New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-07
QUEER AQUEDUCT DOINGS.
PECULIAR ACTION OF AN OFFICIAL.
A LARGE sum BORROWED FROM A SUB
CONTRACTOR.
JOHN c. ROGERS swEARs THAT HE LOANED $17,6o0
TO COMMISSIONER BARNES or THE AouEDUcr
BoARD-HAMILTON FISH, JR., TELLS
WHAT HE KNOWS CONCERNING
THE REORGANIZATION OF


BoARD-HAMILToN FISH, JR, TELLS
WHAT HE KNOWS CONCERNING
THE REORGANIZATION OF
THE COMMISSION.
OF the twenty or thirty sessions that have been
held thus far by the Aqueduct investigating Com
mttee not one has proven unimportant or uninter.
esting With scarcely exception each day
has witnessed the exposure of some new startling
phase OF the corruption that seems completely to
cnshroud the great undertaking Yesterdays work
afforded another illustration Of this fact and one
almost as striking as that presented by the result
of Thursdays inquiry.
The sensation OF the day was the revelation
made by the witness. John c. Rogers, a sub-con-
tractor on the Aqueduct under Clark & OBrien,
and the alleged representative OF this firm in nu-
merous transactions. lie admitted on the stand
that he loaned 81 1900 to Aqueduct Commissioner
Oliver w. Barnes on unindorsed notes and that
the money had not yet been repaid. This money
was ostensibly advanced for the purpose Of build
ing thirty miles of railroad in Maryland in which
Mr.. Barnes Mr.. Rogers and others were supposed
to be interested Mr. Rogers insisted that Clark &
O'Brien had nothing to do with this loan. Tho
money was advanced shortly after the Commission
decided to substitute rubbe work for dry packing,
o job by which Clark & O'Bren and TIE other
contractors have already secured over 1000, 900
from the city. Chief Engineer Church, General
Newton and almost every other reputable man who
examined the matter denounced the proposition.
But Mr.. Barnes is an engineer, and his opinion
in favor Of the change had sufficient weight with
d majority of the Board to cause them to pass
the resolution.
HOW Contracts ARE LET
Another significant part OF Mr.. Rogers tesii-
mony was that in reference to the letting Of the
Aaueduct contracts. The witness said that he was
the lowest bidder for the work on section IL. He
complied with all the requirements Of the law, and
his bid was thousands of dollars below that Of
Clark & OBricn, yet the contract was awarded TO
them. Why this done he could not tell but as
they Immediately sub-let the contract and others
obtained in the same way to him at 10 rcr cent re-
duction, he felt that he had little cause for COM
! paint. These contracts, though involving hun
dreds of thousands of dollars and the employment
| of over thousand men, were made, the witness
| said on purely verbal agreements. Only once did
| Mr. Rogers grImble at the big firms treatment
This was when contract that had been promised
| to him was given to another firm, Beckwith "a
| Quackenbush, by order of Maurice B. Flynn.
| Commissioner Hamilton Fish's testimony was
the feature of the afternoon session 1t was fully
as lively and entertaining as had been anticipated.
posed to the substitution of rubble work for dry
packing lie was not present at the meeting
when the resolution authorizing the change wa
adopted
When De Lancey Nicoll appeared as the repre-
sentative of the Democratic members Of the COM
mittee he announced il to be his intention TO do
his utmost to assist in exposing any inquity that
came up before the Senator'S The sincerity OF his
declaration was attested yesterday by the earnest
way in which he sought to get at the facts regard
ing the money loaned to Mr.. Barnes
MR.. ROGERS TELLS HIS STORY.
There was larger crowd than usual in the room,
Part III of the Superior Court when the proceed
ings were opened General Tracy is still too i'll to
attend so Mr. Boardman carried on the cxamina-
tion of witnesses assisted by Mr. Nicoll and Mr..
Lovett and the Aqueduct Commissioners who were
allowed by the chairman to ask questions
Mr. Rogers the first witness is short, stout
| man with remarkably keen eyes and face lndi-
cative of determination rather than reserve or
shrewdness. He talked with refreshing candor
until he had told nearly his story. Then he began
to realize that he had gone too far and sought to
hedge by losing his memory. He said that he was
| unable TO get money due him from Clark q
o Brien because the firm said that the city did
| not pay them He told how he had failed TO get
contracts when he bid against the firm: When
| lIcman Clark heard tnat Rogers was going 10 Dlu
for piece of work he would tell him not TO do so
as Clark & O'Bren would certainly get it at a
higher figure and then he Rogers could take IL
| from them.
The loan TO Commissioner Barnes was next ex-
planned. Mr. Rogers said that he first gave Mr..
Barnes 81, 800 personally and afterward 5000 TO
syndicate Of gentlemen represented by tho
Commissioners Notes taken for all the money
| but none of them were paid at maturity. No col
lateral security was taken, and there was no in
dorsement on the paper except that Of the witness
and N N
AS he understood it. Mr. Barnes the consulting
engineer of this Maryland railroad and wanted
the money to pay off the members Of the engineer
| ing corps. or something of that kind
FLYNNs HAND APPEARS AGAIN.
Mr.. Nicoll examined the witness at length in re.
gard to the sub-etting of contracts contrary to
law by Clark * O'Brien. He found that it WAS
regularly done. When Section IL was given TO
Becl1wth & Quackenbush instead of to AIr Rogers,
as agreed the witness called on Clark Il o 'Brien,
and they told him that they could not let him have
it. because of the orders of Flynn, with whom they
had a written agreement
Mr.. Nicoll then went into the money given Mr..
Barnes. The witness said that the amount was
paid in checks on the Sixth National Bank and
other institutions that he could not recall. The
first note, for $4,000, was drawn in January or
February This had been discounted nc bank
had gone to protest and was still unpaid. but Mr.
Barnes had explained TO the satisfaction OF the
witness why il had not been taken up. Yes, Mr..
Barnes was Aqueduct Commissioner, and the
witness was doing work on the Aqueduct when the
loans were made.
To the chairman Mr.. Rogers said that he had
never been backmailed by any one in connection
with work the Aqueduct
o.-IIave you had trouble with the engneersf A.
| Only a difference OF opinion occasionally.
Q-were you never backmaled by the inspectorsf A.
No, sir
| O-You OF the lucky Can you say
whyl A-No, unless Il that my done right
hal M nappa fa lama ffnfr
youi AWelI nothing, only the carrying OF the work
RECOGNIZED AS A sUBcoNTRAcToR
Mr.. Rogers said that he was now recognized bJ
the Aqueduct Commission as sub-contractor o
John Brunton & Co., and as such was doing work
on sections l3 and Ia Brunton q Co. were In
financial difficulties, and it was necessary TO pre-
vent the money that nominally due 10 thai
firm being attached, and TO secure the payment o.
the money direct to the witnesses firm The wit