National Republican., 1876-02-25
THE INVESTIGATION.
Proceedings Yssssr6ay-Kors witn,ssss Rx.

The old Board OF F-u0lic works authorizing tho
employment Of Messrs. Stanton, NJ MastiuGIy and
Harrington as attorneys, Er. Clephaue as short
ssnd reporter, or any record going to show tha:
the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN newspaper wac Or
dered or authorized TO print O1icially for the
board tho proceedings ef the investigation. The
hill OF tie NATIONAL REPUBLICAN for printing
the 0fleial report was read. 1t was for 5s7
columns, at els per column, and for white paper,
aRgrega;ing 9l3el6. An Endorsement was on the
account "The printing Of the oticial report in
rHE RErUBLIGAN was authorized by u.s." Signed,
A. r. Shepherd, II. A. willard and ]. b. Blake.
TlIB RKPrULICAN's account was sworn o as cor
rect by ". H. Pope, business manager, before u.
r. Hopkins, notary public.
PLyNBER's ACCOUNT
John A. Blinkhorn sworn: Am n plumber and
Ess-htteT: am superintendent for banEial Han
nan; Ar. shepherd gave me contract on 5 street,
from Seventeenth street to Twenty-secOad street,
TO put in sewer and water services; the next
contract was fren U. l. Evans; he agreed to give
NE tunGs II l could push his work; went on for
bVe weeks and be fell back; that Is, didn't pay
of promptly; told Evans inasmuch as he was
DELINQUENT he had botter transfer my accounts
with him TO the Board Of Public Works: this he
DID; to Herman aud myself; our accounts bv this
Ecpts with the bSard didn't have time often to
see what papers We signed.
MP. nEwETT AGAIN.
q. When the old Board OF Public Works was
abolished had you . claim against the District :?
A. Yes, sir: there was one account, l don't know
whether It was settled; II was about $500; Ineyer
HOt q ctnb lIOU Ils 0Hd hCcOuuIs al mixed
Up; used to go to room numbered %, In the
District Office building: IL had sign on, mo Ad-
mittaDee, " and soon found that "all who entered
there Iett hope DehiDd;" and on the Sth OF No
veIRber, 1873, met Hewett; he said be called for
OR matters: he said, II will come up to-utsh: ut
o'eicck and see Hsnnan;n he came with Charley
johnson: introduced HsEett TO Hannah; he
says, "Well, Hannah, there is some Of your odd
balances down at the board: will give you 81 900
Tor them" Hannen said: "Do you know what my
claims are?" He said: "Oh, no; but l viii take
my chances Oh thenl.r Ranusn said 10 Hswett:
II will collect my Claims myself" "Oh, no.
says Hewett, ''yoa can't collect them: fhaye
friends who will help me TO get the money"
Usnnso, after q good ceEl of talk, told He1ett
was collected. Charley Johnson then read a
power Of attorney. Hannau ssid: "No, / won't
tiEn It," Hut after Hewett had said he was no
10. few days after Hewett broug ht me s.. $50 in
bonds. / ssid this isn't bali. He said there is
some little odds; well hx thai after time. 1
RRTe him DO receipt 70: the money. Hannah said
TO De, after We got the bonds, 900 down to the
beard and see shat those bills are" went and
saw they were for water service pipes laid In diff
ferenL sections OF the city then wrote TO lIegett
aDd told him was
UTTERLY ASTONlsRED
TO fad that he had collected claims which would
bSve 10 come TO NE in a lev days. He came TO me
and ssid, "What, did you expect me to collect
fraudulent caims?" ] said, "No; you were TO
collect the ODDS and ends Of our account, and not
or two" "Ob," he said, 81 have 20. a power OF
attorney to collect all yOug claims" l then sued
htm. He met me one day alter this ard said, ~
don | want this thing 10 20 TO the board, on ac-
conBt OF the party that was with NE that nigh"
meaning Charley johnson. Hewett said all he
paid Johnson was his Zee Of fve dollars We then
talked OF a cornDromfse tnnIIV saiI ;.S on rign
me 500 and We will call it square" I then went
to my lawyer, and he said, You can't withdraw
TO 20 and see Mr.. MorTiss In Ir. Merrick's office.
He sais ~ won't do IL: I.wIIl settle with YOU but
with no other man" This is the way the case
stands to this day.
q. DID Heweit tell You who his friends wcrc
who could help him to get the claims through?
A Ne; but my impression was that they were in
in the auditors Office, and had formerly been en-
rlOyed by the Board OF Public Works. l do not
know whether Hewett meant that he was one OF
his friends or not. don't think, however, he was
the man; think Donovan is an honest man.
=. You wrote Hewett a letter after the trans
action; what was the substance of 1t? A. That
Eewett had collected claims which would come
TO any way. and he came to me quite eX.lted-
fy and said Did you expect me to collect fraud
ulent claims"
THE CASE OF JOHN CHAPMAN.
John Chapman sworn: I am a builder; had
several contracts under the old Board OF Public
Works; when the board went out had claim
due me: one particular Job was on X street. In
the fall Of 1874 put my claim in the hands of ].
e. Lay \ Co: it was allowed in part. had a
Engineer CluES. told Lay to push my claim: he
Eaid he had done all he could. Last summer, in
May or June, man came TO me n nd asked me If
! had claim. lie said. who is attending to it:
said, Lay 4 Co He said, you putt: in my
hands: l will coi'ec: it.
q. VINO was il: 4. Mr.. ID. F. Hamlink Isaid
couldn't put my claim in bis hands without re-
vuking Lays power Of attorney; he said that
didn't make any difference. He said: What will
six days." He mentioned 81, ,4CO. l said that is
too much. told Lay oOut it; he said don't put
1t in his hands, you will never get dollar Of IT,
/ told Mr.. Watson in the hoard Of audit OF Mr.
Hamlink's offer. lie said Hamlink had
rECTLIAE ADVANTAGES
for collecting claims. said Sl,4GO was too much
TO ray, but he said, 1T is good deal but IL won't
q. Did yCu ever bring the matter to the atten-
ton Of the board Of audit A. did in three or
four days afterwards, in the auditors otfcs. Mr..
" Watson was present, also Mr.. Tayler, Mr.
Brodhead, and Nj Noyes, one Of Mr. Lays part
ners.
9; Well, What dIl you say: A: 1 made an
presence he couldn't - 9nythng. He said ne
Didn't understand It. ] said, II am only quoting
your words" MIR. Tayler seemed to act more as
an attorney for Watson in the matter than any
thing else. Since that have got 81, eco on my
claim. The objection which was made to Lay x
Co. tor not granting the claim was because it was
noi due under a written contract.
4. How long alter : you had the conversation with
Watson before you made the affidavit: A. The
conversation was on Saturday, and the AFFIDAVIT
was made on Monday.
witness was shown the ain Iavit lie recognized
it, and it was placed in evidence.
The following is the tail text of
THE AFFIDAVIT:
WASHINGTON, d. C., June y, IS75.
On the 2lst day Of June, 4. ID. 1873, personally
appeared before me, notary public IN and for
the city and county aforesaid, John Chapman,
who depOses and says ss follows: That he is the
creditor Of the District Of Columbia for work
done for the late Board OF Public Works in the
sum OF -: that his bill as above was given
by him to !. e. Lay < Co, attorneys, for settle
ment, with full power Of attorney TO collect the
same, on the Gth day Of OstOber, 1874. Tina: he
Messrs. !. &. Lay y Go. have fully dis:hrged
their duty towards the setLlemen: Of the said
claim. That the said claim was eNlmiued and
allowed by one OF the CLERKS Of the board ofaudit,
u. c., for between five thousand and six thousand
dollars and returned to the board OF audit for
tinal action and allowance. That he has good
so allowed Messrs. ]. G.. Lay X Co. have fire.
quenily endeavored 10 obtain settlement thereof,
but have been put OF from time to time with the
assurance that the board OF audit did
not seem to regard the claim as
very sound one. But the said John Chap
man Gays and alleges that the said bill is a lust
and honest bill for the full amount for $7,4Oi 23
That a man named ID. i. Hamllnk about two
weeks ago began TO make calls upon the deponeut
at deponents house to see GepOnent, and nnally
met deponent. That said Hamliuk made in
quiries Of deponent whether deponeut had not
pOnent replied, ..Nes." HamIink expressed a
desire to collect TIE said claim for deponent and
was told by deponent the said claim was in the
hands OF Lay Co., whom he desired to make
the settlement That Hanlink said II was neces-
sary Tor deponent to revoke his power of attor-
ney TO Lay * Co that be, Hamiink, could go on
cree t6 said power OF attorney, which power he,
HsmliEk. Represented to dep0nen. had no legal,
binclng force. That finally said Hanlink met
deponent In front of the Morrison blildIng, the
18th or 18th OF the present month h4mIink re.
newed the subject of the unsettled claim Of de-
ponent above referred to, and said he would 90
into the oftice oil the board of audit and would
like to see deponeRt after he, Hamlink, cams out.
That said HRn!ink did go into the board OF audit,
and deponent saw Hanllpk In conversation with
Mr.. Wilson, the secretary OF the board OF audit
That after lew minutes hamlink came out and
asked deponent what he, deponent, would take TOR
the claim above referred TO- Deponent asked what
he, Hamiink, would give for il. That Hamlink
replied that he would give deponent 900
for the said claim. Deponent said that he had
already lost too much on the said work and
couldn't afford TO lose so much. That said Ham
link then asked deponent what deponent would
give to have bis claim settled and allowed within
six days. That depOnent asked what he, Ham
link, would take to Settle the said claim and
guarantee its payment within six days. Ham,
link replied that he would guarantee payment Of
depoEents claim within six days I1r 400 De-
ponent replied that 81, 400 was too mucn. Ham
link said that sum did look like large fee,
out, said HamliLk, you know It will not all
sticl: to my hands; will have TO divide" That
deponent replied that he would consult with
Mtssrs. Lay X Co, and then let Hamlink know
what GepoLent would do bout it. DepOnent says
that he has not seen Hsmlink since the interview
above named, but that said Eamlink has been to
depOuentS house TO see dcDorent sipce he in