Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-31

j. Fisher d Co., was the next witness. He wa
examined first as to the three sales with which
his hrm was connected as agent The first wa
| the Bradley school site, sold December 10, 1885
to the District for $40 cents from ". 8. Cox ei
a., trustees. The witness sold the property
| through Mr.. Cox, TO the District Commission
ers. II belonged, he said, to the trustees of the
Patterson estate. The price received, 37.e
cents was satisfactory to the firm and they sold
It knowing the purpose for which it was to be
used. The owner got the entire amount paid
Py the District, 5000, less the commission OF
$1s5 paid to Mr.. Cox. The witness firm got NO
commission out of it.
In reference to the Arthur Place site pur-
chased from Mr.. Hurt, the witness said Mr..
Coz came to him and asked the price, and was
satisfied with it. He wanted us, he said, Ito
take the deposit out of a check which / no
ticed was signed by Mr.. Webb, and 1 immedi-
ately surmised that r was for Q school SITE and
declined to make the sale until Had consulted
the owner" Mr.. Stellwagen said the owner
did not object, and the property was sold. The
| firm paid Mr.. Cox sl5907 as half of the usual
commission of per cent. The firm actually
received but az per cent, SO Mr.. Cox got more
than one-half. There was no reason why the
Commissioners could not have bought the
| ground for -. The Commissioners could have
paid exactly the same. Mr.. Taulbee asked
whether they could not have got il for the
i same, less the commission paid Mr.. Cox? mo, "
said MIR. Stellwagen, 1--WE would not have di-
Flueu Win tnenl. Sir. III IL courtesy among
the brokers to divide in that way"
cox NOT LICENSED BROKER.
WAS Mr.. Cox a broker?"
not licensed"
| that Mr.. Cox showed you?"
1t was check signed by Mr.. Webb. did
not examine it Closely
do you remember the amonnt?"
Il do not. SIR
Mr.. Stellwagen said the price. 81 per foot,
was advertised in their list OF property for sale:
He did not know whether the check spoken of
was signed by Mr.. Webb as a Commissioner or
AZ a private individual.
1T was" said Mr.. Davis, the attorney for
the Commissioners. "a personal check of Mr..
Webbs to pay interest in q mother matter"
Mr.. Stellwagen was then questioned respect
ing the site at New Hampshire avenue and X
| street, sold by the firm through Mr.. Early, and
finally bought by the Commissioners at
81 1924. Mr.. Charles Early, he said. paid
the firm with his own check on Crane, Paris
d Co. This was after the execution of the deed
by Benjamin Crane. of the firm of Crane. Par
ris 4 Co., who acted as middlemen. Mr.. Early
had previously made deposit on the property.
He did not remember the exact amount but
thought it was probably 5000.
The witness said
HE DIVIDED HIS COMMISSION
in this case with Mr. Early. The Commission
ers, the witness said. might have bought the
property at S1.40 foot, just as Mr.. Early did,
il they had gone at it in roundabout way. He
would net. however. sell it to them if he had
known it was for a Scholastic.
Mr. Payne asked the witness if ii was not
within his knowledge that lots in that neigh
borhood were then held at $3.50 a foot The
witness said the lots his firm had there were
held at sl.4o. Mr.. Stellwagen then left the
stand.
MR.. cox RECALLED.
Mr.. Webb asked that Mr.. Cox be put on the
stand to explain the matter of the check re-
ferred to by Mr.. Stellwagen.
Mr. Chapman suggested going on in the regu-
lar order, but Mr.. Webb thought, as this matter
WAS going into the newspapers. it was due to
him to have Mr.. Cox's statement go with it.
Mr.. Cox therefore made a statement. The
check, he said, was paid him by MIR. Webb for
six months interest due on a $4,000 loan on
the building known as the Capital building. 1t
was Mr.. Webb's private check. The witness
said he had loan on the building of $4,000
The check, Mr.. Cox said, was made payable to
him.
Mr.. Stellwagen was asked respecting the
prices paid for property elsewhere by the Com
missioners as shown by the list, and his opinion
was generally that the prices were fair.
DIR. A. P. PARDON CALLED.
DR.. A. P. Pardon, real estate dealer, was next
called to the stand. He testified in relation to
the Weightman site, corner of 23d aad NJ streets
northwest, which the Commissioners list
shows was purchased from J. w. Sinclair jr.
for the District September 8, 1886 for S13 SASS.
DR.. Pardon related how he had been in
formed by the building inspector that the Com
missiOners desired site in that neighborhood.
Mr.. Entwisle, the inspector, asked him if he
had not property there he could offer. The
witness spoke of this site at 23d and NJ streets
and the inspector said that was just what they
wanted. He thereupon sent letter to the
Commissioners, stating that he had this prop
erty on his books at 81 foot, and, as he be-
heved, adding that if it was suitable he thought
he could negotiate it at advantageous terms.
He had never. he said. heard from the letter.
II was informed" he stated :. that my letter
had been handed to Mr. Cox"
who informed your asked Mr.. Taulbee
Mr.. Entwisle told me, believe" said the
witness. MIR. Cox told me he had seen my
letter"
The property. he said, according to the rec
ords, was bought at 80 cents, and then imme-
diately purchased by the Commissioners for 80
cents. DR.. Farden said he was interested as
citizen to know whya person who was an agent
was ignored by the Commissioners and the mat
ter turned over to person who did not pay
license as an agent. He was interested in
knowing
WHY HIS LETTER WAS NEVER ANSWERED.
and why an agent who did not pay his license
should be permitted to purchase the property
for 80 cents and then charge the District 80
cents.
DIR. Pardon said, in answer to Mr.. Taulbee's
inquiries, that he knew of no reason why the
Commissioners could not have purchased this
property through him from the owner for 20
cents. The witness said he never saw the
owner, Mrs. Ida 8. Piatt She did not live in
this city. The property was placed iInhis
hands by a nephew OF Mrs. Platt's MIR. W. ].
Morris. If he had sold the property. he said.
the Commissioners would have paid only 80
cents for it. DR.. Pardon said, as it was, the
owner had to pay between $500 and s400 COM
mission, besides the $1,000 which some one
made out of the transaction.
Continued on fJth page.I
The Senate Tariff Bill.