St. Paul daily globe., 1888-09-16
sTAHLNECKER's SCHEMES.
Charged With Attempting to Use
His Official Position TO Swindle
Uncle Sam.


Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15.-The special
committee in the house appointed to in
vestigate the charges preferred by Rep
reSentative Kelly, of Pennsylvania,
against Representative Stahlnecker, of
New York, in connection with the con-
tracts for the congressional library
building. got down TO work in earnest
this morning. Mr.. Stahlnecker ap-
peared with Judge Jere Wilson
as counsel, while Mr.. Kelly ap-
peared with Mr.. Coleman, of this
city, as his counsel. In the
opening, counsel for the prosecution
read the bill of charges against Mr..
Stahlnecker. 1t alleges that Mr.. Stahl-
necker procured the appointment at the
hands of Speaker Carlisle of chairman
of the house committee library, for the
purpose of using his position to secure
contracts for marble, stone and cement
used in the construction of the congress-
iOnal library; that he went to Archi-
tect Smith Meyer early in the summer
of last year, and spoke in the interest of
the New York Quarry company, in
which are relatives and friends of
Mr.. Stahlnecker; that the quarry is 10
Gated in StahlneckeT'S congressional
district and he urged to the utmost of
his persuasive powers to enhance in
Movers opinion the product of that
quarry; that be induced Smith Meyer
to visit the vicinity of the quarry, TAX
ing him to his (Stahlnecker' home at
YOnkerS, and entertaining him there !;
that he kept up an inquiry as to when
contracts would be let and experiments
or tests would be made; that he placed
Smith Meyer in contract with
ChrdoZa, a representative of the New
York Quarry company, who also
urged the qualities of their wares: that
Stahlnecker impressed upon Smith
Meyer that he was an intimate friend
of the secretary of the interior, and that
Secretary Lamar would be gratitied if
the marble and stone recommended by
Stahlnecker was accepted; that at that
time Mr.. Lamar was eX-offcio chairman
of the library commission; that in a
hotel in New York, and at Chamber
lain's hotel in this city, and in Mr..
Meyers private Office in this city
and elsewhere, Stahlnecker frequently
urged the adoption of the products
of the New York Quarry company
in which StahlDecker was interested;
that he also urged frequently the adopt
ion of a certain cement, and told Smith
tlldl llC was
against his Smith Meyer's) interest in
not accepting the marble and cement
Stahlnecker recommended, and when
Smith Meyer refused to recommend
that marble and cement because they
did not come up to the required test,
Stahlnecker became irritated and angry,
and told Smith Meyer he was
working against his own interests
and left him, since when Stahlnecker
has been using his position as chair
man of the committee on library, and
as memer of the house to deprive
Smith Meyer of his position as archi-
tect of the library building, and
Furthermore Stahlnecker procured the
appointment of John w. TrianOr to be
secretary of the library commission to
carry out his purposes on stone and
cement contracts. Architect Smith
Meyer then took the witness chair, and
testified in detail to the statement set
forth in the above bill of charges. The
committee adjourned until Monday
without taking action in the matter.