National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-03
NAL REPUBLICAN, 1s74-DoUBIE

: ByMr.- Merrick: Q. Have you fndependens
memory Of the fact Of any of those large con-
tractors coming or being brought to the office
for the purpose Of signing contracts under
which they had been performing work during
the past year or during the past two yearsf A.
how impossible 1t Is for me TO make testimony
Q. l ask for the fact, and then you can assign
witness. Let me understand that question
again, please.
BY Mr.. Merrick: Q. ask you II you have nc
independent memory of the general fact thai
some of the contractors who have had con
tracts for large pieces of work which have beer
either in whole or In part executed within the
last one or two years came TO the ofice, OF
were brought to the Office, and signed thcil
contracts since the commencement Of the pres
emit session of Congressi A. No, sir; have NJ
means Of knowing when the contracts wert
| completed.
o. You have no recollection of any of thest
contractors being In your office at all 10 sigI
contractsi A. Oh, yes, sir; they were constantly
knowing; though, when the contract was I'm
ished.
O. Did any of these men who had large con
tracts, If you have any memory of any Of them
come to the Office for the purpose of signing
their contracts since the present session O
Congress begani A. That IS pretty indefinite
It is pretty broad question. cannot answer
definitely. would II could.
O. Give me as distinctly an answer as yoJ
can. A. That is, 1 have no recollection of thu
matter distinctly.
Q. Have you any indistinct recollection A
MY indistinct recollection is that there wert
contractors in the office, but they came their
as much for material AZ anything else.
Q. Had you to do with materlalsi A. Yes
sir; every order for materials was issued from
my office.
Q. You have no knowledge, then, and no re-
collection that any Of those contractors who
had large contracts with the Board of Publit
Works ever signed their contracts since the
commencement of the present session of Con
gress! A. can ouly make answer from the
best of my recollection, and have none.
Q. You have no recollection of themi A
No, sir. know they were there, and they may
have more or less signed contracts.
Q. Did you not attest as witness, sundry
contracts since this present session of Congress
begana A. l know what did do in reference
to that matter, and it has caused me a little
merriment. 1t is this: mine has been one of the
busiest Offices under the board. At all times
there are from ten to twenty persons there, IL
the office, clamoring either for material or con
tracts. Sometimes the clerk, In taking a sig
nature which would, of course, be signed In my
for my signature, and number Of them have
been passed in that way. Thus witnesses ant
attests were often made.
Q. You have attested q number Of contracts
since this present session Of Congress began
A. Yes, sir; number of them have been or
dered since the session began.
Q. Were any of them ordered before the tint
spoke Off A. could not answer that ques
ton definitely, because have nothing to de
an, h,,tv,
Q. You signed all those contracts as a wit
nessl A. Nearly all of them. All that knew
were signed in my presence.
Q. Have you any recollection of any of thes
contracts being taken out of the Office to be ex
ecuted by any member of the Board of Publ
Works since this session of Congress began
and especially by Henry D. Cookei
The Witness. Taken out to be signed b.
Henry D. Cookei
Q. Yes, sir. A. Oh, now comprehend you
didn't understand your question before. Ger
tsinly, they were sent to the Governors offic
| for signature.
Q. Old contractsi A. Yes, sir; some Q
them.
@. Signed by Henry D. Cookei A. Yes, sir
@. Now, can you tell US any of those! A
Six hundred and ninety-four is not even wit
messed by me, notice here; 698 is. That wa
signed before the session of Congress.
Q. When was 1t signed to the best of you
recollection A. You can just imagine M
difficulty, Mr.. Merrick.
Q. All we want to get at Is your knowledge
A. have no knowledge; you would not wan
| my memory,
| Q. Have you any memory or impression q
| to the time when that contract was executed
623-the contract of Filbertl A. could no
fix as to any contract.
| @. Give me the benefit Of your Best impres
/ ofA Oh - a..
cuted by yourself as a witness or by Nj
| Cooke. A. know that a number wer
signed. l went with number to Mr.. Cooke
but could not fix the date.
Q. don't ask the precise date. ask With
| the limit Of the present session of Congress
A. If there had been any motive in doing IL
would have remembered of doing It.
| l. Q. am not asking you now anything as 4
the material. A. But 1 want to show you hoy
1t is impossible to tx 1t in my memory, frou
| the fact that 1t was mere Office routine work
| Q. You say you did carry q number of cor
tracts to Henry d. Cooke since the presen
| session Of Congress for him to signl A.
| think there were, but Iwould not state the fac
positively. It is very likely it was so. It wa
q mere piece of Office routine work.
By the Chairman: Q. After he ceased to b
| Governor
| The Witness. What is the date of thisl
| L
to be signed by Governor Cooke since the pre-:
ent session of Congress begana A. say tina
l think 1t quite possible it was so.
| Q. Did you carry them YOURSELF A. Some
/ did not to Henry D. Cooke; carried them t
the Governors Office.
Q. They were returned to you with the sic
nature Of Henry D. Cooke upon thcml A
yes, sir.
9. Had they the signature of Henry D. Cook
1 hafOr i'll H.. a. A
Some had and some had not.
Q. Did some return with his signature whic
had not his signature on them when they wer
garfield A. Tho question was trying TO fix i
my mind
The Chairman. want to see If counsel car
not agree as to these contracts. What is tn
claim Of the District government
Mr.. Mattingly. l do not know what the clair
is on the other side.
| Mr.. Merrick. It Is claimed on the other sid
that a number of these contracts were signe
by the officers Of the District government sine
the present session Of Congress began, slthoug
they profess to bear date and profess to haV
been executed upon their face, so far as tn
date represents it, long time anterior to that
The Chairman. And they give the number G
| certain contractsl
Mr.. Shellabsrger. And stated there were q
many more.
| OuI du5Wef TeleIS 10 LQdL.
BY Mr.. Bass: Q. Let me call the attention {
the witness TO this contract, number 535. Tha
bears date 1879, the 9th of September. Whe
was that executed A. He said three week
before he was here; presume four weeks.
Q. There is q contract dated In September
1879. Has it been executed within the last tw
weeksl A. My understanding of that Is quit
different from that of Mr.. Collins.
Q. State your understanding. A. lam goin
to give 1t as understand it. Mr.. Collins Gale
upon me. after his testimony was given here
The day after that testimony was given rea
1t In the paper, and happening to meet his part
ner, Mr.. Jones, asked him what Mr.. Collin
meant by that statement. He gave me an al
swer which do not care to repeat here. Nj
Collins called on me subsequently, and toll
him the circumstances under which 1t had lai
so long In the office, and he denied them. II
may be right, but give my impression Of II
which Is this: that when summoned him 70
the purpose Of having him sign this contrac
he declined, on the ground that he had nc
asked for 1t and did not want it. He said ths
he had made arrangements with the board
He said he would not do It at board rates. II
claimed he had an arrangement with the boar
by W hich he was to receive fifteen per cen
upon the cost Of the work done. The contraC
was then laid aside with q view Of having
fairly Cancelled. Some months later, In m
conversation with the engineer, learned tbs
he had done portion of the work under ths
contract. then sent for him, and learned
that he was out Of town. beard also thft
was very i'll. As soon as he returned sent fc