Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-23

! taking the asylum contracts; can't say wher
J we formed the partnership; showed the
bill FOR extras; he looked at it a long time ano
said 1t was bill he rendered: can't show where
the 605 days work was put in; don't know as
ne has any memorandum; don't know if the
committee kept the time; SO long
ago don remember much about it; don't know
1t the books are preserved; they may be de-
stroyed; don't know if the State furnished the
lumber; think the lumber was furnished;
suppose l made mistake in making more
doors than necessary; thought the State could
better afford TO take them than we could keep
them S48 dollars for five wood frames is what
they cost us; six doors for $50 is cost price.
The examination continued in this strain for
fully an hour, witness giving not the slightest
explanation of the extraordinary bill of So, 700
for extras
Senator Doran was just and severe on Messrs.
Kerr and Bartlett for the questionable trans
actions of buying the surplus window frames
and doors at enormous prices. He said it looks
to one that you were willing to
accommodate this contractor at the
expense of the State. The bill
is not right, and nobody has explained it. Dr.
Bartlett, Mr.. Brown, Mr.. Talbot, and Rev. Mr..
Kerr have only made it look more questionable
|, for one, would thank the gentlemen if they
! could give any further light on
it. Mr.. Damren the trustees,
have dealt literally with you, and can see no
|
| to one of the trustees. 1t has been proven that
| you were utterly incom petent, and yet they
| appointed you superintendent of important
| work.
A SCENE.
DR.. Bartlett was one of the trustees who
voted for him. and did not give him my vote
for any such reason, and won't have a man in
this building who tells me did.
Senator Doran-We are here. sir, as the rep
resentatives of the State, and as your SUI
periors. You are here, sir, as
the servant Of the State, and
don't tell us you will not have us here. 1
would like to know who this building belongs
to. We are sent here by the State to inquire
/ into the way this has been run, and we dom
leave here until we have gone to the very
bottom. Don't tell me, SIR you won't have us
| here.
| The storms which had been brewing for some
| time and threatening every moment to burst,
had at last burst. Mr.. Doran had risen to his
| feet and his words came thick and fast, while
his eyes sparkled with unusual fire; so rapid
| was his utterance that the doctor had no chance
| to utter syllable.
Senator Drew, interposing, said it would be
| credit to the builders and the trustees both,
to give all the information on the subject they
could. The bill was presented in very bad
shape, and at the very best it was very fool
| ish trade on the part of the trustees.
DR.. BARTLETT voted for Damren as super
intendent because thought he was very
competent man. | had no such idea his
being brother-in-law Of one of the trustees.
Senator Morton-We have been led to be-
| lleve that he was wholly incompetent for the
position, ana we fully believe he was incompe-
tent. We have the best evidence of it in his
| building staircase that could not be made to
/ fit.
DR.. BARTLETT don't think that evidence of
his incapacity.
Senator Morton-You have had the spending
| of the public money in your own way all this
time and have evidently squandered it most
shamefully upon such pitiable bills as these
brought before us to-day, and it is time to put
u stop to it.
Senator Reeve had better go on to get all
the information we can and act upon it in our
report.
Mr.. Damren-That the stairs did not fit was
the mason's fault. worked by the plans.
Mr.. Copeland-It is the duty of carpenter
| to draw his line and make his measurements.
If he does not do this he will never get stair
case to fit. Mr.. Snyder, Damren's partner,
| told me he knew the stair would not tit. He
knew they were wrong when Damren was
working on them.
Senator Doran--Did not the State pay for
| those stairs?
Mr.. Damren--I don't remember. think we
| were paid for them.
Mr.. Doran--Were you not paid for making
another set.
Mr.. Damren--I think | was.
Mr.. Copeland. who sworn, said that he
was superintendent of works at the asylum.
Several of the joists were left out
Snyder. The specifications called
for double trimmers pinned together where
there were more than two tailed joists. This
was not done.
Senator Morton-Did you point it out tc
the contractors?
Mr.. Damren-Not to me- but to Mr.. Snyder
and he told him to go to hell. He (Snyder
knew more about it than he did.
Senator Morton-Is that the way con
tractors do when superintendent tells then
anything, they toll to go to hell?
Mr.. Damren-I did not say so.
MIR. Morton-But you endorsed what he said
by the manner you have now repeated it.
Senator Drew to Copeland-''Dld you go?'
Mr.. Damren thought the joists were put il
according to specifications; there were doubl
Nj. Copeland-No carpenter will call
header trimmer.
Mr.. Damren, questioned by MIR. Doran-Th
State furnished the lumber for deadening
There was profit out of the 1892; don
remember how much; l sublet it to Powers
don't know how much we pal
2 him; can't say if it was 800; didn't make an
entries in our book; don't keep partner book
don't know how we paid; don't think hav
any book to show what we received from tn
State; kept pocket memorandum only.
4 Mr.. Morton--Do you mean to say you too
e contracts involving over $4,000 and kept.n
| books?
e Mr.. Damren-We had no other books tina
t our memorandum.
y Morton-then how did you make out tina
bill of extras for some $1,000, extending owe
@ several months. You must have done a
: almighty sight of guessing.
+ By MIR, Doran-DOn't think the trustees lSel
:, any time of the men.
d More unsatisfactory witness never gave ev
l. dence in any court.
g THE MUTILATED LEDGER.
q The Rev. Kerrs examination was now r
y sumed, and after some remarks, Senator Nc
" ton said the accounts in miserable confusit
it in your own ledger; there is a folio missi,
&c which has been cut from it.
Mr.. Kerr (blushing like peony)-May [ c
or plain?
ID Mr.. Doran-Certainly, we shall be glad
hear your explanation.
Ly Mr.. Kerr-Let me see, I think it is page
is (taking his ledger,) yes here it is. The
re was one Ferry superintendent
in works. | unfortunately threw some red i
over and made a big blot, and seeing there "
IN nothing on the next page cut it out, becar
or did not like to have dirty looking book.
a think if 1 blotched a page again l should I
n cut it out. That is all about it, gentlem,
tie 1t Is simple enough.
It's 1t now being P. NJ. the committee adjourn
n. ------------------------ -------------
Powder Explosion.
ed NEaAUNE, Mich, Aug. 22.-The works of
N miners powder company here exploded vest
as day, doing terrible execution upon buildin
ut fences, g lass and trees, and killing four
- married men-H. Huber John Sconnoll, d
,or ton l.. Brown and Daniel Cooper. One of