The Portland daily press., 1883-07-25
THE HILL INVESTIGATION

District Attorney Bliss Refuses to Testify
Stinemetz Accused of Malice-The Com
mittee Not Going to Chicago.
WASHINGTON, July M.-Wben the Hill in
vestigating committee met this morning the
chairman asked ii Mr.. Coleman wished TO see
Mr. Bliss; If so he would send for the gentle
man, who was in the Secretary's office. Mr..
Coleman answered IN the affirmative but MIR.
Bliss was gone and messenger was sent in
search OF him. Mr.. Totten said he was tired
of frequent delays. Ten weeks was long
enough for man to be scorched and roasted
on the gridiron.
After some debate between COUNSEL Mr..
Bliss arrived and was sworn. He said he was
United States District Attorney for the east
ern district of Missouri. He had read an in
terview published in the ST. Louis Post De-
spatch on June 23d Mr.. Coleman asked IL he
knew OF any witness who would appear be-
fore the committee either in St. Louis or
Washington in connection with the facts men
toned inshis interview.
Mr.. Bliss declined to answer. ~ understand
this committee is investigating specific charges
of which / know nothing whatever and in con-
nection with which can give no competent or
relevant testimony"
Chairman OF the Commttee-We will hear
anything you may know Of concerning miscon-
duct by Mr.. Hill
Mr.. Blss--l know Of nothing.
Mr.. Coleman asked il Mr.. Bliss was correct
ly reported in an interview published in the
Post-Despatch.
Witness declined to answer
QUESTIONABLE the facts herein set out true
to your knowledge
Answer-I decline to answer because IL true
they are not relevant to the pending issues.
Mr.. Coleman made some inquiries touching
the charges made at the interview, but the
witness steadily declined to answer.
Mr.. Alexander, referring to the newspaper
articles, Inquired IL it was true that Isaacs, a
tOrmfr suueTIutandeut of the ST Touia build.
ing, had asked II he would make himself
party to fraud II there was one if be gave his
approval 10 vouchers for stone work.
Witness answered in the affirmative.
Mr. Totten objected and endeavored to have
the question and answer stricken out.
The committee declined to strike out the
question. Turning TO Mr.. Bliss the chairman
said that the committee would be pleased to
have any information he might possess that
would i'd tie committee. Mr.. Bliss was q
government officer, sworn to do his duty, and
IL was matter for his own conscience d de-
termine whether his oath did not require him
TO aid the committee by furnishing all the
information he possessed. To this witness made
no answer.
Asst. Secretary French took the stand and
testified that the committee of which he was q
member appointed to consider the proposition
to modify the ID per cent stone contracts had
reported iu favor of Transforming those con-
tracts. To Mr.. Coleman witness said he bad
had moaning to do with fixing the price for
stone work in tho modified contract.
Mr.. Thompson, of tho architects Office, tes-
tilted that SO, 1856 cubic feet of granite had been
cut by Mr.. Dixon for the Philadelphia build-
ing under the labor contract, at cost of Sl2
per foot. Under the modified contract 90, ,267
feet had been furnished at cost of rs 324 per
foot. Witness had examined the estimates Of
the cost of cutting stone made by Stenmetz
and thought these prices for face work were
entirely too low. He reviewed Mr.. Steimetz' s
estimates in detail and alleged that they were
erroneous in many particulars.
At this juncture Secretary Folger came into
the room and stated that after consultation
with the first comptroller he found that but
$76.43 of an unexpended balance of the fund
appropriated TO complete the Chicago building
was available to pay the expenses OF the COM
mittee if they went to Chicago.
The appropriation for the contingent expen-
ses was SO specifically worded that it could not