The evening world., 1889-04-24
PAID FOR TWICE.
The City Badly Mulcted for the
Harris Island Crib.
Contractor John II. Dawson's Low Bid
Explained at Last.
Commissioner Sherman May Care to Make
an Explanation. Too.

That the pledges Of Tammany Hall 10 give the
city Of New York a pure, honest and reform
government were not empty promises Is exem-
plihed In an investigation now being conducted
by the Commissioners OF Accounts.
This can be better understood when IL is
known that party reasons do not enter into the
case, and that the official whose acts are being
investigated is q Tammany Hall adherent-none
other than President Thomas 8. Brennan, OF
the Board Of Charities and Correction.
About six weeks ago The EVENING WORLD ex-
c~lusively announced that Commissioner Bren-
nan. whose term Of Office expires May 1, would
not be reappointed by Mayor Grant. and the
reason is being developed by this Investigation.
Recently. however. a positive charge Of cor
ruption was made which Commissioners Hola-
han and Barker deemed it their duty TO investi-
gate.
This charge was made In connection with the
cSp Hsr4 TsI. OF 2 &c SrIs splshead on the west sue
John r. Dawson was the contractor and Com
missioner Brennan had supervision OF the work.
e over Il, 900 cubic yards Of stone filins for the
S under T ordar U " c s%PRliisGi sna P Srsn an =. 'n' CITY
paid for this stone and work ,nd he did not Ssc DO, It b is
bid. lowest for the stone work OF all the COM
peting contractors.
III IHCt ulh Dlu WAS TlulCulOubly -lON--f NOlit1
per yard-and experienced, men, have testified
that he could not have delivered the stone Tor
the fs ss% other he 1 bfdid %nS6 oh 5ess ht TO- p Rgr IN the 1T Stone
at from rs cents to 90 cents per cubic yard,
suggesting that they would have to finish II.
He + a member o9p the dock-bulldipg firm Of
the Il N work on sf IL; aFst. T ENCOURAGEMENT RI and PaS-
son was ridiculously high on all the speciica-
tons except the stone.
tised for when Dawson was the, lowest at
He still mTaintained his ability to furnish stone
at 81 cents.
The %f EsplT .stG y A.. S.cfSS 60 ding xs sw9 nd fI to him 2;
a dock. builder. He had no practical knowledge
of anything but horses, Of which he is q ~fancier.
It was considered a mystery how he was going
to do the work.
p1 TRs s1 Is fSs sSsssss ws NJ. k 1 RFlgr ala, to sE Th Sos
kP GSn9. AT goSSs t hsS SSGh SuilS S}lot o, the charity
fidelity While Tie crib on Rsrs,s Island was being
built, and said that he towed All Of the stone
II was taken from the ,quarries on Blackwell,s
Island, and some was taken from Rapdall's Isl
d doSn s sta1i G %afis OF on i s%ls wsS slHlPPfl sisnd BY tearing
All Of the work was done BY the ~conyicts under
the direction Of keepers in the pay of the city,
wo MR; ~; p Hnd John a q%Se eosfIFes.t a 4 Tom aBs
keeper, both of whom were employed on Harris
Island when the crib was constructed, gave sim
liar testimony about the work being done by
%convicts at the city's expense.
Similar testimony was given. yesterday by
Warden Lawrence Dunphy and Keeper John
Bapp, of the Blackwell,s Island, W~orkhouse, by
Warden .Vought, Of the Almshouse, and o.
borne, Of the Tombs.
The fact that Dawson was not compelled Ia
furnish stone seems to indicate that he had been
previously. informed as to what would be. re.
quired Of him. Yet it was because he was low
on stone that he received the bid.
Had stone not been considered In the award
Joseph. Walsh. would have been the lowest
bidder by nearly 81, 500.
A queer discovery has resulted from this In.
vestigation, which places ex-Commissioner OF
Accounts VIM. r. Shearman again in an un.
pleasant light.
This contract was investigated by Com.
missioners of Accounts Sherman ant
Adamson. in 1886, yet they never
sent in their report TO Mayor Grace, nor did
they, apparently, make q thorough investiga'
ton.
They examined but four witnesses, all favora.
BILE to the defense, and it took them four months
to do this,
The only witnesses examined we're Com
missioners Brennan and Porter and Contractor
Dawson and Engineer Haswell, of the work.
Other witnesses were ready to be examined,
but were never called, and the whole thing wa
| RmOthered.