National Republican., 1876-03-08
DISTRICT INVESTIGATION.
Mclaughlin and Beckett Have Talk About
thsir Fvidenes-Hewitt After Little Job

| Mclaughlin and Beckett Have Talk About
their Eviderce-HswittA After q Little Job.
The House Committee on the District OF Co.
lumTia yestert ay morning continued their inyes-
t!ga loo into he a Iirs Ct the board of audit and
the District of Columbia.
The committee proceeded with business as fol-
| lows:
william Beckett recalled: First saw NJ .Lluzn-
lin On FoUr-sud-a-kalf street, after Christmas;
| had one or two conversations with him about the
claim went with him to the squire's ofics and
gave him power Of attorney; he cams to my
ofhee after gave him the atidsyi..
Q. What was done at your houstP A. Well,
he brought me bill Of Items At my ho1se; he
didn't say where he got them; think he read the
items over to me; ! showed him some communlca-
tions had from the board; he didn't stay long;
| he did not commit anything to writing when he
made an examination Of my papers; never had
any conversation with members or clerk of the
District government before gos the claim from
Mclaughlin.
q. Has Mclaughlin paid you OF Williams any
money since you testified here? A. don't know
whether he has paid Williams anything. He
paid me 5000 before testified. 10 all he paid
me about =, ,eOO Have had some talk with him
since; he said, Beckett, you are summoned again;
can't remember what he said; we talked the
matter over in a general way; he said, see you
have made your statement; he said 1t was Q good
statement, and that l: was right.
q. Did he tell you what he testified TOT A. L
saw what he testified to in the psper. He went
over some Of the testimony he had given, but
cart remember what he said. When testified
before, had no idea any money was coming
to me.
John Norris was sworn, and an account was
shown which he said in his Judgment could not
have been made up except from information OBJ
taired inside the District government Office in
q had he CnIf nFt
wherein it was matter Of record The witness
then read the following statement showing
TEE ACCOUNTS OF LEWIS & HEwErr
VOUCHER 4,2 TO Thomas L,uIs: Paid
April Is, 1875. Grading Vermont svenue-The
two feet Of grading required by the terms OF
the contract is charged at 4ec. q yard, and de-
Quoted at So:. yard, as follows:
4rS5S yards, at T+3 20
4,35S at tJOc..................., l,3lT 10
OVeTpaid NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Sf35 so
In this voucher the total amount allowed for
grading and haul on Vermont avenue, according
to statement made and signed oy b. Oertley, un-
der date Of March q, 1875 is t30I6 So, while ac-
tenant Hoxe, under date Of January 10, 1875, ap-
psrently based on a letter Of Mr. OertIey, datsd
1snsaTy L. 5S.S IN which 1t Is represented that
payements, as being required ui1e.- the terms OF
;he contract. In SIN another pspsi, without
date, signed by B. 0ertley, assistant ens4aeer,
that officer reports the claim ''ought to be uis-
alowedI" az the grading done was no more than
was required and considered required at the
time tim Settlement pt for n this work was made by
payment allowed for $50 yards OF grading.
Grading Fourth street northwesL-The entire |
tract, is charged at so cents yard and deduccsd
at so cents yard, as follows:
9,527 80 yards al 30 cents. a $40 o.
s,527.S3 ards, at 80 cents ............ Ass 10
Overpaid. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. s952 73 |
The total amount OF grading and haul allowed |
signed b Oertley, assistant engineer, although
the claim is referred to adversely In letter Of E1
gineer Hoxie of January Is, 1875. The werk on
this street was measured cy rnc board OF Public |
WORKS In 1872, and settled for January "a 1873
IN tneir measurement 10 grading was allowed
same voucher: er:-rhs is the two feet called for
UeftIey, assistant engineer. already referred to,
and upon which the total amount of grading and
haul (at Y cents) allowed is Sl347a.s2, but paid
by board of audit $13 l6, while 1t is stated in
his letter OF anusry Il, 1875, that the claim vas
'taerai7te4 TO the late Board'of Public Works at
sundry times and dissllowed" The work on Ninth
street, from Pennsylvania avenue to NJ streetwas
settled for by the Board of Public Works Jauu.
ary e 1873. less retainer Of SIS s6LS2 paid De-
January 13, 1874, which limits comprise the en-.
tire line upon which the above grading has been
allowed.
ovERPAID ACCOUNTS.
hdIslDk anu IeIOppl1R yGrQS oil concrete !
on railroad track and two feet outside Thereof |
made necessary by the condition of the track, it
not having been finished when the pavement was
laid, at 81 IS, Sl4, 56S50 959 square yards pave
ments relaid at intersection OF street, at S32O,
: IOeS SO; IA square yards patching pavement, at
- Seso. dnSse tast tnIee Items are referred TO
usIy Il, 1875, and Lieut.. HoxIe to the board of
audit January Is, 1sT5 as having been Submitted
and disaiiowed." They are now allowed on the
paper OF Mr.. Oertley without date, already re-
ferred to; based upon sworn copy of certih-
Fourth district, datsd October sspuSa Is. Is1s Az
already stated, the final payment on Ninth street
port OF Inspector Wallace dated November 2i.
1913, that the street from Pennsylvania avenue |
to has been repaired, and the street from Penn
good condition
VOUCHER 1i.tI7-Thos. Lewis CAR. @.
Aewett, ipaid July 2, 1875. Repairs to asphalt
The bill for this work was referred BY the board
Of audit, to the Commissioners December "a 1874, |
The engineer returned it to the board Of audit
January IS, 1875, with the report: "There 10 no |
foundation for this claim. Ali repairs ordered
pairs are needed" Mr.. Oertley made a state
ment bearing no date allowing sTOl. Il was
finally allowed BY the board Of audit on the an.
VOUCHER Il, ,650-Thos Lewis & CARO-. Hsw
EFT, paid July 1875, 20 3ol cubic yards Of earth
deposited in the canal during Is73 as per atidavit
hIed with voucher, IS I05.I5. This claim has no
foundation whateTer, as during 1873 the increased
price OF haul was paid 1t also sppears that their
neer b. ?. W. before the close of the year 1872, |
with the exception of Ninth street from N TO
Il SOs to they declare that the ear,S excSVseed
from Ninth street, between p and Boundary, |
fully two thirds was taken TO and Third streets,
and the remainder was used TO fill up the ditch |
Of the street sewer This would leave the 49,
3ol yards allowed and paid for TO come from the
three squares between NJ and p streets.
Extra E0-E La vi G q -a-de nF he |
tween the railroad tracks on Ninth street, be-
tween Pennsylvania avenue and p street, at 80
the contract, and is over and above the $500 per |
yard called for by that instrument. Il is based on
a paper signed by b. oertley, assistant engineer,
this voucher, and the original with voucher IA |
o2s II is one OF the items referred to in Lieuten-
been submitted to the iate + Board Of ft PaSiis
Works several times and disslIowed." Lewis & |
20: claimed in their bill so cents yard.
1875: |
Grading Ta lin /, Ninth street. from to B2undsry
Deducted again, under terms Of contract,
1Ot37 30 100 yards, al 90 cents.......... lgl 10
OVerpaid............... ,Oc3 70
TOTAL AMOUNT oP GRADING AND HAUL
allowed on this work, s6!ss,76. Final measure
ment MADE by the Board OF Public Works NoVem.
Der IS, 1873, and no grading allowed.
Voucher li62s-R. c. Heuett: Paid June 2s,
iea0s 6Nlns OeIHeen rallrOaQ tracks on Ninth !
street, from p street north to Boundary, l59 |
.quare yards at 90 cents, g s697l This Is an al
loWance over and above the contract price of 80
per yaro, and fs made on report of B. Oertey, |
assistant engineer. Work settled for By the Board
Of Public Works December 1, 1873, a retain Of so
cents per yard having been held on account of the
amount was finally paid February IL, 1874. on /
report by Professor Henry that the wood was |
properly treated.
Grading Fourteenth street west from H street
north to Bouhdary-2s,a ,a3s cubic yards hauled
SIS feet over 200 ieet, at lc. for each 100 feet
70 IS ltoc. per YARD, 81 $50 ~. The work from
70 street was settled for by the Board Of |
Public works December 20, 1872 and from N to |
Boundary December ;, 1872, and paid for st So 20 |
q yard. The grading allowed was embraced iu |
this sum OF $50, as follows: Pavement, sass; |
sshd, ZIci grading and preparing road bed, 65e. |
made by b. Oertley, dated June II, 1875, and the
price arbitrarily hxed by him. The total surface |
al WO0 L