The Indianapolis journal., 1883-04-20
Mr.. Ker Will Afflict the Nation with Several
Days Talk on the Subject of
Star Routes.
dwelling of the Statue to Professor
Henry.
A Franco-German Citizen with a Startling
Imaginatiop-A Smart Servant-Girl-
Mine-Patents Towns.
THE HILL INVESTIGATION.
Mr.. MuIlett's Long List of Charges an'
Specifications.

|AA' @tAohCbt Lung LiSb VI OhdESeS anu
Specifications.
WASHINGTON April 19-The special COM
mittee appointed to investigate the charges
against Supervising Architect Hill held
another meeting to-day and concluded the
reading of all charges on file in the Treasury
Department These include charges pre-
ferred by. Hon. T. H. Murch, A. B. Mullett,
Charles Roberts, William H. Nicholson, rep
resentng Manly, Cooper & Co., George w.
Billings and Poulson & Eyer, of the Hecla
Architectural Iron Works, Brooklyn, N Y.
Billings charges corruption and fraud on the
part of Hill in the contract with Bartlett,
Hayward & Co. for work on the New York
postoffice, He alleges that Hill always
allowed this firm to furnish pipe of less thick
ness than the specifications called for, and
allowed them to submit without competition,
supplemental bids to accepted proposals for
continuance of the same work at their own
rates. He also charges Hill with incompe-
tency and suggests that he be suspended
during the the investigation. In the charges
preferred by Poulson d Eger relating to
their contract for work on the postoffice at
Austin, Tex, they allege th at they made an
explicit charge of fraud and misbehavior on
the part of the superintendent in charge of
the building, which was accompanied by
proof. These matters were entirely ignored
be the supervising architect, and never
elected the slightest response from him.
ompanying charges were filed by A. B.
Mullett, in letter addressed by him to Sec
retary Folger, from New York city, Nov. %,
1881, IN which, among other things, he says:
II believe that l keep strictly within
the bounds of truth when
say that the government has lost, between
the incapacity and dishonesty of Hill and
his associates, not less than $4,000 900, and
this can be proved to your entire satisfaction,
and so clearly that it cannot be denied" The
specifications to Mullets charges allege mis-
management or corruption in the following
particulars First, in the matter of the sale
of old material at Dix Island, and its repur-
chase at an enormous price; second, in the
matter of j. E. Cannon, who, Mullett says.
was proved to be corrupt and guilty of a pc
nal otfense, yet permitted to resign and prac-
tce as agent and attorney in the office of the
supervising architect; third, expenditures
made on the Postofice Department
building under direction of the supervising
architect, by A j. Thompson; fourth, un-
necessary and collusive expenditures for the
reconstruction Of the heating apparatus of
the Treasury building; fifth, changes in
plans OF the basement of the Philadelphia
postoffice, made for the benefit of contractors
for granite; sixth, forgery of pay-rolls in the
office OF the supervising architect by Charles
Williams, foreman; seventh, offer of the SUI
perintendent of construction on the bureau
OF engraving and printing building to award
contract for brick for a consideration said
superintendent being under the immediate
control and supervision of the supervising
architect; eighth, removal of the superntend-
ent of repairs at Pittsburg on false charges
by the supervising architect; NINTH the SUBJ
stitution of a proposal at increased prices by
consent of Supervising Architect Hill; tenth
an attempt to destroy the custom-house at
Chicago; eleventh. cancellation of percent
aye contracts for granite cutting by Secretary
Sherman, and the substitution therefor of
specific contracts at fraudulent rates,
The committee will not meet again until
Monday, unless something should occur in
the meantime to call them together A
letter has been addressed by the committee
to al! the gentlemen preferring charges noti-
flying them that the committee is ready at
their convenience to hear and inspect such
proofs as they may present in substan tiation
OF the charges made by them, and concludes
as follows
The letter is signed by the entire com
mittee.
The session Of the committee will be open to
all who may wish to attend, and all testimony
offered Will be received any geographically re-
ported. Witnesses will be examined under oath
and any who may be in the employ of the de-
partment who. upon such examination, shall
disclose any frauds or wrong doing by any other
officers or employees of the department, shall
not be disturbed in their situations because of
such testimony. Such papers and records of the
department as may be material to the proper
sItgatiOn of the charges will be subject to
yOur Inspection, aud you may, If you desire, he
represented by counsel The department will
furnish such clerical aid may he required
IL is the earnest desire of the Secretary that the
Investigation he full, open and impartial, to the
end that Justice he done to the government as
well as to the accused.
The Charges Said to be a Lot of Rubbish
Special to Cincinnati Enquirer.
The charges made by ex-representative
Murch and Others against supervising archi-
tect Hill, of the Treasury Department, are
made up ofa lot of rubbish, which originally
was given circulation three or four years ago
and is now rewarmed and rehashed The
fact that Secretary Folger ordered an investi-
cation of these old and STATE vaporings
serves TO show that lot of malicious back
biters have had influence enough with him
to get hearing; and now that the opportu-
nifty is given their authors to step up and
prove the allegations, they refuse to present
themselves, because, they say, the investigat-
ing committee is packed in Hills interest
Hill may be commonplace architect, but
he is not a devil incarnate, as his malgners
want to paint him. His personal honesty.
too, will, no doubt, stand the fire of white
heat