The Portland daily press., 1874-03-25
WASHINGTON.


WASHINGTON, March 24.-The district inves
tigating committee, after hearing testimony
showing frauds in pavements, and that one
Clessbane had been bondsman for the con-
ira ,tors for three times the amount he was
worth, took a a recess.
The counsel for the memoralists offered in
evidence extracts from the published report of
the assets of Jay Cooke & Co., showing the ex
tent of the interest of that firm in the Mary
land Free Stone and Mining Go.
John o. Evans was examined in reference to
the transactions of various paving associations
with which he had been connected. He pro-
duced books and explained their contents and
gave at considerable length history of his
partnership operations in the paving business.
The capital with which witness and partnership
operated was partly furnished by witness ard
partly raised on joint notes of the parties.
There has been no division of partnership prof
its, the major part of which is due the firm
from the Board of Public Works. Witness is
an old contractor. Has been long time in
the business There was never any secret or
other arrangement between witness and the
Board of Public Works by which he or his part
ners were to obtain contracts He said the old
material used by us taken out of Pennsylvania
avenue was of no use to us. The board had to
take up the cobble stone pavement and they
gave it to us for removing it, and we broke it up
to form the base of the concrete pavement
Witness had no interest whatever in the pas
sage of the sewer act by the legislature, nor
Kilborne aud Latta. There was no truth in
the statement that witness was ever favored
over other contractors by the board When the
contracts was first let The board used unpre-
pared wood. After time they decided to have
the wsOd blocks burnetized and the price of
paving was increased to cover the cost of burn
etizing. Witness was interested in the Port
land Stone Co., and would like to give away
his stock in that Company. The pavement on
Pennsylvania avenue cost about 50. go yer yard.
Witness received So 20 per yard, subject to the
cost of keeping it in repair for three years. The
profits of similar work done by witness on New
York avenue were about Isl per cent. The re-
lative per centage of profits on this work is
from 10 to 20 cents per yard. Witness furnish
ed asphalt for the wood on Pennsylvania ave-
nue. west of 18th street. Witness never paid
or agreed to pay any member of the Board of
Public Works any money to secure contract.
never divided or proposed to divide profits with
any of them. Witness has no interest in the
contracts of c. E. Evans & Co., and G. E.
Evans is no relation of witness.
The witness was Intercepted by Mr.. Wilson
relative to work done by the Board around the
government property, and called the attention
of the council of the Board to the appropria-
tions made by Congress to reimburse the Board
for this class of work; also to the fact that
within few days after the passage of such ap-
preparation the major part thereof was paid out
by the Board on account of other and entirely
different work.
susceptible of an easy and satisfactory explana
ton and would be adhered to by the council for
the Board at the earliest possible moment
Mr.. librarians. called by the memoralists.
testified as to his relations to John o, Evans
Was his foreman in the latter part of 1871. and
superintened the Pennsylvania Avenue work
west of 18th street, done by Evans. The ma