The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-08
LEAGUE ISLAND.
Impending Exposure Of
Flagrant Frauds.
AUDACIOUS CORRUPTION
History Of the Removal Of the
Philadelphia Navy Yard.
SPOILS OF OLD METAL.
Ships Knees Stolen and Stored in
Bonded Warehouses.
Officers Intimidated Into Silence or
Sent to Sea.
ROBESON'S PREDICAMENT
History Of the Removal Of the
Philadelphia Navy Yard.
sPoILs OF OLD METAL
Officers inundated Into Silence or
Sent to Sea.
ROBESON'S PREDICAMENT

ROBESON'S PREDICAMENT
PHILADELPHIA, Aprif7, 1S76
The House Committee on Naval AGairs Congressman
whtshorns Chairman LETT Washington for this city at
nine o'clock tonight and will meet 1t tho Girard
House tomorrow evening to begin the investigation
INTO the affairs Of the Philadelphia Navy Yard alluded
70 in the HERALD OF the 2sth OF February, In which
mnmary was given OF some OF tho disg.aceful facts
shich awaited the Committee. Deputy sergeant-at-
Arms Donovan to-day arrived from Washington, with
nbponas for some any witnesses In the city. Tho
list viii DO supplemented day by day with such ad-
atonal names a. the course OF the inquiry may re-
quira
WHAT WILL BE SHOWN
The committee propose to take testimony touching
the general mismanagement Of the Navy Yard, the
frauds in contracts Of various descriptions. the nesl
Of officers to attend to- their duties, the employ
ment Of extra hands in election time, &c But the
stances attending the removal Of the old Navy Yard TO
League Island BY Nathaniel Mckay. the contractor
against whom charges Of gross frauds were published
In the HERALD In February the allegation Of per-
this city alleged to be thoroughly familiar with
tho facts
Mr. Mckay was this evening served with subpoena
In shs city, and he win be the FIRST witness called
before the committee when il begins IT, work to-
morrow.
Below IL given brisf summary Of the substance Of
the testimony which will be heard before the Commit
Tee in the order IN which It is likely 70 b. scitsd
x'xAr's CONTRACTS.
First testimony relating to the obtaining Of contracts
By Nathaniel Mckay. In addition the evidence Of
taken privately BY the Committee in Warrington. and
she ofaCai records Of the Navy Department. i've wit
nesses have been summoned TO appear tomorrow
who II alleged, win prove that McKay's contracts
only obtained by the exercise Of improper
Ausness but also fraudulent In thsmsevss These
witnesses shs foiiowing:-John Rios we'll known
contractor and politician Of the city; John ". Lynn.
shipbuiider on the Delaware; Edward Hartt Naval
Constructor aPniladelpha Navy Yard Clark H Wells,
Commandant Of tho Navy Yard, and John Cochran,
OF the contractors who unsuccessfuly bid against
Mckay. Tho contracts or Mckay included 5000 for
renewing the ordnance department TO League Island
$4,000 for removing the construction department.
900 for removing the ship houses and SIS 500 for
removing the engineers department.
From the outset NJ. Mckay has boastsd that Il
would be useless for anybody attempt bid against
him no had the whole Navy Department at Washing
ton his back and the contracts would be awarded to
him no matter what the competition This had the
effect intended, and 70 make the thing certain Mckay
went systematically TO work to buy Oh
such bidders seemed likely 10 prove
troublesome With John W. Lynn he made
contract in writing, promising to give him
certain percentage the gross amount OF his INC
Kay's) contract, condition Of his agreeing not
old against him. This Mr. Lynn, regarding competi-
lion 1t any rate useless accepted; but Mckay, a.
loon - he had the terms In writing. abandoned his
original intention OF bidding for the work ~ q whole,
md putin proposals BY departments specified above
~ which means Lynn received percentage on the
bids for the construction department only. Al the
Same tmo he mado overturcs TO other Philadelphia
parties who had the facilities for doing the work and
were known az probable bidders; and 10 Mr. John
Rice, who had received the contract for removing
tho walls OF the yard, he made y proposition 10
pay $40 oo0-s5 600 in cash and the rest In install
mcnts, but Mr.. Rice. having obtained his contract
through poltcsl influence Of potent character a.
that welded by Mckay felt that he secure. and
refusd to sell out
As TO the fraudulent character Of the them.
selves, testimony viii be adduced 10 show that whom
the contract for removing the Ordnance Department
was awarded for IS 900 everything had already been
removed with the exception Of two or three wheclbar-
row loads while the contract for removing the ship
houses was awarded Mckay for So, 900, in spite OF
the fact that Charles Martin and William h. Simpson,
Of this city, offered for SIS 900 70 do tho same work
FRAUDULENT AUCTION SALES
Second il the testimony relating 70 fraudulent pur
chases At the government auction sales There are
host Of witnesses 10 be examined The principal ones
WIN be Samuel c. Cook. auctionesr; William Row
botham. Assistant Ensineer OF the navy; Hannah
Newell, Assistant Chief Engineer; Peter Black, Of
No 2s7 Columbus avenue Boston. foreman for Mckay,
naval officers and other employees Of the yard
They Will testify that at tho sales OF supernu-
Gus material at the navy yard during the months Of
The removal the purchases were made BY a ring,
composed Of Mckay and his agents and that, with
scarcely exception the material was knocked down
70 him At his pricsa In isolated instances,
where tncrc was bond 6de competing material was
NOT sold for any than Il was worth, and
the only effect that this competition had, therefore,
vas 10 the cost to Mckay Itwll be In evil
denco " allegations true. that At the auction
Mckay instructed his employees collect ~ round
sh,p knees, &c, that were lying about the yard and