Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-24
THE ECTISVESTIGAT IOy,
MORE ABOUTTHE BOARD OFAUDIr
A Damaging Afdavtt and COrrOborn
tive Testimony.

tive Testimony.
The Investigation into the affairs of tbe
District of Columbia was resumed by the
District Committee of the House of Repre-
SsriativeS this morning.
THE RECORDS OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC
! WORKS.
| Judge buckner read letter from the sec
retary Of the District Commissioners setting
| iorth that he failed tn find any record in the
BOOKS of The old board OF public works au-
| hiorZlDg The employment of MeSSrS STAN
| ION, MRttingly, and Harrington as attor-
| n'ys, Mr.. ClephRne as shor6 hand reporter
or any record going to show that the Ma,
h0Hdt republican newspaper was ordered or
| authorized 10 print officially for the board
the proceeding of the investigation.
THE BILL OF TIIE NATIONAL REPURLICAS
forpri hitting the official report was read IL
was for 49, columns, at SIS per column and
lor white paper, aggregating S13,9l5. An
Endorsement was On the account "The
printing of the official report i'm the ReDubIi-
can was authorized by us" Signed, A r.
Shepherd. II. a. Willard. and J. B. Blake
The Republicans account was sworn to
as correct by w. II. Pope. business manager
before Hopkins, notary public.
HOW PLUMBER GOT HIS ACCOUNTS ALL
MINED UP.
JOf'a Il. BiiRkjtcTa swOrn:-Am a plumber
9hd gas-ntter, am superintendent for Daniel
! hannah; Dir. Shepherd gave me contract
on - street, from Il tn street TO 22d street, to
| put In sewer and water services; the next
| contract was from c. K. Evans; he agreed To
! give me funds If could nus h his work. wen
| didn't pay off promptly; told Evans inas
| much as he was delinquent he had better
| transfer my accounts with him 10 the board
| OF public works; this ne did; to Hannah and
! myself; our accounts by this reason got ali
| mixed up; when we made settlements with
me BOARD didn't have time often 10 see what
| papers we signed.
/ HOW AEwETF OFFERED TO FIX MATTERS
| q When the old board OF public works
Was abolished had you claim against the
a. Yes, sir; there was one account, Idcn't
| Know Wheiherit was settled; it was about
| $500; never got a cent from il: I had nv ac.
| counts all mixed up: sed 10 20 to A roo,
Numbered q, in the District Office building:
! ~ mad a Sign on ''ro admittance," and soon
| found that 'all who entered there left hone
bfhind;'' on the Slh of Novem Der, 1873. | met
Hewett; he said he called for our matters: he
saii, Il Will come up tonight at O'Clock
ana see HanEan,' he came with Charley
johnson; introduced Hewett to Hannah,
lie says: "Well, Hannah. there is some of
J our odd balances down et the board: will
give You $1,000 for them" Hannah SAID:
40 You know what my claims are?n He
said: oh, no; Eut will "a he nv chances on
t Ten Hannan said TO Hewatt: .'I will col
ttCb my CLAIMS myself" sob no SAYS HeW-
ctt' ''N on cart coll5ct them, l have friends
VINO Will haip me 10 get The money" Han
ran, after good dea! Of talk, told Hcv,aft
re would sell him his accounts for halr Of
what was collected. Charley Johnson then
Itad 2 power Of attorney. Hannah said:
NO, won't sign il, bat after Hevett had
SalG he was no Inlet, and was not going to
mn away, he did sign il. A few DAYS after
iieWett brought me ~ $50 in bonds. / said
this isn't half He said there Is some little
Odds; Wen TX thatafter a time. / vava him
10 receipt for the money. Hannah said To
me- after we got the bonds: 500 doWn TO the
bOaTJ a. see what these bills are" I went
an saw they were for water service pipes
laid IN different sections OF the city. l then
wrote 10 jlewett and told him Twas
UTTERLY ASToNIsaED
10 find that he had collected claims which
would nave come to me in a Re day S. He |
came TO me and said, What, did .you ex- |
pect me to collect fraudulent claimg"r I !
said, mo; yOu were to collect the ODDS and |
elcs OF our account, and not claims which |
We knew would come along 10 aday or iwo.n !
on, re sand, 81 have got power Of attor- !
Gey 10 collect all your claims" l then sued /
NM he met me one day after this and said, |
VI don't want this thing TO go TO the bo r a. |
on to account OF the party that was with me |
mat night" meaning Charley johnson,
HeWett said all be paid Johnson was his fee 1
OF hve dollars We then talked OF compro- |
mise d! ,, nnal.y said, You give me $780, and
lawyer, and he said, lyon can't Withdraw
lhe suit; send Guwett TO me- 1 sent Heye:t J
.;Ori TO 60 And see Mr.. Morriss in Mr.. Mer
rlck's office. He sad, Il wont 20 IL; [ will |
settle with you, but with 10 other man" |
This is the way the ease stands to this day.
HEWETT'S FRIENDS.
-. Dlu h6Wett tell you WHO his friends |
through?
a. No; but my impression was that they
were u the Auditors Office. Daniel Dono- |
van was clerk III the Auditors office and |
had formerly been employed by the board of |
puDlc WoTkS. don't know whether HeWett |
meant tnat he was one of his friends or not,
l cont think, however, he was the man; |
mink Donovan is an honest man.
z. You wrote Hewett letter after the /
tranSaciiOn-what was the substance OF it2
A. That Hewett had collected claims which |
would come TO me any way, and he came TO
pect me to collect fraudulent claims?''
THE CASE OF JOHN CHAPMAN.
10TH g15.s 1CHdt9n0n sworn:-l am builder; had
several contracts under the old board OF pub
lie works; when the board went out had a
claim due me; one particular Job was on II
street. In the fall of 1874 put my claim In
IN part. had claim OF =, como doe under |
The special orders OF Engineer Cluss. told
Lay 10 push my claim; he said he had done
a man came to me and asked me If had
claim. lie said, who is attending to it? / |
said, Lay & Co: He said, you put it in my
hands; will collect il.
q. Who was il?
A. Mr.. ID. +. Hamlink. I said | couldn't
putmy claim IN his hands without reVoking |
Lay IS power of attorney; he said that didn't |
MAKE any difference. lie said: what will |
YOU give me If guarantee to collect your
claim IN six days." he mentioned 81, 400.
said that is too much. tod Lay about 1t; |
he said don't put it in his hands, you viii |
never get dollar of it. i told Mr.. Watson |
ia me board of audit of Hamlink's offer. He
said Hamlink had
PECULIAR ADVANTAGES FOR COLLECTING
CLAIMS.
a HottA sfCU was 100 IluCu 10 pay, out he |
SAID IL is a good deal, but 1t won't all stick
to his hands. |
q. Did yon ever bring the matter to the
attention of the board of audit?
A. did in three or fOurdays afterwards in |
the auditors office. Mr.. Watson was pres
emit also Mr.. Tayler, Mr.. Brodhead ami Mr..
NoyeS, one of Mr.. Lays partners.
u We'll, what did you say?
A: MADE an affidavit, and when ii was
read IN Mr.. Watson's presence he couldn't ,
say anything. He said ne didn't understand
~, sald,"l am only quoting your words"
MI TayIer seemed to act more as an attor.
ney for Watson in the matter than anything
else. Since that have got 81, 800 on my
claim. The objection which was made to
Lay q Co. for not granting the claim of
written contract.
q. How long after you had the converse ,
davit?
A. The conversation was on Saturday and
the affidavit was made on Monday.
Witness was shown the affidavit. He
recognized 1t and IL was placed IN evidence.
The following is the full textof .
THE AFFIDAVIT.
WAsHtNGTON, ID. c., June q, 1915
On this 21st day of June, A. ID. 1875, per-