Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-07-28
THE INVESTIGATION ENDED.

of the whole. The committee arose at
Ills o'clock after one three hour session,
and after five minutes session of the body
as aldermen the following vote WAS pass
ed, and after it had been passed the atten-
ton of Mayor Sargent was called to the
fact that only eleven aldermen were pres
ent, and consequently no quorum.
The vote was embodied in this resolu
ton offered by Alderman Chandler Of the
First ward:
Resolved, That the board of public works be
and is hereby ordered to seth the road roll
on, or at a lower price if possible.
Inasmuch as the pith of Commissioner
Browns charges consisted of allegations
charging injudicious action on the part of
the board of public works and extrava-
gance in purchasing road roller at the
price which was far above that for which
the same pattern of a machine was held
in other cities, the resolution if it will
hold water, passed by the board when a
quorum was not present, would seem to
indicate that SO much of Commissioner
Browns charges as pertains to the road
roller are found not to be true and that
the board of public works is so far vindi-
Gated.
Before the passage of Mr.. Chambers
resolution, Mayor Sargent prefaced it with
little speech in which he impressed up
on the board the necessity of an additional
road roller. He said that the city was in
want of the machine very much; that it
had been found to do good work, and that
the committee of the board of public
works had approved of it. Aldermen
Chandler and Hamilton expressed them
selves as believing that the company had
been very liberal in its offers to the city
since it had given the city the use of it for
engineer to run it long enough to teach
the engineer of the city how to use it.
The meeting opened with Anthony Car
roll on the stand He said that he desired
to reply to a charge made by City Engineer
Hill to the effect that he had received 800
extra compensation for building the Prince
street sewer. ''That wish to deny" he
said. 1T never received one cent over and
above my contract price. I have done a
good deal of work for the city, and every
dollar drew from it drew only by hard
work. And 1 wish to correct an impress
sion that am a pauper, and that got any
kindly assistance from the city. Mr.. Hill
has referred to me as poor contractor
..
I know that there has been favoritism
shown. I know that pipe which was con-
demned for my job, and which I was pro-
hibited from using was afterward used by
the Blakeslees in contract work with the
city.
Mr.. Carroll then gave the committee to
understand that the Blakeslees were max
ing a pretty good thing out of their con-
tract work. He charged that their yards
were now filled with cobble stones which
had been taken from the city streets, for
which the books of the city showed that
he had paid aothing. Mr.. Car
roll was asked if he intended to impute
dishonesty to the Blakeslees, and replied:
that the Blakeslees have in their yards
cobble stones which were once in use on
the city streets, and that the books of the
city do not show that they have paid for
them
Commissioner Todd was next called.
He was examined by Alderman Avis The
trend of Mr.. Avis's questions was towards
the investigation into the city engineer
department which was held by the board
some months ago. Mr.. Todd said that the
so-called investigation was made for the
purpose of obtaining information as to
how that department was run. He and
oOutI ucuuDSIS Ol lilo UOdTu OI puOlC
works were of the opinion that the city en-
gineer and his assistants were not giving the
| time to the city that they were paid for
| and that the investigation established the
truth of that belief to his satisfaction.
edo you believe" Mr.. Todd, ''that you
/ were serving the city's interests when you
held that investigations" asked Mr.. Avis.
II do" was the answer.
Mr.. Avis then inquired about the stenog-
rapher who took the evidence at the inves-
tigation and asked who paid for her ex-
supposed was his share, but that if the
city desired to reimburse him he would
not refuse to receive what he paid out
Alderman Hitler asked Mr.. Todd if the
committee could have the stenographic re-
port, and Mr.. Todd replied that he had
never seen it.
Commissioner Leigh next took the stand.
He said that he supposed that the idea
which prompted the Investigation into the
city engineers department was to get some
evidence which would justify the Big Four
in discharging Engineer Hill and Sewer
Inspector Dillon. He was told that G. M.
Ingerson was to be Mr.. Hills successor
and that Commissioner Sullivans brother
charge made by Superintendent Doyle that
he leigh promised to support Mr.. Doyle
for superintendent if he would withdraw
from the aldermanic race in the Twelfth
| ward. He said Mr.. Doyle's statement to
that effect was unqualifedly false.
Superintendent Doyle took the stand and
| reiterated the charge made against Mr..
Leigh, and closed the issue of veracity
between them. He told again how Mr.
Kent was deposed from tsuperintend-
ant of streets, and how he was made super
intendent of parks. Mr.. Doyle gave the
additional information that another in
ducement offered by Mr.. Leigh to secure
his withdrawal from the aldermanic race
in the Twelfth ward was that he Ueigh)
said that he was as close to Mayor Sargent
as any man in the city, and that if he
wanted any favors in that line, he was the
man who could get them.
Michael Sullivan, an employe of the
New Haven Pipe company, was next
sworn. He drove the famous cart with
the alleged false bottom. He said the
second bottom was put in for repairs and
that no attempt was made to cheat with
it.
Walter j. Connor of the firm of Conner
Brothers & Co. told about the city con-
tract with his firm for furnishing crushed
stone. Superintendent Doyle, he said was
in no way interested in the firm of Con-
Commissioner Atwater corroborated Ma
jor Todd in his evidence regarding the in
vestigation into the city engineering de-
partment. He brought with him vouchers
to show that since he became member of
the board the New Haven Pipe company
had received only So. so for materials fur
nished to the city, and that after Lawyer
Watrous' opinion in regard to the legality
of any member of the city government
furnishing materials he had not received
cent.
Daniel F. Kelly, the plumber, was then
sworn. Mr.. Kelly told of grievance he
had against the board of public works.
He was the lowest bidder for the contract
of building the Broadway pump, yet ia
voritisn was shown by the board in al
lowing other ontractors to bid after the
time fixed for the handing in of the bids
had expired, and another bidder got the
job.
1t was shown that the city had saved by
asking for the second bids, and that Mr..
Kelly knew that the board exercised its
privilege in rejecting any and all bids in
refusing Mr.. Kelly's bid.
A few more side questions by the differ
u L.. IL L,