New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-24
sNAITHs BOOKS ALTERED,
THE CONTRACTOR PRODUCES THEM BE-
FORE THE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE

HILL AND LIEUTENANT-G GOvERNoR'Jo JONES
FIGURE IN THE CEILING SCANDAL
coNTRoLLER wEMPLE's REMIss-
| NESS PROVED BY HIS DEPUTY.
!Br TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBoNEg
| Albany, Feb. Ex-Governor Hill and LieutenanH
Governor Jones, the two Democrats who form the ma
ory Of the Board of Trustees Of Pdblc Buildings, still
neglect to comply with the unanimous request Of the
Assembly that they should suspend from Office Charles
| B. Andrews, the Superintendent Of Public Buildings
Mr.. Jones has gone TO bis home at Binghsmton TO
main until Monday that It is apparent that he does
not intend to take any action against Andrews before
next week. II he does intend to remove suspend him
then People asking the question whether Il
Andrews had been Republican Official, Mr. Hill and
Mr.. Jones would not long since have acted upon the
request of the Assembly especially since he has con-
fessed before the Assembly Committee on Appoprs-
tons that upon his vouchers John Snaith, the con-
tractor for the Assembly ceiling work, has received
$4,000 more than be IS legally entitled to receive
The thought is agass expressed by somc members Of
the Legislature tla' Governor Hills especial feeling
of compassion for Aldrews arises from the fact thas
the latter consentea to the diversion. by the Gov.
ernor OF the Public Buildings Fund to the purchase
Of musical clock. billiard tables and other costly
articles for the Executive Mansion
It has Just been learned that the Governor sus
| gested the appointment Of Assemblynlcn Enz and
Cheney as mem5cn Of the unfortunate Ceiling Com
mittee and the fact s recalled that Messrs. Enz and
Cheney signed 70 report withdrawing the Governor
for his illegal Ienditures in the purchase OF the
| furniture for the Executive Mansion The Governor
also suggested the appointment of Assemblymen shee
! han and Weed, tho two Democratic members of the
Ceiling Committee. Perhaps the Governor, In view
| of his own connection with the appointment Of the
Ceiling Committee, deems it dangerous to mako hos
| tile movement upon any one connected with thaa
| Job, whether 1t be Andrews or any one eBe Rumor
are circulating about Albany that the Democrsto
campaign fund received large contribution from one
of the Democratic contractors for the ceiling work.
while that work was in progress. II so, this would
be an additional reason why Mr.. Hill would consider
| It best to be cautious about harDng mon who might
| tell dangerous secrets.
Another Democratic State Official who seems In
bad plight owing the ceiling investigation, Is Ed
ward wemple, the State Controller, who approved OF
| all the Munchansen vouchers presented by Super
ntendent Andrews as the amount of work done and
materials bought by John snath, the contractor for
| the ceiling work An examination Of those vouchers
shows that sufficient timber was represented TO have
been bought I'LL the Assembly chamber solidy With
| that material; snd pointed out on Wednesday
| by Assemblyman Martin. a Democratic member Of
the Committee Appropriations, sufficient timber for
scaffolding was represented TO have been bought %
| surround the Capitol which covers four acres Oh
ground with scafolding.
| Deputy-Controller westbrook was summoned before
the Assembly Committee on Appropriations to-day, to
/ state WHY these remarkable bills were audited and
paid by Controller wemple; and substantially all ne
| could say In defence Of his chief was
| that Mr.. Wemple considered superintendent
| Andrews an honest man. Therefore tno
vouchers OF Mr. Andrews were not critically examined.
Members of the Legislature naturally nquirns IL
this Is good specimen of Controller Wempes methods
In executing duties of his Office Are tho vouchers
the OF 81 900 or g. 100000 OF he state
penal and chartabe Institutions audited by Controller
wempie in this shiftless manners BE Is the nnanclai
ocet Of the State the watchdog Of its treasury has
he such faith IN humanity such belief In the UNIVERSAL
honesty Of public officials that he passes without
criticism and strict examination the bills against the
state that they PRESENT.
one result Of Controller wemple's careless method
Is already evident The contractor. John snaith, has
received as already stated. s1494o more than he Is
yet entitled to receive The committee OF archtect
| experts said in their report to the Assembly last
sIouday that under the contract 20 per cent OF tho
amount duep should be retained from snaith until his
| work IS accepted Only S39,o56 has been retained.
instead of S54,030 The contractor has. therefore.
received on account to daie, $1494o more than ne s
entitled to receive until the work Is ac-
! cepted. Controller wemple has taken no steps,
SO far as any one Is aware to recover this overpay-
ment from snaith. Moreover, Controller Wemple has
| permitted Superintendent Andrews TO draw $500,
and Andrews has paid himself $500 as extra conn
| pensaton for supervising the ceiling work. since
then Attorney General Tabor has informed the As
sembly In unofficial opinion, that Andrews has no
| legal right TO this 81 500. Has Controller wemplo
taken any steps 10 recover for the this S3500l
To-day it was stated the Controllers Office thas
| they were not aware that Mr.. Wempe had bestirrcd
] himself In the matter Andrews has acknowledged
on the witnessstand that 81 900 OF that money OF
the States was paid by him TO T. j. Sullivan one OF
the sub-contractors on the ceiling work, as partial
payment for lot in Eagle ST., in this city Had not
Controller wemple better be running around to SEQ
Il he cannot recover tbs money for the Statcl He
is in NewYork to-day, and 1t is not TO De suspeotco
that he is looking there after the states money tnat
| Andrews took In view OF Controller Wemples care
less auditing Of bills against the State some members
Of the Legislature think the states treasury needs
some better means Of protection than t now possesses
An almost complete change has taken place to-day
in the minds OF the members Of the Appiopriaaons
Last night they, seemed TO tlnk that the testimony
produced showed up pretty oriy for the con-
esoG bT Sut The enc Of the Appropso1s
Committee shows that Contractor snalth has made made
and and that that this I'll 6s the burden q
strong this belief and SO & sar meet 70 the os Monsay
is the testimony snaI r. ney eyyaencn % arrady received
preparatory TO making their report 20 me Legsuio
The committee WI not can be obtaned
from them. .,. ...n.,...
o, amounts and the recording OF amounts dates
extrcmeiy recent, which should have been put into
s es o9oas SSangs o opinions Mr. sullivan Is believed to
have made about 100000 his part Of the contract
But regarding him the impression prevails that bis
work was of such nature that he is entitled TO good
profit II is lopked upon as bold and daring piece
Of engineering.
The irnpoI tant witness In to-day's examination on
the Assembly ceiling investigation was Deputyfon-
troller Westbrook. Ills testimony was dirvcted prn
cipay toward showing the payments which had neen
made by the Controller on the vouchers handed 70
him by Superintendent Andrews. The contract was
exsmiped by him, but casually. HIS sftenuon va va
drected moro closely to the amount OF the bid and
ha
Regarding the law which required that the Controller
should be satisfied that the work would be done withn
the time specified and the amount appropfisted no
said that the reputation OF the contractors ara the
bonds they were under were In his mind suincleno
gual antee that the work would be done according 10
the contract lie knew Contractor snaith. not m
timately nor hardly esonally but stu. he knew
that Snath one the contractors He was asked
by speaker Cole II he knew anything about the nature
Of the ceiling lie did know something about tns