The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-07
THOSE ROTTEN BRICK.
Continuation of the Hearing
Against Cochran.
THE ciTY.s EVIDENCE ALL IN.
Van BroekIin Tells Some Csrfous Stories
why the Regular Meetings OF
the Board were stopped.

the city in the Cochran case Eas coocfuae1
yesterday. and this snorning the witnesses
for the defense will he heard. Although
eI.citv Engineer Thosnson. Commissioned
j. W. Van Brockiin an a Clerk Of the Board
G. q. Heifner we're on the stand there VAS
very little additionsa testimony. Three
new interesting features were developed.
Ono was that great deal Of very I'M
portans business WAS transacted by the
board of public works Of which there -
no record in the Iujnuies. Another was
that when complaint was made of the IN
efficiency Of foreman the board went
through the farce of voting for his re-
novsl. In public. buaf thar was the last OF
it. and the man stayed on-if he had
stpuli" Yet snoth sr point was that. al
though the board resolved only 10 have one
regular meeting week, because the mem
hers were so busy. as n matter u fact, there
had been more special meetings than
usual. The purpose of these special
meetings Is that they may be called Mt any
moment. and so avoid the announcement
publicity likely 20 follow the presence OF
newspaper reporters. A ''reguiaT" meeting
must be NJ some announced time and place.
The truth of sfls matter - that the
..meetings. since tie Democratic machine
acquired EDuSFDs Oh inc &9tosGN, uaFc O@ca
a succession OF star chamber conferences.
snd neither the city council or the public
have any idea OF what is going on. Van
Brockiin knows next 10 nothing about the
hiring of inspectors and forsmen, and
Jesse Cochran couldn't tell within $1,000
aday how much money was being spent.
Wolfe knows who are employed. OF course.
because be. Ueifner, A. q. Lane and Neal
A At haxK
know that this nan has been given .
900" and that nan has been put on the
pay roll, bat how or where or why Is OF
little consequence. IL is politics they are
interested in; not the efiicien: conduct of
public works.
Ex-city Engineer Thomson was called
TO the stand again yesterday morning and
re-examined by Corporation Counsel Dom
worth.
Mr. Donwo introduced the ordinances
authorizing the construction of the West
street sewer. He dictated the title TO o. c.
Pratt, the official stenographer, but it was
agreed that IL would not be necessary TO
record il in full.
Il camc cut incidentally that there had
never been an ordinances pa ssed for the
construction of the sewer ou Main street,
but that 4, 10 nevertheless being con-
structed.
Again examined by Mr.. Thompson, the
ex-city engineer testified that while the
contrsct for brick read IAN average absorb
ton OF @ per cent IL did not mean that
fifty or sixty should have 4 or per cent.
and one brick have 50 per cent. Return
ing to the subject Of the brick contract.
Mr. Thomson explained again that the
reason he objected to II was that he had
seen the quality Of the brick then being de-
livered.
"whatw exclaimed tho mayor. "was
the brick delivered before the contract was
signedf"
Yes, your homer" was the reply. '.The
contract was dated four days back. and at
the time January u.s. when the blank con-
tract was in my hands about 20.o00 brick
had been delivered. On the morning of
the signing Of the contract Mr.. Wolfe
stuck his head in my door and said; Say.
Thomson, IL any fellows come up here
kicking against those brick tell them they
are going 10 be sorted and there will be no
more bad brick. said why, Mr. Wolfe,
sthe strongest evidence against those brick
comes from Mr.. Ryan himself Mr..
Wolfe then said: Well. there will be some
fellows kicking against the brick. and you
tell them that they will be sorted
~ sked him If he was not going to get
any more brick from the Pontiac yard.
and he said he guessed he would not. but
get the rest from the Lohse brick yard
Witness testified that he had made
many trips along the line of sewers and
examined the various piles of brick. and
failed TO find in any OF the piles left by
- 49, 4
sewer purposes.
Secretary Heifnsr was put on the stand
and Mr.. Donworth read at some length
from the minutes of the board of public
works. and placed them in evidence as
proof OF Jesse Coehran's official action
Secretary Heifner testified that the board
used to meet every other day. then twice a
week until January u. when II was do
cided 10 meet once n week. That is for
regular meetings. bat the board now very
frequently holds special meetings
Mr.. Heiiner MAS asked very few cues.
tions.
James Gleason. who is familiar with
sewer work. VAS paced ON the stand. bur
his testimony did not differ In any mate
rial way from that already given. He was
particularly emphatic as To the want of
sshkhris aispAascu ih opening np bFOok
street.
'In view of the fact that times were
hard and il Was desirable 10 pat ~ many
men as possible at work, were there too
many put to work on tho seSesf" asked
the mayor.
''it would have been cheaper 10 feed
them than 10 put them 20 work in such
fashion. Was the emphatic reply.
In cross-examination Gleason said many
OF the men were imported; lac had never
seen them before This caused consider.
able amusement 20 the lobby. among
whom were many laboFers who uRdoabt.
eddy belong 10 Seattle.
Many questions were asked II show
that If the work had been done the way
Gleason though, 1t should have been done
IL would only have taken one man to eich;
or tea feet. Every time Attorney rhomr.
sen made the point that the result of
Cochran's liberal policy Was the employ.
lnens Of more men, the lobby lAughe,,
With derlsion.
The eross-exsminAtioa was very skillfnl
in effscting its purpose and II the lobby
had been Jurors. Cochran would not onl =
have been acquitted, bat laudea for hi.
generous view Of the purpose Tor which
the taxpayorS voted 10 tax themselves IN
order TO have sewers. IL Was made mani
fes, TO the lobby that the main obi IN
issuing bonds Was 20 employ as many
men So possible. no matter now rreat the
waste 10 taxpayers.
]. W. Van Brocslin was then rut On IL q
S..4s l.. e. .