tc
this matter. He could not give me any; M
did no. know any thing about It. At his sug
gestion, l went 70 the surveyors Office. Their
found come data IL relation to the subject, In
the shape Of a synopticsl bill, giving the sew
era amounts for the grading, paving, &c.
desired copy Of that paper. / asked The
clerk TO give me some paper, so that could
copy it. BE told me that he would be per
fectly willing to let me look at 1t and examine
it, but could not be permitted to copy the
paper unless 1 had permission to do 81
from the head of the office, who was Mr.. For
sytb, I think. From that went dow
to the auditor,s Office. and made an aieS'ieAtis-
Of the account on the books Of the Board o.
Public Works.
o. That is, all of the expenditures on thu
street, A.. Yes, SIR. n- ~.
o. So that you might compare your assess
ments with IN A. Yes, sir. A gentleman in
formed me that he could not permit me to lool
at his statements on the books, or to copy !
the Vice Prps3