Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-17
The Board Of Audit Investigation.
More Damaging Testimony To-day

The investigation into the affairs of the
District OF Columbia and the board of audit
was resumed this morning by the House
Committee on the District of Column bia.
Controller Tayler submitted the original OF
the power OF attorney given by Newman and
Middleton TO George W. Stickdey. of the
Freedmans bank. It was ordered to be put
in as evidence.
ARTHUR SHEPHERD WAS RECALLED.
and testified rs fOllows:-I had some connec-
ton with the claim of contractor McLaugh-
lin, which claim was for putting earth In the
canal; looked over the papers and found tho
claim was based on a clause in McLaughlin's
contract, directing him TO haul earth TO the
canal from II street; thought he was enti-
tied only To the haul; put the matter before
the District Commissioners; Lieutenant
Hoxie made direct report against it, say
Ing that Mclaughlin was only entitled to
the haul and not for excavatipg the EARTH at
so much a haul. Last July Mclaughlin
asked me to withdraw the papers, because he
was applying for other work; he said the
papers in the claim might operate against
him. week afterwards l ascertalned that
McLaughlin's claim had been allowed for
sl,9lO, and the certificate had been funded in
favor of r. G. Hewetl; / met Mclaughlin a
few days after and asked him If ne knew the
claim was allowed; he said that he had sold
III 10 HeWett for $500, which nettet him Nc
Langhlin) only something over 500 In cash.
Mclaughlin was paid both for the haul and
excavation by the board OF public works.
HOW A PLUMBER AGREED TO PAY ONE.
HALF.
Laliei Htnlndn, sworn Am plumber; had
one or two contracts with the District gov
eminent to lay lateral sewers and main
pipes; the aggregate Of the amount of work
done by me fOOts up between sis 900 and
$4,000! have been paid for all the work /
nave done for the board; have done work for
contractors as a sub contractor; the only
claim L now have is for the work did for
The contractor about $4,000; have been paid
q part OF the latter work. The last payment
got got from Mr.. Hewett; he came to nv
store about the Sth OF November between q
and O'Clock in the evening and asked me il
mad q claim against the board of pablir
WORKS; i said there was some money coming
10 me when certain contractors got their
pay: He asked me If would take oae thou
sand dollars for my claim said. "No; how
can you Otier me money when YOU don't know
what my claim is?'' he said ''There is q COOL
deal OF money corning TO you, and you can
get 1t only through me aud my friends. Ha
said, 81 have brought Mr.. Johnson along so
as to get power OF attorney" He said IL
must be settled up that night, as his friends
were going away that night and il must be
settled then, He said, "you had better do it,
or you VIII lose the money" / still refused
he then said, johnson, come on; we can't
do any thing here" When he was leaving he
again said, You had batter sell il, or you
Will lose it, 1 then said, .'Hewett, | don't
care to have any more trouble with the
Doafd; l Will sell you my claim for -, GC1
cash. He said, "NO, won't give you tn at"
SAID, ''HoW can you pay me the = OJ1.
when you don't know what is coming 10
me" He said he would venture it, anyway.
Finally said / would give him one half of
what he could collect. n power OF attorney
was drawn up by Johnson and witness re-
luciaEtly signed IL.
HOW AND WHY THE PLUMBER DIDN'T FvF~-
GET HALF.
In the course OF n week or ten days after
wards Hewett met witness clerk on tue
streets6nd gave him III bonds ~ l50; the
amount Hewett collected was 50 $50. Hewett
said be could not divide eyeu as be had 10
pay other parties.
@ Did you ever make any effort to get the
money from Hewett?
A. have sued him for the full amount.
He has made propositions through my CLERK
for a con promise, / e told nv clerk l. AT ne
had done what was night, but that hs woui.
give me SEQ more, If 1 would DROP the sijt
J have since ascertaiDed that at the = j
Hewett came first to Eee me
CERTIFICATE FOR - 01)
TO my order was awaiting me at the boar .
audit; bad sent my clerk on the very day
Hewett called to look about 1t, but be the
CLERK dld not get the information that the
certificate was there
q. How long had your claim been pending
before Hewett came 10 see you?
n. Ever since the board was organized;
there was odds and ends due me by cJutrdc-
tors for whom had done work.
9 What was the - 600 certificate for?
A. don't know; never saw IL ] suppose
1t was for the odds and ends of all that was
coming TO me from contractors. johnson
was introduced TO me by Hewett. He Rad
me paper at my house aud went away after
signed IL. This 1900 transaction with
Hewett did not regard as a claim against
the board OF public works, other than what
was due me from contractors, for whom /
had worked as sub contractor. / did work
OF this kind for Andrew Gleason, C. f.
Evans, and George Folansbee. 1 always
Claimed that never got fair settlement for
the work did for c. E. Evans. j don't
know what is now coming to me. | don't
know now but what to-day the board owe
me So 600. The rule was TO take what one
got and say nothing.
FIrZPATRICK'S GRIEVANCRS
James Fftzpdti ick, sworn:-Am a contrac-
tor; had contracts under old board OF public
1stence had claim against the board;
have never got it. Mr.. Lay and Mr.. Mead
who were TO collect it, made it larger than /
could e swear 10 10. Hewett came to me and Of
take 1t, and turned my claim over to Dick
son d Patterson TO collect. They only col
lected $500, and told me that was all they
could get. Have never got the difference be-
tween what Hewett offered me and what NV
attorneys paid me yet.
Witness was then INTERCEPTED as 10 the
applica ton for an extension OF his contract
for grading on 18th street east. Mr.. Blow
had agreed To let him do the work if he
do so, and was to call the next day and gel
the contract executed. Meanwhile Blow
went To Missouri, and in the meantime
ketcham had annullcd the contract and
gwen it 10 another party at one-third higher
price. Witness continued-Mr. Blow Told
me this. / wrote 10 the Commissioners to
and they replied that 1t was given 10 the
other party, because ii was a binding obi.
CATION upon them to do SO, on account OF an
opinion OF their attorney.
q. Did Mr.. Blow complain OF the action of
his colleagues?
A. He did in my presence. He said If the
otner members annulled what ne mad done
III his absence he did not like il.
"a. how long after this occurrence before
Mr.. Blow resigned?
A. think he remained about a month.
He told me one day IL was no kind of place
Tor MIN, that he couldn't stay any loager.
DR. BLAKE AS A WITNESS.
Ork j. IL. Blake sworn;-Was at one time
member OF the board of public works. Fitz-
patrick (the last witness) came TO me once
and asked me If l would 60 with him and
help him to get his contract extended on 18th
street east. told him would 60 and intro
duce him, and he could state his own story |
l went with him and Introduced him to Mr. |
Blow; the other two Commissioners were at
the time absent. told Mr.. Blow that Fitz-
patrick was quite able to do the work he
wanted. Lieut.. Hoxie was opposed TO CIV
Ing him the contract, on account OF the work |
being on the commons. Mr.. Blow said, "We |
will go tomorrow and see the street." Mr. |
Blow did go the next day. After Mr.. Blow
returned from Missouri this matter came
up. He was very much mortified at the ac-
lion OF his colleagues. He said there was an