Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-28
INSPECTOR O'BRIEN,s, STORY.
Examined by the Lydecker Court
Martial.

Martial.
HOW HE RECEIVED EXTRA PAT IN ExvHLopIs d.
REcrED TO "JoHN sxrIz"-wHA- 1R KNEW
ABOUT THE BAD WORK.
The court convened at O'Clock, after recess
Of half an hour, and Mr.. D. NJ. Daily, civil
engineer of New Jersey, who was employed on
the tunnel project here, was examined His
but he went into the tunnel on several oc-
caslons to take certain measurements at the re-
quest OF Lieut. Townsend. His Office work con-
sisted OF keeping up the records of the
tunnel work. He had no knowledge of the
frequency OF Major Lydecker's visits to the
tunnel. Mr.. Dalley's testimony was Of no par
ticular value, the defense and the court not
desiring to ask him any questions.
INSPECTOR o'BRIEN ON THE STAND:
The entrance Of Thomas O'Brien, who was
called as witness, caused q little furry in
court. He stated his occupation as foreman,
and that he had done work on the new reser-
volr and also in the tunnel. He
said that he was employed by
Major Lydecker, whom he knew by sight.
Col. kirlin instructed him as to his duties as a
sub-inspector, to see that the work was done
according to specifications, which were read to
him. He left the work because Lieut.. Town.
send told him that his services were no longer
required. Both the chief inspector and the
contractor told him to see that the work was
pushed along. Sometimes he stood on the
scaffold and sometimes on the floor of the tun-
mel. He would frequently be absent from the
scene OF the work, selecting stones, by orders
of Kirln.
oBRIEN PAID extra" By THE CONTRACTORS.
He received S75 month from the govern
ment and 81 aday from the contractors He men,
TONED the fact of receiving the latter to Kirlin,
who did not object. This pay was for keeping
the time OF the men.
He received this from the sub-contractors,
he explained, and sometimes from the pay
master. He could not remember what name
was on the books for this, but thought that
it was something like John Smith" or John
White" He did not consider that there was
any improperly in this process.
The witness said that he did not become
aware of the bad work until after the in
y,estlgation was begun. Mr.. Briggs once
discovered some bad work on a
shift of his-O'Brien's-in Rock creek west.
Witness told Kirlin, after his attention was
called to this, that he was willing to leave the
tunnel.
MAI. LYDEcKER DIDN'T 90 THROUGH THE TUNNEL.
The witness said that Major Lydecker did not
60 through the tunnel while he was working
there.
Mr.. Swift elected the details of the process
that after he had been working ON the
tunnel a week Mr.. Palmer came along
and handed him an envelope with the name OF
John Smith" on the outside. O'Brien asked
him what that was for. and Palmer said
that it was for him, The envelope con-
tanned Sc, which Palmer said was for one weeks
work. Beckwith & Quackenbush's stamp was
on the envelope.
From 1882 to 1888 the witness was employed
by the firm of Beckwith & Quackenbush, or
their partners, Peterson 4 Co. He left
the latter to go on the tunnel job because he did
not think his present work would last very long.
His pay was the same.
definitely as to the instructions given
to O'Brien by Kirlin. The witness
said that they consisted of merely telling
him that the space between the walls should be
packed well with good rubble masonry. He
was not cautioned particularly about being
watchful.
ABOUT THE BULKHEADs.
did you know about these bulkheads?'
asked Col. Whittemore.
Il did not know about them until after the
examination"
You are good foreman. are you not, and
knew how the work was going on?'
"Yes SIR"
"Then how is it that you knew 80 much about
the work and yet knew 80 little of what was
going on?"
THIS SURPRISED THE WITNESS,
who was little indignant, but did not answer
the question straight
sUB-CoNTRACToR PALMER.
John F. Palmer was next called.
He was one of those engaged in
the tunnel work under Beckwith Il Quacken-
bush from whom he and Brennan took a SUBJ
contract. He entered the tunnel every
day and remained from eight to
ten hours. He and his partner employed
brlcklayers, stonemasons. and laborers. The
packing was done by men who were
NOT EXACTLY CONSIDERED FIRsr-CLAss STONE
MAsoNs."
He could not have employed a union stone
mason for $3.50 a day. The work of these
packers was supervised for the firm Bren-
nan Il Palmer) by foremen where there
were such, and in other cases they turned
the men over to the government inspectors.
These latter were only paid for over time ex-
cept in one case, that of OBrien. The witness
was anxious to explain about this, but the
judge-advocate did not desire it. The packing
HE CONFESSED WAS DONE VERY BADLY.
He drove the work up as well as he could,
but did not give especial orders to push ahead
until after the investigation.
Ibid you care whether the work was done
properly or not?''
Eyes, sir, my instructions were that the work
should be well done. took no especial means
to see that this was DONE but gave the inspec-
tors orders to discharge any man doing bad
work"
What were your men doing all this time?
They certainly were not packing"
No, sir. l think that they must have been
taking advantage of my absence and loafng."
The witness said that he had
NEVER SEEN MAJOR LYDEcKER
in the tunnel until after last September. He
acknowledged that the inspectors were paid
under fictitious names, but could not say why
this plan was adopted.
THE FICTITIOUS NAMES.
There were no orders from him in regard to
these names. The bookkeeper of B. &
Q. furnished the fctitions names and
put them on the book, but
the witness did not know who gave the orders
for this. He was aware of the circumstances
and approved of the operation.
He understood that this was only following
out precedent that had already been estab-
lished in the tunnel.
The Metropolitan Club House Fire.
SUITS AGAINST INSURANCE COMPANIES.