Morning journal and courier., 1892-03-30
wALDRON UNDER FIRE.

dent Kent and W. J. Atwater,sT Team
He Tells What He Knows About |
the Workings of the Board of Pub
Tic and Private Works-Ex.City I'm.
stneer Hill to Take the Stand FRI
day Evening.
Another large audience was present in
The council chamber last evening upon the
of the resuming of the trial OF
The s'Big Four" The audience was COM
posed in the main of the same gentlemen
who have attended the previous sessions,
and the same rapt attention to the pro-
ceedings was noticeable on all sides. Sew
ersl times the proceedings were interrupted
by laughter when some telling point was
made, but these outbreaks were quickly
subdued and the hearing resumed. The
witnesses of the evening were ex-Clerk
Waldron, who was rigidly cross-examined
BY Attorney Hamilton, ex-Superintendent
of Parks Kent and Contractor w. ]. Mont
geometry. The star witness of the investi-
CATION, ex-City Engineer Hill, was not
called upon last evening, but will take the
stand at the opening of the session next
Friday evening, when it is expected also
that the prosecution will rest their case
and defense commence it's side. State
Attorney Doolittle was confined to his
house by illness and in consequence the
interests of the defense were looked after
by Attorneys Hamilton, Daley and Moran.
wALDRoN's CROSS EXAMINATION.
Owing to the lateness of the hour last
Thursday evening when Mr.. Fred Waldron
+bo ,+opd tho orossavamin alton
was but partially finished and was resumed
the first thing at last evenings session. On
the cross-examination, which was con-
Quoted by Attorney Hamilton, Mr.. Wal
dron said:
eft was probably ten and not sixteen
months after the city had paid for the
cobbles in Munson street before the bills
were got out. 1t was exactly eleven
months Two months elapsed and not ht-
teen months in the matter of George street.
The last payment by the city was made in
December, 1890, and the money was paid
by the property owners in about two
months. Part of the money was paid as
soon as the bills were sent out and the
other part later. The bills were sent out
in February"
CHOW about York street, between How
ard avenue and Davenport avenues" in
quired Mr.. Hamilton.
Glow do you get there's" queried Mr..
Waidron in reply.
"Well, perhaps I am wrong, but how
about South street, between the same ave-
nues?" asked Mr.. Hamilton.
''The bills for South street were sent
out and paid within the time allowed by
the charter, sixty days." said Mr.. Wal
| dron. THE last payment in the Audubon
| street cutters was made by the city in
| November, 1891, but up to the first of
March, 1892, the bills had not been sent
out. The delay in sending out all bills
was due to the delay in the engineering
department giving me the frontage OF
property. did not ask them the reason
it was not my business to do so. Mr.
Kelly, from whom I got the frontage, wa'
engaged in looking up records.
81 was appointed clerk of the boart
twenty-five years ago and previous to tina
time was carpenter and joiner. My ex
to the experience gained in my business
any one else, until was appointed clerl
Of tho board of public works I did no
have a private business of my own tina
II carried on after 1 was ap
pointed clerk of the board. I was
however, ostensibly secretary of the Ma
sonic Assessment association, the Office o
which was in the board of public work
for seven or eight years, and subsequent,
removed to Chapel street. This Office wa
connected by telephone in the same circui
as the board of public works, but did no
at any time answer from that Office, saying
in response to an inquiry for Mr.. Doyl
that he was not there. I do not remem
Der ever sending out any orders signed b.
the board which were not authorized b
the board. do not remember sendin.
any order to E. R. Whiting ordering hin
to remove his fence when the order wa
not authorized by the board. In addition
to reporting Mr.. Atwater I did repo1
Mayor Sargent for wanting
open Elm street contrary t
the city ordinances. Mr.. Sargent was no
commissioner at the time reported him
nor was Mr.. Atwater at the time the boar
censured him, but was a commissioner a
the time he was reported in 1891. Whe
Mr.. Sullivan asked me in reference to hav
ing me work in the interest of the Waite
emit, but they are connected with the pref
emit department and are having har
enough road to travel without my bring
ing them into this connection. If, how
ever, you demand I will answer. Yes
there were present at that time Commits
missfoners Sullivan and Todd, myself an
Patrick Doyle. never said that Mr.. SUI
livan or Todd were working in the inter
ests of the Water company, but simpl
told you thing which took place. I di
not want to convey the impression tina
Todd and Sullivan were working for tn
interests of the Water company, as it
not necessary to convey any such impres
sion, but only wanted to convey the i'm
l %1o4" C-l1 i
were DESTROYS to have me act in the inter
ests of the Water company and thereb
work for my own interests, the insinuatio
being that in return should remain clerl
of the board of public works, while the
were commissioners at least, and believ
that because refused to do this I wa
eventually discharged.
'I think Commissioner Gilbert propose
the new method Of payment which I 81
planned at the last session. do not kno'
that opposed the introduction of the ne
method of payment except on account O
the extra work it entailed. I did not d
anything to start it except to get up II
books. I cannot tell who was on the con
mittee without referring to the books"
edo you want Mr.. Bassett to help you
inquired Mr.. Hamilton.
ono, nor do I think he wants to-,
answered Mr.. Waldron. "Mr. Bassett an
myself are all right"
81 know Mr.. Bassett is" said Mr.. Han
ilton.
eyes, and you'd know I was if 70
were on my side," replied Mr.. Waldron.
The record was then produced an
showed that Mr.. Whitney and Mr.. Sull
van were the committee on new plan {
paying the men.
Mr.. Waldron-The bills to which n
ferred as Atwater's bills the other evenin
were Atwater's bills, Notwithstanding th
fact that they were made out in the name
of Moriarity and Healey, but still the bill
were w. ]. Atwater's, and this kind {
plan, or scheme, is by no means imposs
bic.
! The resolution respecting the of6t
hours of the board was then read. M
Waldron, when asked if he knew why tt
vote was passed, said he did not, but di
not believe that it was passed to comp
him to be present more regularly. 81 a,
of the opinion that the motive was a pr
vate one of Mr.. Atwater's, viz, petit
Spite"
edo you mean to swear that you though
this vote was passed for Mr.. Atwater
private ends and that the entire board a,
quiesced?" inquired Mr.. Hamilton.
IT certainly do"
wasn't there resolution passed tbs
the employees of the board be more court,
GUS to customers?"
"There was. Such q resolution ws
passed In 1882 answered Mr.. Waldron.
edo yon attribute the passage of tn
resolution to personal spite!'
81 do not see any personal spite in this