The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-19
COOKS IMPUDENCE
His Queer Testimony Before
Mayor Wanser This
Morning.
D0N'T-CARE-A-DAMN DEMEAN0R.
Forced to Admit His Negli-
genee and Total Unftness
For His Position.
COULDN'T EXPLAIN ANYTHING.
Contractor Condon's Lamentable
Effort to Excuse His
$499 Bills.
DONT-CARE-A-DAMN DEMEANOR.
COULDN'T EXPLAIN ANYTHING.

Mayor Wanser was puncrual this morning
in presiding over the hearing of the charges
of malfeasance in Office preferred against
Messrs. J. N. Madden, Charles Somers, E.
nugan, W. r. Cook and Stephen P. Voc of
the Street and Water Board. The big clock
over the door of the Aldermanic Chamber
pointed to ten o'clock when His Honor took
his seat.
Ex-Judge Douglass. James Erwin and Otto
Grouse, prosecuting counsel, were in their
seats almost buried with law books and vol
luminous matter referring to the official pro-
ceedings of the board.
A few feet apart sat Messrs. Charles l..
Corbin and Charles D.. Thompson, counsel
for the accused Commissioners. who were
collected in a small group in one corner.
They eonversed in whispers and it was mo-
ticeable that the Observation-Disclosures to
the matters before the hearing visible. on the
former occasion had disappeared and instead
a worried look settled on their faces.
Opposite sat McHugh Leslie, of Pearl street
fame, armed with a big photograph of that
t~horoughfare, which he took infinite pleas
ure in showing to anybody who cared to see
what the Pennsylvania Railroad had been
doing in hat place. The Mayor quickly got
down to work, and with a vigorous rap on
the desk called the proceeding to order.
The first witness called was Mr.. Leslie,
who started in to exhibit his photograph.
"This shows" he said, glaring at the Com
missioners, show the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company has stolen bit by bit that noble
street, - general laughter:
s'Does it show any of his boilers there?"
sarcastically asked Commissioner Somers.
did You eve sue the railroad company?'
c-ross-examined Lawyer Thompson.
mo, sir" snapped Mr.. Leslie, Its hard to
bite that company when the gang is with
them" with another angry look at the ac-
cused men.
Chief Engineer Ruggles, recalled, identi-
fed MI. Leslie's photograph as a view of
Pearl street. A hydrant shown on the pho
tograph, witness said was not there on the
street now, but he didn't know who removed
it.
Here Judge Douglass expressed his disap-
pointment that Mr.. Ruggles had not meas
ured Greene street to ascertain how much OF
the carriageway was passable.
Il supposed" put in the Mayor, shat Mr..
Ruggles was going to do So"
The Mayor instructed Mr.. Ruggles to go
at once and measure the street, and the Chief
Engineer left the room for that purpose.
with these measurements in, that closes
our case, " added ex-Judge Douglass.
Q
f. OOulSGNJI SudIlGS IL. OOI DSSdu Will
the case of the defense and called Contractor
p. J. Condor to give evidence in explana-
ton of charge No. /, instituted by Mr.. En-
win. known as the -Four hundred and nine
ty-nine dollar charge.
Mr.. Condor explained that he had been
Hackensack meadows. 1.-THE work was
done, and the city hadn't lost a cent on the
job" He didn't explain how this was.
As to School No. %, Mr., Condor said that
he secured the contract. There was no
grading mentioned in the contract, but he
was obliged to do a great deal of that work.
81 charged 10 cents a yard for that work. L
had no agreement to do this, excepting the
order of Mr.. Madden In excavating he
struck rock. and for that compensation was
fixed at SO much for a days work. On the
same kind of order he was obliged to dig out
Columbia avenue TO get at the school build
ing. IF this had not been done the school
would have been surrounded by a trench.
TIL Commissioners insisted that the founda-
ton on Columbia avenue should be four feet
deeper, and he did this work.
Ex7Judge Douglass objected to the testi-
mony as irrelevant, unless Mr.. Condor
wishes to go ahead and incriminate the COM
missioners who permitted him to go ahead
with work without any contract"
The Mayor allowed the questions.
Witness, continuing, said that there was a
delay in paying him for his work. He
stopped work because he received no money.
The final settlement. was made a month ago,
when a compromise was made. The Mayor
and the Board of Works threw some of the
expense of delay on him and on some other
of the contractors,
GREENvILLE STATION HOUSE.
Counsel examined Mr.. Condor respecting
the Fifth Precinct Station House. Witness
said that in August, 1892, he started to dig
out the foundation, when Messrs. Reuben
Siy,11acon onA II nafvui11op Gformnod him
sThe commissioner said / was to stop, be-
cause Mr.. Detwiller wished to buy the lot on
the corner of Gator and Ocean avenues to
widen the street, which was then only six
teen feet. When affairs were adjusted the
delay threw me nto the winter. Water and
frost got into the building which cost me
$500 to put right. While the work was
going on after this delays occurred by reason
of changes in the plans"
C-rossexamined by Mr.. Erwin, Mr.. Condor
said he had nc contract for ement pipe re-
pairing. He would rather have the work by
contract, by a lump sum-, than by days
work.
Mr.. Condor left the stand here to get a
packet of chewing tobacco from his overcoat
pocket, and, when he had refreshed himself
with a handful of the weed, began again, to
the amusement of the lobby, to tell some
thing about the payments made to him on
that station house. His daughter, he said,
made up his claims, and he made affidavits
concerning them. Witness had had a great
number Of contracts with the city. In
answer to the second charge of repairing
cement pipe on Hackensack meadows, he
said thai the items contained in charge No. 2
were begun by orders from COMMISSIONS
Dugan. 'Mr- Dugan told me when l found
any leaks to go on repairing them"
He explained the fragile nature of the
pipe and the protection he had given it by
ceinenting over the iron and covering it
with brick. In many places the water came