New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-08
MORE LIGHT ON FRERET
INVESTIGATING THE SUPERVISING ARoHI
TECT
AN oUTspoKEN wITNEss-rHE TRUTH AD0oA
MR.. rREREr's SOMA CHEAP AID
vERTIsEMEYT.
1Dr rrLEenAPH TO THE TEIBUNE.l

L.
vERmsEMEYT.
,Er TELEGRAPH TO THE TEIBUSE.l
washington. Feb THE Freret investigating Com
,rtttee had some lively witnesses Deiore IL Vo-uay ~
he,a t1vo sessions and made more progress with Its
york than II has made on any day before. Senator
snooror did most OF the work Of crosS-examinaton'
There were present Senators Morrill,, Pasco and
Daniel
II did not take much questioning to bring out the
FIRST witness. He +. E. Avery, one OF the
draughtsmen in the Office Of Colonel Frerct, with ap
parently good idea Of the mismanagement OF the
olce and without the slightest hesitation about tell
ing all that no knew As he had been working for the
Government for nearly fourteen years on architectural
work. he made interesting and intelligent Witness
He said that ne had done outside work although ne
had been urged by Van Nerta to do So lie had us
eassed the matter with another empoye OF the Office
who had gone to Van Nerta and it had been suggested
IN tbs friend BY Van Nerta that If Avery's soma
boy of seventeenwoud sign tho bid for the contract
for the Helena Ark building, 1t would be awarded to
him and his father could do the work. Mr. Avery
said that he had come to tho conclusion that that
would not be honest and he had declined 10 enter into
the arrangement Avery did not hesitate to tell
all that he thought as well all that he knew about
Freret's management Of his Office He said that tho
employees of the Office who took outside contracts used
the stock designs for interior which were file IN
the Office and thus saved themselves so much work
These designs, Mr. Avery said were of the character
Of designs he had in $1,000 houses built for
speculation. One of the standard Designs he said,
of the kind of artistic finish that could be found
in the headboard of bed.
Mr.. Avery then told Of Frerets scheme for building
up his professional reputation at the expense OF the
Government. The annual report Of the Office, which
should have included the period from October 1887, to
October 1888, and would, under osiinary conditions,
have been issued about December 1, was being held
all
TO which he could sign his name. Mr.. Freret was
having the work which done under his supervision
I'm 1887 and included In the last annual report copied
and 1t hs intention to have It reproduced In the
report 10 be issued In the near future. Mr. Avery
said that It was the impression in the Office
that Freret had handed In his resignation to take effect
March a. and that it was expected that all the work
authorized by the Office would be let out by that time
so that could go into this record Of the Freret adj
mnistraton.
Senator Spooner interrupted the witness 10 suggest
that Mr. Breret sacrificing the public interest to the
vanity of man, that he might have an advertise
ment in his business hereafter.
Mr. Avery then went to show by what means
this contamination was brought about Contracts for
plans being let to in the Office when It fire.
uuently happened that these had Office work 10
do for week at time. The plans were not being
prepared In full detail and contractors were unable to
bid on them for lack Of information. On some Of the
work no bids were received at all. fact which Mr..
Avery thought mortified Mr. Freret very much at the
limo
The story which Freret had told about his son was
anayzed with the assistance of Avery another Of the
witnesses Stryker by name, and both Of them contra
dicted Frerets testimony fatty. When Freret on
the stand, he said that before his son was appointed
confidential secretary"-without his fathers know[
edge-he had done all the work on the ottumwa Build
ing plans, and that the Government had had the oene-
fit Of his work without compensation. Avery and
stryker agreed that the ottumws plans were drawn
after young Frerst began 10 draw salary that they
were drawn from sketch plans prepared by one Of the
regular draughtsmen in the Office; that they were made
under the direct supervision Of sryker, and stryker
testified also that there mistakes ia the plans
which required correction at the hands of the ex-
perenced draughtsmen In the office.
Mr. Avery gave an interesting description OK the
Biaghamton, N Y, building site. He said that
few of the objections TO 1t to be found in the
fact that It not near the business CENTRE that
YVES @down in hole" that 1t was so arranged
that the building would face the suburbs, and that
all that prevented its being flooded to the first story
was a sea-wan-
Mr. Avery gave a little of the inside history Of
Mr. Freret's efforts to thwart the operation of the
Cvn Service law, Of which The Tribune accused him,
and which he denied 50 emphatlcally at the time.
He said that two of the who prepared the
questions for the examination had said to him thar
the questions were prepared under Colonel trerets
orders with view to preventing any one coming
into the Office on competitive examination. When
Mr. Oberly announced In the office that he aid not
believe any one there could answer the questions,
Frcret said In a loud tone that he would bounce
any one who could not. Then he turned. to the
man next him and asked If he could answer the
questions, and ~being afraid TO say anything else,
as the witness expressed It, the drsughtsman said that
he could answer It. When the Civil Service examina-
ton was over, one of the men who was to examine
the papers said that Colonel Freret stil had the
big end of the rope Tor II any one passed ne Woud
be discharged In a couple OF weehs: -
several witnesses who followed Avery told Of pay.
ing money TO outside people for the use OF their
names IN getting contracts and of being urged TO
make voluntary contributions to the Democratic
camnaien fund and confirmed the testimony OF Mr
kerv and the witnesses that preceded him In every
partlcuiar The examination consumed nearly four
hours.