The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-10-08

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ciousiy false in eYory particular. An,
depOnent further 5>Ta ,hat he, not Jane
NJ. Turner. sold and delivered 20 the firm O
Farr X Vincent. contractors. all OF the brici
| used in the construction % the north ant
south wings OF the Michigan School for the
Blind, as therein described, in all abou
l,@D.uOO. including the face brick for sale
buildings That the said brick were sold b.
me TO farr Vincent at or below the regu
lar market price for such brick. ana tina
they were paid for 20 me by the said Farr 4
| Vincent aud that said James Nj. Turner naC
| no interest whatever In the sale or delivery
! Of any OF the brick In said buildings. tn,
statements of the said Free Press, tho sale
| j. Il. McElroy and j. &. Vincent in this re.
| gard being wholly and absolutely false, and
without the slightest foundation In fact
and calculated 20 injure the reputation
and stand ng OF the said James NJ. Turner
| And deponent further says that the sales
| above referred To were not made TO tn,
| Michigan School for the Blind, but 90 Far
ed With the school for the blind had any.
| thing 10 do with the transaction as far as
1 was concerned.
| And deponeut rurther says that II the said
| firm OF Farr Vincent could have obtained
| the brick cheaper from OwossO or any other
| market they were AZ perfect liberty To do so,
] as they were not influenced in any way by
| this deponont, or by any person acting fol
| him, the transaction being made in the reg
ular course Of business and in the ordinary
| manner. john JORDAN.
sworn and subscribed TO before me thi:
| Ord day OF October 1890.
GEORGE c. COOPER, Notary Public in and
! for lngham county, Mich.
WILLIAM II. EBERTs' TESTIMONY.
AS the name of one OF the most prom
| inent firms in the roofing business in this
state is connected with the McElroy al
legations the public would probably be
| best satisfied with the testimony of one OF
the members Of the firm Of Eberts Bros.
| OF Detroit, whose name was dragged into
| this controversy. | therefore submit
| herewith, the affidavit OF William III.
| Eberts, senior member OF the said firm:
st re Of Michigan, County of Ingham, S.
w. IL. Eberts OF Detroit, Michigan, de-
! poses ana SAYS that he resides In the city OF
| Detroit, where he was born: he has been on
| gagged since 1871 in the roofing business
| under the firm name OF Eberts Brothers. At
present he resides at tile Wayne hotel, in the
| city OF Detroit the factory OF the firm being
situated 49, To 1888 High street west; that he
has read the Detroit Free Press Of Friday,
Oct. 8, 1880, aud It's assault upon Mr.. James
NJ. Turner; also that he has read the oommu-
nication in said paper, marked exhibit ID,
purpurting 10 be signed by Jay y. Lee and
dated May ., 1857; also the remarks of SAID
paper by Mr.; j. L. NcElroy, as prelude 10
said exhibit ID.
This deponent further states that the slate
roofing on the north and south wings OF the
superlntencent's cottage at the Michigan
School for the Blind, as referred 10 in the
above communications, was furnished and
laid on by the said firm of Eberts Bros. Of
Detroit, Mich. That each Of said roofs was
laid with No. l quality Michigan slate for
which the said hrm OF EbertS Bros. received
tho rate and price Of 50 per square from the
said School for the Blind, according to agree
ment with the board of control of said
school, that the firm OF EbertS Bros. pur-
chased the slate for said roof from the Mich
igan Slate Co. of Arvon, Baraga county,
Mich, in the regular course OF business and
at the regular market price, and that the
price received was considerably below the
actual value for such roofs; they at that time
being well worth $40 per square laid on in
Lansing; that the material furnished wasthe
all the work in connection there
with was done In the best man.
ner known TO the trade. This deponent fur
ther states that each aud every voucher of
which payment was made by the said school
for the blind to the said firm OF Eberts Bros,
covering the WORK and material in all of said
roofs, were duly audited by the board Of con-
troll of said school for the blind, and also
certified as correct by j. +. hcElroy, the
same party who makes the charges OF irreg-
ularity.
This deponent further states that he I. the
party with whom Mr jay l.. Lee had the
alleged interyieY on the 3Jth day Of April,
1851, and not his brother, John " Eberts OF
Detroit, Mich; that the alleged interview
was not had with this deponent alone. but
that it was had at his Office on High street,
Detroit, in the presence Of John NJ. Eberts
and Mr.. James l.. Thomson, the bookkeeper
Of tie firm; that this deponent made
no statement or insinuation of anything
that could be conlured or distorted into
statement or insinuatlon rejecting upon
the regularity OF the transaction above
named; and that each and every part of the
transaction relating TO the roofing of the
above named buildings was at or below the
usual price for such work; that no part of
the transaction could possibly reflect upon
the integrity or good name OF Sir. James NJ.
Turner, or any other member OF said board
of control; that at the time said work was
done Mr.. Turner was member OF the board
of control OF said school for the blind.
This deponent further states that he !. and
always has been in politics a Democrat, and
that while II might accrue 10 the advantage
OF the party with which he has always been
identified TO allow the inSinuation and ale
cations against the said Turner 10 20 unre-
futed, that his sense Of fairness and right
prohibits his keeping silent under all
the circumstances OF the assault upon
Mr. Turner; ana this deponent further states
that any attempt on the part of said Free
Press or sand j +. Nc Elroy or the said JAY
T. Lee TO smirch the name Of said Turner III
connection is an outrage upon common de-
cercy and TO be deplored by all good citi-
Zens
This deponent further states that he has
known Mr.. Turner Tor many years, and has
always found him, and now believes him TO
be, a thoroughly upright, honorable and con-
sistent business man and citizen, and that
any construction or distortion Of the facts
In connection with the transaction Of the
roofing OF the buildings above referred 20
which reflects upon any citizen must or ne
ceSsity be not only libelous, but outrageous.
This deponent further states that he has
been In the slate business for nearly 20 years,
aud that his attention has been called to tho
statement of the said Free Press that the
board Of control Of the said School for the
Blind paid Sl.lO per square difference be-
tween Bangor, Pa. slate, which was de-
livercd on their grounds and rejected. and
No. Michigan slate. And this depOnent IN
sists that If said board obtained the change
for the price named, that ii was certainly III
the interest OF the people OF the state of
Michigan, and OF much greater value than
the difference paid, and that the actual differ
ence in value between the states named was
at that time s. per square in favor or the
Michigan slae. and that the buildings now
rooted with Michigan slate are much more
substantial and lasting, ana of much more
value than If rooted with Bangor. Pa, slate,
and that this fact Is well known TO all slate
dealers throughout the country, Michigan
states rating in quality as high as any states
produced In the world.
Deponent further states that he wants 10
emphasize the fact that there was nothing
whatever said at the time of the alleged in-
tervicw with said Jay p. Lee that could by
possibility be construed in any way into any
such conversation as il is claimed was had
with his brother and that the substance of
this alleged interview is utterly and abso-
lutely false for, as before stated, not only no
himself was present, but also our book
keeper and myself, and am able 20 call TO
mind and make this statement In this con-
nection free from any doubt or question.
w. II. EDERTs.
On this 4th day Of October, A. ID. 1890, per-
sonally appeared before me. a notary public,
w. III. Eberts of Detroit, Mich, 10 me known
TO be- the party who subscribed TO the fore
going instrument. and who swears that his
afiidavit as therein set forth is correct and
true in every particular, and that he has
read tho same and knows the contents