The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-12
THE BROOKLYN RING HUNT.
A TRIAL OF ONE MEMBER THATMAP
SEAL THE FATE OF OTHERS

SEAL the FATE OF OTHERS.
Picture OF Corruption In the City ef
Churches-A bankrupt with 100000 In
Hank Mr.. De Wits Revelations.
In the trial of w. A. Fowler, the sus-
pended Brooklyn City Works Commissioner,
Corporation Counsel De witt. In continuing his
opening speech yesterday, said that to prove
that the water famine fright, which was intended
to DO the source Of the scheme. was baseless, he
expected to introduce the records Of the Signal
Service Bureau, showing that the rain fall Of 1879,
when the water supply was ample, was less than
In 1871, when the water fright was brought about
It, He should have witnesses, too, from Hemp
stead Plains to prove that the water supply had
not been decreased at all. He had, he thought,
made clear that the appointment OF Col. Julian
W. Adams as chief engineer was due to certain
favors done to Kingsley & Keeney. He should
show by Engineer MoAlpine that two years be-
fore the contract was made Kingsley submitted
arguments, violent and rash some Of them.
against any other plan than a storage reservoir.
On the question OF probable expense Of excava-
ton he repealed the assertion that the work
might be done for thirty-nve cents yard say
Ing that II should bring Atty cents at least.
The estimate by Col Adams Of the cost OF the
storage reservoir, made in June %, 1870 tsllies
with the figures In Kingsley & Keeney's con-
tract In 1879. showing completely with them.
On Tue iarcical application OF the Commission
ers To THIS same mysterious Adams as to tho
best way to Give out the work. he wrote a sleek
and slippery letter, not decrylnR public compe-
invited to bid. they should be selected from the
followine: James Mcdonald, of Providence;
Henry :. Wells. contractor on the old works
Kingsley and Keeney, Ed. Freal, and J. White.
Now, Adams said that IL would he best to take
tractors besides Kingsley & Keeney, who we're
BROOKLYN men, and he denounced one Of these
afterwprd. Note the selections Mcdonald was
a contractor on the state Capitol, OF which
Kingsley was one OF the Commissioners; Henry
;. Wells was bankrupt White was a sub-con-
tractor under Kingsley n Keeney. and Freai,
who was the only free-ance OF them all, was de-
nounced because his bid was two cents less than
kiDgsleys. The whole arrangement was TO
throw the contract into the successful con-
tractors.
1t was ordered that 20 per cent. should be re-
tanned from the amount due the contractors,
the object being to drive out moderate men.
Then security Of $4,000 was required from
the contractors-a useless security. because the
WORK was not to be a completed work. There
wss Suspicious uniformity in the bids Nc
nonald blt 20 cents cubic ward for excavation,
Henry ;. Wells bid o. cents. Kingsley bid 81 cents,
White bid 60 cents, and Freal bid 65 cents.
by Adams two years before. Mcdonald had
done the same work before for 25 cents n yard,
as had every contractor ON the list. In fact. the
work that hingsley contracted to 10 for $l0OO,0QO
was not worth t5O0Oo0.
Mr., William Beard an old contractor and a
wealthy citizen. after much difficulty obtained
COPY ofthe specifications, and offered to do the
work for $1il0DO; hut bis bid was not accepted.
Nr. Beard estimated that he was to furnish his
own spoil bank, at the cost Of about 10000 but
the respondent and his associates acquired 20
and more acres to give Kingsley II spoil bank.
Mr.. De Witt denounced the administration Of
the contract as even more perIiclous than the
contract itself. lie detailed Instances IN which
contractors had departed from the contract,
hauling eartn unnecessarily for building up their
fraudulent claim for extra hauiage driving piles
against the ieeul ations, Sitting gravel from the
city's own land. putting the gravel into the
bank instead OF broken stone. ch irging for II A.
cubic yard-the price of superane flour. lilo
expected to show some Of the enormous pronts
made out OF kingsley's Interpretation Of the
contract.
He gave the weil-known account Of the ex-
haustion OF the appropriation. and OF the pas
sage OF the legislative act OF 1873. authorizing
the Common Council to expend $JOO.ODD. Every
pressure was brought to bear on the Common
Council TO get this extra expenditure author
lied, and some OF the Aldermen might be called
on To tell what Influences were used to effect
the passage OF the proper resolution. The docu-
meuts sent IN 10y the respondent were returned,
accumulated insulting. Failing In the Common
Council the Contractors went to the courts and
obtained that extraordinary Temporary injunc-
tlon 10 restrain the city IRON taking possession
OF the reservoir, Its own property.
MIR. De Witt explained that he was brought to
the front by this. =" felt" he said, that 1
would rather that INV political prospects should
such AN injunction to rest on the city," The
Judge refused to make the injunction perma-
nent. Mr: DE WIZ gave the facts OF the manda-
mus granted by Judge Barnard, ordering the
respondent To nnish the dam and build the
gales. The disohedience Of this order enforcing
"a" order u the Common Council, leads TO the
trial. Mr. Fowler steadily opposed ali IN easures
looking to retrenehment aud economy In the
clys tehalf.
MIR. Fowler In 1872 was. on his own petition.
hdJunged BANKRUPT. His liabilities were $50
Uvi his as sets nothing. 4 he prosecution would
produce Mr.. fowlers bank account to show
that while since that time he has received only
s'IOO' be nad Kept an account Of over SG0bOO.
Mr. u Witt closed his opening az quar- er past
I'VE Q clock The taking Of testimony Is to be-
gin this afternoon.