The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-07-26
ARMOR PLATE FRAUDS.
CHAIRMAN FRICK BEFORE THE
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.
He Was Totally Ignorant of the Defects
In the Armour Plates and of the
Workmen's Methods of Plugging
Them-Hunsicker Testfies.

Ihem-HunSlcker IeStfieS,
WASHINGTON, July 24.-Chairmal
Frick of the Carnegie Steel company
was the witness before the naval com
mittee on the armor plate investi
= CATION today. Mr.. Frick asserted thai
he had opposed entering upon the
work of making armor plate since
the necessary plant would be costly
and the capacity would furnish but
one customer. While the company'l
output of 1893 had been more than
300, 000,0 only 100000 were armol
plate. 1t was comparatively unim.
pOrtant branch of the works, and he
had left the details entirely TO Super
iDtendent HunsicBer. He regarded
the penalty levied by the navy de-
partment as exorbitant and had APP
pealed to the president and he was
permitted to do so nnder the
law. Like other witnesses, Mr..
Frick asserted that the tensile
tests of plate were of no Importance
as compared with ballastic tests. He
did not regard the information to the
government as conspiracy ON the part
of former strikers for revenge, but
rather as money making scheme.
Intormer Craig had come to him be-
fore the information was given out,
intimating that conspiracy was on
foot, and giving as his motive for the
visit gratitude toward member of
the company who assisted his sister
in obtaining an education. Mr.. Prick
told also OF a visit from an unknown
elderly lady, who said she came from
Washington, and intimated that for
money she could give me valuable in.
formation. eff the government in
spectors had done their duty there
would have been no trouble. knew
they were there to see that the work
was properly done and depended on
them. You gentlemen will see how
that was done when you come to see
the works.
Mr.. Prick could not see how it bene-
fitted his men to slight their WORK, as
IL was of no financial advantage to
them. He did rot endorse their con-
duct in deceiving the Inspectors, and
thought they should have explained
when it was necessary to GeViate from
the regular methods to secure the best
results. Since taking the armor
plate contracts the company had in
vested 100000 in the plant and
never refused to buy any machinery
that was recommended as necessary
Probably the plant could be dupi-
Gated at lees cost. Until the recent
had always told him they were
greatly pleased with the work.
Willard Hunsicker, assistant TO Mr..
Frick, and who had been in charge of
the armor plate department since last
January, testified that he had 40 per-
sonal knowledge of the frauds. Mr.
Hunsicker described certain plates tor
the Monterey which had been criti-
cised. One of these, be said, had
mum Der of small blow holes not suffi-
Gent to hurt the plates. 1t was re-
jec.ed ut first, but subsequently the
board of ordnance accepted it as re
duciiOn OF 500 per ton. The IaTgesl
blow hole he knew of was in the bar
bette Otlhe New York about an inch |
and Oue-half deep. He said the man
who claimed to have manipu
lated the test machine was
an inexperienced boy who probably
exaggerated the manipulation in |
order TO get money from the govern
ment. AS to another witness, Shop
ard he said he was a favored employee |
whose wages had been advanced and |
who would have been given an jm~
portant position, yet with Z view OF !
securing profit from the government |
he had turned up as witness against |
the company.
Representative Dolliver asked about !
the fake record testified to as heinE /,
kept by superintendent Kline. Mr..
Hunsicker said he knew nothing of
suchrecord. He believed the &C
tion of Kline was done
with good reason. Witness
had no knowledge of the plugging OF
blow holes in armor plates without
the sanction of the inspectors. Mr.
Hunsicker furni, he'd a statement of !
the number of armor plates made
from the beginning of the old con.
tract, November, 1890, to June l, 1894 |
This showed g total OF l106 plates |
made, of which 905 were shipped, 1853
condemned and 43 are on hand. OF
the 905 shipped, 662 were regular
armor plate and the remainder were
small plates for coming towers, ETC. |
Most of the plates condemned had |
been condemned by the action of the !