Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-08-22
The Removal Of Survey or Forsythe.
WHAT THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS

from the Office OF District surveyor, the DIS
trict Commissioners state that ii was not
their intention nor desire TO give unneces-
sary publicity to the causes when led them
to such action a. they did not wish TO infiict
pain upon his many friends.
COMMISSIONERS PHELPS.
missioners revnking his commission pub
lisbed in Yesterdays STAR, MI roIsysne
met Com missioner Phelps, and after ex-
pressing his great surprise, asked 10 know
The cause which led the Commissioners to
such action. Captain Phelps replied that he
| could then say nothing more than that the
TO be made, but If Sir. Forsythe desired TO
know more explicitly the causes, he could
get the Information by calling at the office
Of the District Commissioners. Mr.. For
sythe expressed the wish that the Commits
sioners give such information as they had to
Mrs Forsythe, whom he stated would call
No, that they would prefer to converse with
him upon the subject. Soon afterwards Mr..
ForsyIbe called at the Columbia building,
and finding
COMMISSIONER BRYAN
alone, after n moments conversation, said
ne bad the honor of having received COM
munication notifying him of the revocation
of his commission as surveyor, and said he
bad called 10 get a letter from the Commits
siCners clearing him OF all official fault Is
cause of removal. Judge Bryan said he GER
ia nIy could not give him any such letter as
II would stultify their action; and besides
there were faults. After considerable con-
VeT$atlOn. IN W01cn rSferret 10
the long time he had been in the public ser.
vice, ard his faithful discharge of duty, &c,
sc, The Commissioners stated that they
could not abSOlve him from official fault,
but decided 10 give him The benefit of his
own statement, aud their own reasons in
"FRRoRs OF JUDGMENT"
The following paper was given him signed
by The two Commissioners:
"1D compliance with your request we
cheerfully state that your removal from the
{ flee of surveyor of the District OF Column
bia was irduced by our conviction that it
was demanded by public policy and in the
interests Of the District. Errors ascribable
10 your Office in connection with assessments
we are willing To regard, as claimed by you,
10 be errors of judgment and not rejecting
UPON your personal honor, how far your
judgment was at fault being matter i'm
which our opinions differ widely from your
own"
Mr.. Forsyfhe soon afterwards sent mes
seEger 10 the Commissioners office with the
Immediately after the delivery of this note
Mr.. FOrsythe reappeared, and
CHAILENGED THE COMMISSIONERS
10 show any good grounds for their action.
Commissioner Bryan called his attention
to his letter just al hand acknowledging the
receipt of the first letter of the Commits
siOners-the dismissal-but ignoring the last
one. FOR which he had made SO urgent an APP
peal. ard suggested that for his own good he
had better keep cool and quiet; he also re-
quested Mr.. FOrsythe TO change the phrase
Olngy of his letter, so as to embrace an
acknowledgment of both letters of the Com
missIOners. Commissioner Bryan then, in
short time, convinced Mr.. Forsythe that they
had abundant grounds for taking the act on
they bad, reciting to him in detail some of
the reasons for their action, among them
THE R-sTREET ASSESSMENTS.
The facts In this case may be stated as fol-
lOws:-Some months since the District Com
missiOners, after considerable research into
the subject, adopted a uniform rate of sewer
taxes, which was equal TO the cost of laying
a 6ffpHr-inch
throughout the city. A brick barrel sewer
was found to be necessary on X from eth to
North Capitol streets, the actual cost of
which was SO ,S72 As A fifteen-inch pipe
sewer would have cost S14, 1889, which,
under the rule adopted, was the proper
amount to be assessed against the property
holders, and which was assessed. The diff
ference between the above amounts : 10, 80 .O6)
should have been charged to the general
fund. instead of which the surveyor ordered
ii to be charged up to the fOOtwalk improve
ment on that street, and 1t was so charged.
There are several instances of just this sort
of irregularity all over the District the Com
missiOners have discovered.
Mr.. FOrsythe could make no answer to
this particular instance of excessive charge,
except that the District had not been the
loser; but this kind OF logic did not satisfy
Mr.. Bryan.
ANOTHER CHARGE.
Some days since Mr.. Columbus Alexander
called upon the District Commissioners aud
Informed Them that he had been examining
tie reports of the assessors, and discovered
II at although the improvement of COnnecti-
cut avenue only cost SIP 600. the surveyor or
some one in his Office had charged the prop
tTty owners along that avenue in their as
essmtnts Sf3G Coo; and that similar over
charges had been made for other improve
ments. The Commissioners, il is under
stood, Will investigate the matter.
CERTIFICATES OF INDEBTEDNESS FOR
PTNNsYLyANIA AVENUE REPAvEMENT.-
Columbus Alexander, through his counsel,
advised Acting Secretary Mccormick this
morning that be had learned that the Com
missioners of the District OF Columbia, had
determir cd TO deliver the unpaid certificates
OF ind btedress against private property
fronting on Pennsylvania avenue to the
Secretary OF the Treasury, and that il was
expected that these certificates would reach
the contractors by this circuitous route, that
he, Mr.. Alexander, lad begun a suit to con-
test the validity of these certificates in his
own behalf, and in behalf OF many others,
who felt III at these frequent and excessive
assessments were unjust and oppressive for
the improvement of avenues owned by the
government of the United States in fee 81 "
PIE; ard especially of avenues that had be-
come great national highways, and that IL
would be III just 10 allow these certificates to
pass into the hands of third parties and inno-
cent holders until the decision of this suit, as
the law SET med TO require that thr certificates
should be retained by the Commissioners
until at least the expiration OF one year be-
fore action was taken to sell, &C. The Act
ing Secretary announced that full oppor-
tunity should be given to Mr.. Alexander and
his counsel TO be heard, before any DISPOSE
ton was made OF the certificates.
THE GIBsoN-MAsoN HoMIcrDF-To day
Judge Humphreys had before him the APP
rlicatiOn for a writ of habeas corpus OF
George Gibson who was found guilty. by the
corCner's jury. of the killing of ThOmas
Mason, and who surrendered himself ana
was committed TO Jail. The petition sets
forth tire commitment, and says he is not
guilty OF the crime or offence charged; that
he did rot Kill said Mason or intend 10 inlet
any injuries OF which he could possibly die,
and any contest between him and the de-
ceased was the result, on his part, OF an
effort 10 protect his child, who had been as
saulted, and TO protect himself from threat
ened violence. This application is died by
his counsel, Messrs. Cook and Slater, and
the writ was issued and made retui nabls Mt
X O'Clock, on Friday, by Judge Humphreys
THE FOURTH BAPTIST CHURCH CASE,
which has been before our courts for some
years past-once to the Supreme Court of the
United States-under the title OF BOuldin
aet. Alexander, and which was recently de-
cided in favor OF the Alexander party has
again been taken. by Bouldin to the Supreme
Court on appeal.
MODERN TRAGEDY.-A Berlin woman has
dramatiZed the DE Tourville TRACED in the
TyrOl Whprq q