The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-21
WASHINGTON.
Death of Two Prominent Citizsns--.
Wasson's Case---The Hill
Investigation.
Coleman Makes an Explanation with
the Assistance of Thomas
Murch on the stand.

Murch on the stand.
WASHINGTON, June 20-Postmaster Thorn
as l.. Tullock, of Washington died this morn.
ing, at Atlantic City, of a tumor in tht
throat
General Charles Ewing, formerly of Ohio
died shortly before 2 O'Clock this morning, OF
pneumonia, after a short illness He was
brothei-in-law Of General Sherman, upon
whose staff he served through the war
Since 1861 he has been practicing law in
Washington
GEN sHERMAN's TRIP.
Gen Sherman, accompanied by Col It'd
ball, of his staff, left here this morning for
Buffalo, where he will be Joined by Chief
Justice Waite and Justice Gray From there
the party will start on their trip across the
continent along the northern boundary OF
the United States inspecting all of the mill
tary posts en- route. Gen Sherman would
have postponed his departure until after the
funeral of Gen Ewing, but one days delay
in starting would have disarranged all his
plans throughout the entire trip, which had
been carefully mapped out with dates for ar
rivals at certain points and escorts provided
to meet the party along the route. Col Ba-
con- of Gen Shermans staff was to have ac-
companied the party, but decided to remain
here on account of the illness of his wife
PAYMAsTER wAssoN's CASE
The findings of the Wasson court martial
have been received by the judge advocate
general The result has not been made
known but it is thought that the sentence is
at least dismissal Otherwise the depart
ment commander would have acted upon it
THE HILL INQUIRY.
When the Hill investigation committee as
sembled to-day, before the regular proceed
ings were begun, Mr.. Coleman called atten-
ton to the published reports of his remarks
yesterday, in which he is quoted as having
said that 1.-THE cheek displayed by this defense
III asking the commission to limit the investi-
cation to fraud in the Philadelphia post of
fice building is only equaled by
the amount of fees taken by government
counsel i'll the star-route CASE ''What sup
posed said was that it was only equaled by
the amount of fees paid to the counsel by the
government in those cases, and my allusion
to this fact at all was only to show how much
more energetically this administration pros
partment than they do frauds connected with
these contracts. 1t shows how differently the
administration investigate in a case where
they are anxious to do something and in a
case where they are not"
MIR. Thomas, in reply, charged that the
gentlemans remarks were intended for in
| fiuence and effect outside of the room where
this investigation is being carried on.
Mr. Colemon called attention to the
requisition made some days since by the pros
ecution for all papers i'll the case of Bartlett,
Robbins & Co, and said this requisition has
not yet been fully complied with nor have
we any means of knowing to what extent
Three clerks in the supervising architects
| Office were then sworn, and testified to hav-
ing looked through the files of the office for
| the purpose of obtaining the papers called
for by Coleman, and said that all the papers
| bearing upon the subject had been produced.
Mr., Murch was then sworn, and answered
the usual questions as to his residence occu-
PATTON etc. Witness had been a stone cutter
| from 1859 to within six years Witness
worked both as a journeyman stone cutter
and as foreman in dressing granite for the
| Philadelphia building, During the time he
worked there, the Is per cent. contract was
| in force with the Dix Island Granite com
pany The men were instructed as to tbs
length of time they should occupy in cutting
each stone The superintendent made esti
mates, and if the man finished particular
stone in less time, he was kept iobbing until
the estimated time expired Witness worked
about one hundred and fqyty days upon one
stone, and believed he could have done the
work in forty or fifty days
Question-W did you work 140 days on
lone stone}
| Answer-Because was working under in
| structions
Witness believed that the work und8r the
Is per cent contracts was much better per
formed than under modified contracts Wit
ness recited several instances coming under
his own observation where men were carried
on the pay-roIls, and paid by the govern
ment when they We're not performing any
service Witness believed that modified con
tracts yielded to the contractors from 200 tC
800 per cent Of profit, and were grossly un
fair to the government, based as they were
upon the exsavagant prices paid for DRESSING
stone under the 10 per cent. contracts.
Witness appeared before the commission o
which Assistant Secretary French and Mr.
Hill were members, and testified to all tn,
facts as related by him, and called Mr., Hill
| attention to the unfairness of the modified
contracts which he (HilD then proposed max
ing
Counsel for the defense wished to postpon,
the cross-examination of Mr.. Murch until to
morrow, to which the prosecution assented.
Several letters and other documentary evi
denee relating to the Philadelphia building
were then offered, after which Gen Stein
metz was recalled and questioned as an ex
pert relative to certain alterations in th
plans for the building
The committee then adjourned until to
morrow.