Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-06
A TEN DOLLAR BILL,
PRESENTED by a Tunnel Sub Contractor
to One of the inspectors.

Presented by Tunnel Sub Contractor
to One Of the Inspectors.
MORE DAMAGING TESTIMONY BEFoRE THE urrr-
rAKY COURT OF INQUIRY YESTERDAY AFTER
MONTH"; EVIDENCE AFFECTING INSPECTOR
LUCAS.
When The STARS report of the testimony
before the military court Of inquiry closed
yesterday afternoon, Dennis Wren, a laborer.
was on the witness stand and had testified that
sometimes when Inspector Lucas was in good
humor he would not care whether the stones
were laid right or not.
Cen Ruger took some pains to ascertain from
the witness whether bad work was caused by
POSITIVE orders from Lucas. or IL il came from
the iatter's carelessness. From the answer it
would seem that the latter was the case. Wit
ness received s225 a day. Wren's testimony
was rePlete with Observation-Disclosures and Deed
couldn't tell you, sirs, ;" and was on the whole,
regarded as unsatisfactory
FRANK BUGDEN
followed Wren. He was a bricklayer and went
to work In the Howard University heading in
1851 He said that at the end of the center the
stonemason would build a regular wall to give
the whole the appearance of solidity. Witness
left work because he did not like the Job All
arches or the mortar piles were called packers.
In the course of the witness experience in the
tunnel there were no stonemasons employed.
Witness received S4.75 day, the usual wages
IN that shaft.
THE NEXT WITNESS
was James Lanigan, a stonemason, who began
work on the tunnel in February, 1887 and con-
tinued until the work was stopped in Septem-
Der. He also worked from May to November.
HA una
1857 in the Foundry Branch west heading and
In the west shaft heading also. Lots of bricks
were rejected, he said, and witness was
told that Mr.. Quackenbush had them
taken to some other work. Witness tes-
titled that he tried to get the men to Law each
stone in the packing in a bed Of cement, but
he could not get them out of the habit Of lay
Ing acourse of stone and then smoothing it
over with a layer of cement. Col. Craighill
made an effort to learn if the witness, as q
stOne-mason, thought the side packing equal
70 good, solid stone wall, and was told that il
II had been done by a stone-mason 1t would
have been, leaving the impression that as the
men on that work were common laborers the
wall was not solid.
THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY FOR sLIdHTINa THE
occurred over the keys, but witness never no
ticed any tendency on the part Of either brick
layers or stone masons to slight the work.
Witness also worked as q mason this year in the
Champlain avenue east heading on the stone
side walls, and also in the Rock Creek west
heading. He tried to do all of his work solidly,
and all other work he saw was such. He re-
ceived 50 day.
sUBCoSTRAcToB GIVES AN INSPECTOR 80.
Once, while witness was inspector, he worked
over time and Brennan, the subcontractor,
came to him and babe him goodbye, as he was
going to New York, shaking hands with him
and leaving $40 bill in his hand Witness
followed him to the top, but Brennan would
not take the money back. Witness then bought
with il some things that were needed in the
tunnel, such as buckets, &c. The work that
witness did as inspector for the Government,
and that which he did as a workman for the
contractors was about the same. Witness was
employed as inspector by Col. Kirlin.
Cross-e1smination by Lieut.. Townsend
showed that in the witnesses opinion Kirlin's
inspection was little too rigid. He also
thought that the inspection by Lieut.. Town
send was rigid and thorough. Upon examine
ton witness said that Lieut.. Townsend would
come through the tunnel about once or twice
week. sometimes not appearing for a week.
He then volunteered the statement that the
coming of the lieutenant was never made
known to him in advance.
The court then adjourned at O'Clock to
reading the record. At 10 O'Clock tomorrow
the examination Of witnesses will be resumed.
COURT NOTES.
Lawyer Perry is a constant attendant upon
the sessions of the court and sits mute through.
out the proceedings, occasionally taking notes
of the testimony. always taking the names of
the witnesses, and smiling occasionally when
ever the latter refer to the engineer officers,
He says that he does not recognize the iuris-
dietion of this court and comes only as q spec
tatOr.
Persons who frequent the court or have read
the report of the proceedings are beginning to
wonder why the examination is continued on
the present line. The evidence adduced from
day TO day, from the beginning of the investi-
CATION TO the present time, has all been conclu-
sive in proving that the tunnel is badly lined,
In view Of all the testimony given to that effect
future examinations will probably develop but
cumulative facts, and the guessers are specu-
lating as TO how long it will go on. Gen. Ruger
is evidently endeayoring to reach q conclusion.