Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-07-15

Ames, when returning from San Francisco,
always rode on the seat with witness; had
never seen Ames under the inauuce of liquor
hadn't see him under the iniiuenos OF liquor
from the lst to the 10Th of January, 1881, or
at any other time; had never seen Judge
Ames take drink of liquor.
REGULAR EXAMINATION RESUMED.
The regular examination on behalf Of the
Commissioners was then resumed.
Director Chapman was recalled A list of
articles said to have been manufactured in
the prison for the Directors was consulted.
aud upon the suggestion of one Of the Com
missioners evidence was taken of the Di-
rectors separately. A brief summary Of the
testimony on this head is as follows Each
of the Directors has now testified before the
Commission concerning the receipt Of pres
ents; each of them received some article of
furniture, but each has proven successfully
that such articles were paid for. Director
Schell received from Clerk Ellis a present Of
an aquarium; was angry upon its receipt,
and insisted on paying for it. Director Ever
his children at the hands of Mrs. Ames;
had caused cabinet TO be constructed for
himself in the prison, and had paid $50 for
the same.
A CONTRACT INQUIRED INTO.
1t has been known for two or three days
that close examination would be made of a
contract let to Prescott, Scott 4 Co. for the
manufacture Of an engine and boilers to be
used in the jate work, and the examination
of Mr.. Chapman, which has been so fire.
q1ently interrupted, was resumed As soon
as this point was reached Director Chapman
requested the Commissioners to place Irving
NJ Scott on the stand in his stead.
A hurried consultation between the Com
missioners ensued, at the c'ose Of which the
Chairman announced that the examination
of Mr.. Chapman would be proceeded With.
1t soon became apparent that Director Chap
man could not testify TO the real facts Of the
case for want of knowledge.
Directors Neff, Schell Everson and War
den Ames were in turn closely examined con
corning the transaction. 1t appeared from
the joint evidence Ct these that an advertise
ment had been published in The San Fran
cisco papers under date of April 9Th, calling
for bids for the construction of an engine Of
$50 horsepower, promising that the bids
should be opened on April 1Ith, eight days
after the appearance of the advertisement,
the competing bidders to address their bids
to the clerk of the prison at San Quentin.
The Commissioners called on the clerk Of
the prison for the originals of those bids.
The bids and specifications of two foundries
in San Francisco were found. The bid and
portion of the specification of third foundry
were also presented. The last page of the
specification was missing, and could not be
found. The bid of Prescott, Scott / Co.
could not be found.
Warden Ames testified that Mr.. Scott
asked for the return Of Lis bid, which would
account for its absence.
The Chairman inquired of the prison clerk
if the bids had been opened in the presence
of the bidders, and was answered in the
affirmative.
THE RECORD BOOK.
Question-Is there record Of the receipt
of those bids. and the bids and specifications
themselves, spread upon the minutes of the
Board of Directors.
Answered in the affirmative.
The Chairman called for the record book of
the Board of Directors.
The clerk proceeded to the safe to obtain
the book, when the Directors and clerk
formed group in one corner Of the room
around the book.
The Chairman repeated his request Cor the
book, when one Of the Directors said the
clerk of the prison would read the record.
The Chairman requested that the book
should be handed to hin, saying that he
would read the record himself.
The book was passed 20 the Commission
ers who examined it.
After brief conversation the Chairman
informed the Commission and those interested
in the Inquiry that not one word of reference
was made in the minutes to the fact Of any
bids being received or opened, or transcript
of any bid or any specification in the min
utes of the meeting held April 14th, upon
which day the Directors declared that such
bids and specifications had been opened and
examined.
IRVING NJ. SCOTT SWORN.
Having exhausted all the means OF informa-
tion at the hands of the Directors, the Com
missioners caused Mr.. Scott to be sworn, ard
put him under an examination. Witness
stated that his first bid for the construction of
the engine was $4,000. Subsequently he had
added to his bid proposition to build four
boilers required by the Directors, and to put
the machinery in place at San Quentin.
Eventually the contract was closed with
Prescott, Scott & Co., By the Di-
rectors, for the construction of an
engine, boilers and their equipments. All
were to be placed in running order at San
Quentin for the sum of $4,000. Subsequent
to the close of this contract, by correspondence
between himself and Warden Ames and Di-
rectors Everson and Neff, some changes were
made in the specifications for the machinery.
and the contract price was increased to S20,-
700. At a later period Warden Ames noti-
fed him that the specifications for the main
shaft had been made for lighter engine and
additional expense would be necessary in pro-
viding shaft suitable for the heavier ma
chinery. The additional amount between the
shaft required and that contracted for was
81, 400 thus raising the entire bid to S22, 100
which was the contract price now existing.
An extended inquiry was here instituted as
to why specifications for this machinery had
not been permitted, and proposals to do the
work had not been advertised for.
SHARP AJTERcATIoN
Between Commissioner Watt and one of the
Directors here occurred, arising out of an
answer of the latter that the Directors did
not go to the trouble of advertising because
they possessed the authority to make con-
tract without such an advertisement.
Commissioner Watt-Is this the best
reason you can give?
Director Neff-It is.
Shortly previous to this transaction Com
missioner Gibbs had received leave of absence
from the Commission, and had returned to
San Francisco.
The two remaining Commissioners at this
point retired to an adjoining room, and clos