Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-03-09
THE DISTRICT INVESTIGATION.


resumed this morning. at 10 o'clock. by the
House District Committee.
John Pope Hodnett, claiming 10 represent
squad of colored laborers employed by GER
tain street contractors whom he alleges have
rot paid their men, appeared before the
committee with his witnesses, and asked TO
have hearing; which request was granted.
A COOPERATIVE CONTRACTOR OF Ex-
MAYOR BOwENs TIME.
Cornelius Clark (colored) was sworn, and
testified that he bad taken a contract from
Mayor Bowen in behalf of the laboring meu
OF The hrst ward. He employed about fifty
men. and did work to the extent of about
50 600. The conditions OF the arrangement
were explained. The money paid on the
Work was divided pro rata among the men
money they would have made well out of the
job This was written contract, and the
price was Is cents for grading and II cents
for graveling. Witness had received the
same as the rest. There is still due the sum
OF Al, $50 on that work. The contract hat
been recognized by the board of public
works, and the laboring men mad been al.
lowed TO resume work after the change of
government was made. Auditor Richards
had passed upon this account. hut 10 W a. not
paid. A special act was passed by the ieGi,
lative assembly authorizing the pawn Of
this account. Governor Shepherd hat -
feTred the matter TO his attorney, Mr.. Cook
since which time witness hal lost trtct IF
the matter. He had been told that thi. a.
count was now in the hands Of an attorney
in this city. who pretends TO have puTchas II
IL from one Henry HimbeT.
PETER NC NAMARA GoFS FOR HODNETr
Peter Ne NdnIdT0 was the next witness. an
he testified that ne was - COZ tractor uni-r
the hoard of public works and the District
Commissioners.
MI b. ckner.- Here Is an account OF Sow
eral hundred dollars rendered ny labOrlng
men claiming In have worked for you; which
they say has not been paid?
WltDeSs.-I don't owe a dollar to any man
for labor under the board of public works nor
the District Commissioners.
Mr.. Buckner-That'S enough.
Mr. Men. continued, saying "that man
HOdDett ought TO be brought before the com
mittee. He has been the cause or more
apd their employers than enough. 1t is a
shame
Here the witness was cautioned and
STOPPED.
A GLASS OF ALE AND A CIGAR FOR 5000
YARDS OF PAVING.
Joshua King colOTed, testified that he had
worked for Charles Stewart. on X street, in
1SIl. He putdOwn about {, 900 yards Of paving
at 20 cents per yard, amounting TO II 800, or
thereabouts. The work had been measured,
and he had never received anything but n
glass OF ale and cigar. Finley and Ste Vart
were the contractors, and he (witneSs) was
sub contractor. He had given his claim to
HOdnett. Witness did not know whether
there was anything due Stewart or not from
The District government. Witness did the
work himself, assisted by Eli Kearney.
Neither of them had been paid.
Mr.. Buckner-What is the reason these
men were not paid?
Mr.. HOdnett-That is q question for the
District Commissioners TO answer.
Auditor Tayler explained that so far as he
recOllected there was found to be nothing due
stewart. He explained that there was
$4,000 appropriated by Congress to pay of
the labOriDg men, which had been paid by
the Commissioners.
Mr.. HOdnett denied that this money had
been disposed of according to law.
ANOTHER ONE OF STEWARDS MEN.
SOtOmOa Hunter, cOlOred, testified that he
bad done work under Charley Stewart for
six days. He had got only ~ for his labor.
There was due him SS675. which ne couldn't
get. He had presented his claim To General
ketcham, who had sent IL to the board Of
audit. They said there was nothing found TO
be due Stewart.
ONE OF "BILLY" ADAMS MEN.
RObeTT James, cOlOred, testified that he
had worked for Billy Adams on sewer WORK
near the Eastern Branch. He had got
small order on grocery store; this is all he
had got. There is 500 due him now. Other
amounts are due other men.
ONE OF SAM. sTROSG's MEN.
George Walker, colOred, testified that
Sam. Strong, contractor, owes him S23 80
for day labor. Strong says he has no money
coming to him. Don't know whether Strong
order Showing it), which he told me could
sell. Ii is an order on the old board OF pub
District Commissioners, who said they did
not owe Strong anything.
SOME OF MR. CHAsE'S MEN.
Jacob CuT7tngton colOred testified that he
sewers, who owes him $3.50 81 for work done
for the board of public works. Don't know
why his claim has not been allOwed-SI3l p
has been paid by the District Commission
eTs. Don't know why the rest has not been
paid.
A REMARK OF HoDNETr'S-NOT SWORN TO.
HOdnett remarked TO the committee that 10
was the practice of the paymasters of the
when lPnOra
Irishman or colored man came in for his
pay they would give him about one-half that
was on the rolls and then push him out, and
that the labOrers had no redress. He and his
detectives caught them at this several times.
WHAT BUTCHER CLAIMS.
Nm. Butcher, colored, testified that the
which $50 had been allowed. Worked under
Chase, but could get no satisfaction from
the District Commissioners.
HoDNITT EXALTS HIMSELF.
HOdnett again put in that the ID istrict
Commissioners told him that they were not
responsible to any one but Congress, and
row he wants Congress TO hold them respon-
sible. Hodnett explained further that he
was employed as counsel for the working
men of the District. He had claims amount
ing to 100000 in his hands, but so far had
got but Sl5 600 Tue press of the District
bad charged that he had swindled the la
borers, but he asserted that in the last two
years he had made but $500 for himself
for his services. He was president OF the
United Labor League of the United States of
America. He had power OF attorney from
each lsbOrer. He had mass meetings of five
or six thousand men TO protest against this
matter. He only could receive ten per cent.
OF the claims for his services.
ONE SENSIBLE REMARK FROM HoDSETT.
The people here, he said, will understand
this.
GEN. BIRNRY EXPLAINED
the difficulty in settling these claims OF
wOrkingmen on account of the many orders
that bad been issued by contractors, may
of which were in the hands of shop keepers.
False persOnatiOn often occurred and false
Fay rolls were made out, and to-day there
are two men il the penitentiary for ma king
out the same.
THE COMMITTEE HAVE ENOUGH OF 1T.
The further examination OF IaOOrers was
temporarily postponed.
Mr.. JOHN NORRIS, THE EXPERT,
was then examined in relation 10 an exam
iEatiOn made by him of
THE ACCOUNTS OF CONTRACTOR j. W. VAN
DENBURGH.
The result OF his investigation was as fol-
lows:
VOUCHER 4,O92-J. V. w. Vandenburgh:
Paid February 26, 1875: 6},2i6 loads of earth
deposited in the canal, is cents per cubic