, 1879-05-25
*CUSTOM-HOUSE CASES.
Another Day Given Up to the De-
tense.
Testimony Of Gan. Mcdowell. Present
Superintendent of the Building.

Ed Walker Giyes His Views About Saw
| ing, Etc.---Hopes Of Getting
Through.
The people WHO are pcrfunctorily interested
| in the trial of the alleged Custom-Hous
conspirators turned up little past the regu
| lation hour Yesterday morning, looking jadet
| and worn, as usual, but with q far-away glanc'
| that betokened the usual interest in and In
tense longing for the approach OF Sunday. Thi
| was particularly true Of the twelve men witt
whom rests the decision Of this apparently in.
| terminable case, ind whose pi]loricd condition
! for SIX days in week und for six and a hal
hours each day is calculated to excita pity il
the most hardened breast.
| It was the seventeenth day Of the trial, and
Mr. Boutell, for the Government, proceeded
to cross-e1amine the defcnse's witness, Aug
Bauer. the architect The subject Of Buena
Vista stone, defects, discolorations. ETC., was
gone into at great length, but to little purpose,
for the witness stuck to his previous dec1ara-
tions on the. direct, t,-stuck SO hard that he
couldn't be budged.
GEN. JOHN /. M'DoWELL,
present Superintendent Of the building, was ex-
amined by Mr.. McCagg, and testified that, In
his opinion, the construction Of the thirc story
and attic was as good as that of the lower
Stories Although this Buena Vista stone passed
his comprehension in some respects, he Was
prepared to say that it furnished an easier pas
sage for water than any other stone Of equal
compactness he had ever seen.& Some Of the
discolorations in the third story and attic stone
we're due to the action Of the cement. Tie
building had not been cleaned up yet, and when
that Was done it would be greatly improved iu
looks. The duties Of Superintendent were
numerous and engrossing, and, in answer to
Mr. McCagg, who wanted to show the jury just
how much Bur1ing had to do, the witness went
on to describe them. de thought Mr.. Burling
did very we'll in bis management and inspection
of the building. .
Mr. SWEET sailed IN, and the witness said he
had had some ''pointing" or filing done since
be came here. The stone Of the building should
have been protected during the winters OF '73-
'75-'76, but he had never heard OF its receiv-
ing such treatment.
/; Mr.. Campbell cross-e1amtned, and the witness
stated that he had protected the building last
winter to the best Of his ability, He did not
know whether Burlng lad protected It the win
ter before or not, but he understood he had
not The foundations Of the building we're
very defective, especially the basement piers,
and the lower stories were "off." The only
thing that was markedly bad in tile upper sto-
ries was an alleged course OF stone in the attic,
"A course really OF brick and cement. made to
look like stone. He understood it had been put
In because theJ couldn't get the stone when
they wanted it. As to looks, the third story Of
the building presented the best appearance.
r1&nn I'd nrf $1ar9 has }t&41%
first, and last the basenent,-the n>eancst look
ing Of all. The first story contained the most
carving, he thought; the second next, attic
next, and the third the least. Since
he had come here he had seen
noimprovementin in the Observation-Disclosures stone
hadn't become any more uniform in color. The
coal-smoke had made the stone more dingy,
but, allowing for that, 1t looked about as it did
when he became Superintendent ten months
ago: .,
tractors, gave purely cumulative testimony on
the subjects of saving, percentage, and slump"
contracts. etc On the direct they spoke up
promptly in advocacy of saving on general
principles: and, on the cross, gradually emitted
the admission that saving might be done so
badly that the stone would have to be cut over
again, IN which case the saving wouldn't be
worth basket Of chips.
- JOHN ANGUS, ..-
stone-setter and builder on the new Custom-
House IN BurlinE's time, testified that Buritug
sometimes complained that the stone-setting
fore the stone was set, he could not distinguish
spots, unless It might be after rain; Int after
being set they showed up wonderfully. Witness
had charge Of the patching gang, which varied
from Three to six men. A great deal OF cut
stone had been received and paid for before
Burlfng came, and, FROM frequent movings, it had
been broken. 1t was on these broken stones
that the patchers excrted their talents.