Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-12


LARD WOULD HAVE SOLD ron rs CENTS.
MI. 1auioee's committee, investigating the
purchases OF real estate by the Commissioner
resumed Its public sessions this morning,
Messrs. Iaulbee, Baker, and Eowell, OF the
committee, were present. The Commissioners
ana MI. Cox were early on hand. Mr.. Davis,
the assistant attorney for the District. was not
present Mr.. Payne, the attorney for Mr.. Cox.
announced that Mr.. Davis, who was detained
oy sickness, had requested him to represent
the COMMISSIONER interest as well as Mr..
Cox'a
SALE OF THE cARBERRY SCHOOL SITE.
Mr.. Thomas W. Smith, the lumber dealer,
was first called as a witness. and he was exam
ined by Mr.. Taulbee Mr.. Smith was asked re-
garding the sale of the Carberry school site on
5th street, between d and E northeast. in which
Mr.. Smith owned a part interest. He said he
received a telephone message one day from
mr. JAS h. Mari, who owned a half interest.
stating that be was about to close q sale with
person who claimed to be an agent OF the
District at the price at which they held the
property-5O cents a foot Mr. MARI asked if
the witness would agree to the sale and witness
rephed In the affirmative. The witness said he
actually received only As cents a foot, the re-
naming cents foot going, as the witness
supposed, as
COMMISSION TO SOMEBODY.
Witness understood that the property was
being sold to the District for a school site at
the time, but had no objection to it. He did
not think it injured adjoining property. He
did not know much about the transaction. as
Mr.. Mari conducted il with Mr.. Cox. who rep
resented the District They were perfectly
SATISFIED with the price they actually received,
40 cents a foot.
He would not have hesitated to have sold it
to the Commissioners for a school house for As
cents foot. He thought that a fair price
considering that cash was paid. IL it had been
sold on time he would have expected so cents a
foot.
On examination by other members of the
committee the witness said he found il con-
venient to employ agents in business. He
thought the price paid by the District SO cents
a foot. was fair. He had subsequently sold
other property he owned in the neighborhood
to his partner at As cents foot. He did not
he said. see the man to whom they sold the
property as agent of the District. He thought
the usual commission for selling real estate
was 2 or per cent On examination by MIR.
Payne, counsel for Mr.. Cox. said he endeavored
to repurchase at 80 cents one of the lots he had
sold, because a neighbor who was anxious to
get it had offered him so cents There was not
he said. much difference in a cash or time sale,
IN view of the condition of the money market.
1t might amount. he said, to IL or per cent
Mr.. JAMES II. MARI EXAMINED.
Mr.. James H. MARI, the real estate agent, was
next called. He was part owner of the Carberry
site and made the sale. He said that he sold
the property to the Commissioners at 80 cents
foot and he charged commission. He said
he had sent the Commissioners a written
proposition to sell the property at
80 cents foot. Witness said he thought he
first met Mr.. Cox on the street. but he could
II Al.ar hath h.. g.
spoke of the subject of school sites. He after
ward, he thought. went to Mr.. Cox's Office and
Mr.. Cox then came to his office. The price
agreed on was so cents foot. Witness did not
remember what commission he paid Mr.. Cox.
He thought he gave him Si0o or $500. The
price paid was SC, 456. He said that the usual
commissions as fixed by the auctioneers was 5
per cent on the first 500, per cent on the
next $4,000, and per cent for amounts over
that. Sill this was not recognized a rule.
COULD AFFORD TO PAY BIG COMMISSION.
The witness said if he had not received an
amount that would enable him to do SO he
would not have paid such commission. The
witness did not consider that he was trying to
induce Mr.. Cox TO sell the property to the
Commissioners. He did not consider Mr.. Cox
as the representative of the Commissioners Wit
ness said he thought Mr.. Cox stated to him that
the Commissioners could pay no commission
and what he received he would have to get
from the person selling the property.
When asked by Mr.. Baker what he thought
of the price received for the property, he said
he did not think 30 cents a foot an extrayagant
price. when property was sold for school pur-
poses, as such a sale, he thought injured ad-
joining property. He thought the price rea-
sonable Witness had no recollection of hay
ing offered the property for sale during the
not believe he would remember il. Part of
the consideration in this sale was that the
owners should grade the lot.
WAITING FOR WITNESSES.
Mr.. Taulbee called for Mr.. H. A. Willard and
Mr.. j. V. \. Huyck, but neither of these
gentlemen were present. Mr.. Taulbee said he
thought these two were the only witnesses he
cared 10 examine. The committee took a re-
cess while waiting to hear from the two wit
nesses wanted.
Mr.. HENRY A. WILLARD A WITNESS
Mr.. Henry A. Willard arrived about 1925
o'clock. The committee imme diately resumed
business Mr.. Willard was examined by Mr..
Taulbee. Mr.. Willard sold to the District in
October last the site on LIST, between b and c
streets southwest for public school.
while at Nantucket from Mr.. John F..
Cox asking witness if he would take
so cents a foot. Witness wrote to his son stat
ing that he was not anxious to sell the lots
subsequently he informed Mr.. Cox that he
would sell the property if he could realize IS
cents foot. Mr.. Cox informed the witness that
the purchase was for the Commissioner He
was satisfied with rs cents a foot That
was all he asked and all he got
The witness thought that the transaction was
fair. He gave MIR. Cox his personal check for
the difference between IS cents a foot and the
price paid by the District so cents. He gave
him check for 1886. Mr.. Cox. he said. got
the witness price and he was satisfied to have
him make the balance.
Did you understand" said Mr.. Taulbee,
chat Mr.. Cox was acting for the Commits
sioners?''
That was my impression" said the witness.
81 so understood at the time"
WOULD HAVE SOLD TO THE COMMISSIONERS FOR
as CENTS FOOT.
The witness said, under cross-examination,
that he had not seen the Commissioners about
the matter. He was, he said, at no expense in
There was no reason, he said, why the Com
missioners could not have bought the property
from him at IS cents a foot. If he had not had
to pay any commissions he would have been
willing to have sold to the Commissioners for
IS cents foot. This closed Mr.. Wizards tes-
timony.
Mr.. Taulbee said the other witness he had
summoned could not DO found. He would he
said, have no further testimony to offer.
Mr.. Baker said they would then consider
THE TESTIMONY CLOSED.
He asked the Commissioners if they had any
testimony they desired to offer
Nothing. sir" said Mr. Webb.