The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-06-26
THE HILL INVESTIGATION.
Alleged Attempt to Bride the Manly
Cooper Company.

Alleged Attempt to Bride the Manly
Cooper Company.
WASHINGTON, June 25.-The Hill iuvestiga-
ton was resumed this forenoon. r. p. Manly,
president of the Manly-Cooper Company of
Philadelphia, was sworn as witness, and testi-
fed in relation to offer OF bribery alleged to
have been made by George Damon, of the
United States Fire-Proof Shutter Company of
Boston,. The witness first saw Damon in the
supervising architects office the day the bids
were opened for shutters for the Cincinnati
post office. Damon approached the witness
and said he was very sorry he had not seen
him in season, as he should certainly have in
duced him not to make a bid Hill requested
them to withdraw, as he had TO get the secre-
tary's mail Off The witness understood by
that remark that Mr.. Hill w'sshd to be alone.
Taylor and the witness withdrew, leaving Da-
mon there. An hour afterwards Damon re-
newed the conversation He said be was anx-
ious TO do this work, and would like to submit
to the witness a proposition looking to the
withdrawal of his bid. The witness then read
a letter from Damon, introducing to the Manly
Cooper Company Mr.. Tyler as counsel for his
company, also a telegram from Damon, making
an appointment for meeting. The witness
did not respond TO the suggestion, but Damon
aud Taylor came to the office of the Manly
Cooper Company the evening of the day sug-
gested in the telegram Cooper, Tyler and AL
lison, attorney for the Manly Cooper Company,
were present, rs we'll as the witness. Conver-
sation ensued. The witness repeated to Damon
what he had already said in regard to sub-let-
ting, that there was good deal of money in
the contract, and the department was willing
The Manly-Cooper Company would consider
the proposition to sub-let. Tyler then took
Allison aside, and upon their return A llison
stated that the proposition was to pay them
$4,000, in consideration OF which they were
either to withdraw their bid or offer shutter
that would be condemned. The witness re-
piled that he could not, for an instant, enter
tain It, The interview was then abruptly ter
minated.
In cross-axaminatiou the witness said they
were willing TO sub-et, but under no circum-
stances could they withdraw their bid
Q-You were ready to dicker with them /;
why were you ready to s1blet and let them do
the work?
A-Because Damon assured ns that they
could do the work TO Hills satisfaction. but
that we could not, under any circumstances,
and we had been led TO think that such was
the case
Hill was then recalled aud questioned by
Coleman concerning the bonds furnished by
the U. S. Company. He was asked; Do you
not require the articles of incorporation rs evil
dence of the bona fides of company?
A-The accounting officer OF the treasury
SO requires. / think we have themlin this case
in our files.
After an hours delay, the file clerk of the
architects office reported there was nothing of
the kind on file, but that the articles OF inoor-
poration were doubtless in the second comp
troler's office.
Chairman New gave instructions to have a
search made for them.
AT l.30 y. M. the committee adjourned until
tomorrow evening.