Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-07-14
THE HILL INVESTIGATION.

TIlLL
NEW CHANGES OF CORRUPTION FROM ST.
LoUIs-ToUGH ON FoLGER.
WARRINGTON, July l3-Before the resump.
ton OF the regular proceedings in the Hill
investi cation, Coleman presented formal
mmrnicetion calling attention 10 the prom
ise OF Becretary Folger, that he would canse
the attendance before the committee OF any
person IN the government employ, and would
send the committee to distant cities 10 take
t. s,imony, il ed be. An Interview with
VIM. d. Biifs Uuited States District Attor-
nsy for ihe E,stern District of Missouri, re-
ported in the St. Louis Post- Dispatch, OF June
18th, charges Supervising Architect Hill with
frsnd in connection win The construction OF
the ST. Louis custom house. He desired to
file that paper.
The charm an OF the committee had read
The paper, or portion of il.
Coleman therefore refrained from reading
the newspaper alticle. He said these charg,s $,
made 30 freely By person in go high an Off
cial position, de m .ndsd the attention of the
committee. He d.sired that Bliss be called
before the Committee, or, il he should be un-
able 10 attend, he would ask that he be ex-
amined in 81. Louis.
Thomss and Totten obi cled on the ground
that the proposed investigation was not
proper. -
Coleman maintained the propriety of the
Inquiry. HILL lad been Investigated at Bos
ton and i: dicled at S Lour. II was The
old story with him. Il was the business OF
his couns to complete this Investigation,
not TO block is wneel4. Hill ought TO invite
investigation, 10 open up all bia records, and
if the Secretary If he Treasury was h IN 8.
IN his d, sire for the investigation, be should
have suspended Hill from his position and
put in his place an homes, man who would
furnish The papers called for 10y tho proseeu-
tion. Tney we're not dependent upon The de-
fsudsnt 10 furnish evidence required TO con-
vict him.
Thomas--Have you communicated with
Bli.s?
Cnlsmtn-No.
Thomas-Theu on bare newspaper charges
you want investigatioD?
Colema1--It is not b.r- n wspGper
charge. It is an interview with Bis.
Tne Chairman-Tne committee desire to
say this interview was sent to il. There are
some things ia il re rehsctipg Bpon the com
mitee. We wrote iss, ,lling his atten-
tion TO The interview, snd asking il it was
truthful report. He telegraPhed us as fol-
lows:
CLEVELAND. OHIO
Hon. John C. New, Washington:
No thought or utterauce,o of mine, public
or private, has either reflected on the integri-
ty of your committee or any member, or at
tributed to any other tn an earnest, honest mo-
lives I e efforts 10 investigating the Hill
chsrges. l am surprised and humiliated
that denial of a statement 30 palpably false
seems necessary. 1 shall call on you Mon
day. VIM. H. BLISS.
On Tuesday Bliss came here and denied
the authenticity of that interview, saying he
had been incorrectly reported.
Coleman Did he say the charges were un-
true?
NeV-He said there wss some foundation
for them, but that as reported they were not
true.
Coleman expressed some surprise that
these things had iaken place without the
knowledge of the prosecution.
The chairman said he could get Bliss here
at sny time. He was at present in Boston.
Coleman presumed the occurrence OF this
moroing would probably cause Bliss, or the
reporter Of ths Post Dispatch, to come here.
! Totten said the invrsligauou had been In
| progress seven weeks, and he defied anyone
| TO point TO syllable of the testimony re
| hecting upon Hip integrity. The grand
! jury room was the proper place TO invesl
gate charges of corruption, and he asked
khy the prosecution did not proceed there.
Coleman msrveled at the cheek shown by
counsel. The defense had put on the stand
aw'uss, who swore he had been employed
| by Bartlett, Robbins & Co, and at the sans
| lime had msde plans for the government fol
lour bniidiugs for which his firm wss bid
ding. Another employe of the firm has
gone inlO the government employ long enough
10 make fsSorabla report upon thousand
of dollars worth Of ~ aterial furnished by
that irm for tqs Chicago building. Wher
he faislrd that JOB ne went back to hn
place with B,r.leu, Rohbias & Co. Tha
wss an offe -s. that snould send them to the
p niieuisry, yet counsel ssid they wer'
proving athIng.
Th chairman said the committee woull
take under consideration Colem ans dem apd
that Bls' he examined, aud the reguial
proceedings were resumed.
Dixon, If the DIX Island Grauite Com
paDy, testified to the work having been don
IN proper N snner, and ihst there had beel
10 combination 10 defraud the governme al
At COl.m mans request, the defense cale-
Hill 10 test fy in the Bartlett, Robbins & CO
C ,se. He said his recollection of the extr
work done upon the New York postoffc
building was almost wholly confined to III
records OF his burelu. H had been in th
Surervi-ing Archilec,'s office since 1867, an
never had any experience ss carpente
mas or engineer when he passed be bi
OF Barueti, Robain- & c.. His Office di
hur-ed ab,ut S30O0,0G0 per snnum. d
r had no personal kno Hledgs oi the chars acte
] Of the work done by Bartlett, Robbins & Co
but reli. d upon the reports Of the supsriI
,endeuts. He did not know that he ev,
had read Steinme "a report. The letters v
got from Steiomsiz 10 snswer TO question
= we did ask indicated ths, he was q sorehea
AID We could get no satisfaction out OF hir
, S.einme had been transferred TO o her Sc
vicr, and wa- disgruntled. He had the il
2 preston at the time Seinmetz wss sor
: head, bat his letters received subsequent
4 convinced him of the fic,. He pTesum'
tine letters we're on file, and would produ
G them if possible
t Coleman read several of S,einmetz's T
h ports complaining of work done by Bartlel
Robbins & Co.
Witness could not remember having re,
/ them, and said he had "read several bundr
d thousand letters" since tie date Of those I
;. porte. He had called upon OAkshott, supe
:. int udeDi, for report upon the work VII
tn extra bill was rendered. He could on
Is | surnise Why 0akshott had reouestrd he 4