The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-11
Announces to the City Hall
Commission That Kier-
nan Is Using Ham
mered Copper for
EleCtro-BronZe.
CLERK FARRELL SHOWS EMOTION
Mayor Wanser finds Figures in the
Pediments With One Eye and (
Flat Noses-Not in the
Specifications.

City Hall Commissioners John E. Pear
son. James Burke and Emil E. Datz and
Architect L. H. Broome will be notified
officially today of their indictment. 1t
is probable they will be arraigned in
court tomorrow morning to plead and give
bail. The indicted officials were not in
their usual pleasant frame of mind this
morning when they met in Mayor Wan
ser's private Office. 1t was intended to
hold short session, adjourn and meet
again after they plead to the indictments.
This programme would doubtless have
been carried out had not 1900 Architect
Broome, who is dumbfounded at his in
dictment rushed into the room shortly
after roll call. He was in a state of
mind. He had caught Carpenter Con-
tractor John Kiernan in some more al
legged crooked work and he wanted to
put himself on record, in large letters,
at this time as being opposed to work
not in strict compliance with his re-
markable specifications. He was too
much out of breath to say what the al
legged crooked work was. He threw a
letter to Clerk Farrell and then sank in
an arm chair completely exhausted over
his efforts in behalf of the poor taxpay-
erS-
The following is a copy of his letter.
1.-THE panels intended for the pediments
and those underneath them arrived and
are deposited in the City Hail. They
ship as specified and intended. l have,
therefore, sent word to Mr.. Herman, in
writing, to that effect, condenning and
refusing to e cept them. would advise
that some decisive definite action be
taken by your Commission, as it will
take three months to produce them OF
Such a break at such an inopportune
time startled the indicted Commissioners.
What is wrong, with them?" they
asked in one breath.
my specifications call for electro
bronze pedinents and those Herman Is
using are hammered "copper"" exclaimed
and wept.. The scene was an affecting
one Clerk Farrell became uneasy for
the first time since he has been clerk.
81 have examined the metal" began
the architect, when he recovered his com
posure. '-It is copper and L know. it.
To make sure / was right | took piece
What Herman Is s, 0oS 0JoTyingd TO Iolsr On
and what the specifications call for win
s.This stuff is hammered and soldered
together, and will fall to pieces in few
The Commissioners became more
alarmed as Broome proceedd.
.T have letter from J. II. Mullins.
umphantly, sin which. he says the ped
iments he hs Shipped to Kiernan are
not in eohorm5ty With Sn the fo n,f specea bem
up, and he should be stopped at once.
before it is to late. want to be on
nv duty and # remains with the Com
missioners to do theirs"
The pediments are those fancy groups
which are to adorn the front and sides
of the building either side of the entran-
ces over the third-story, windows.
monstrosity this morning He looked at
the supposed bronze pedimentS and found
that some of the figures in the, groups
gentlemen had only one eye owing per
haps to a careless stroke of a hammer
by the mechanic who hammered out the
The Commissioners consulted Corpora
ton Counsel Blair and he advised the
nan to stop the work of placing the. pedi-
ments and panels in position. Subse-
ouently another resolution was adopted
authorizing the architect to engage three
experts, at an expense not to exceed $50
to examine the pediments and panels
Herman proposes . using and report
called for in the specifications. Broome
is going to try to get the manufacturer
cordfng to Broome. that lie told Ker-
nan that the pediments We're not as
called for, but Herman insisted upon hav-
The Commissioners adjourned as soon
as this. new trouble was disposed OF.
On behalf of the Commission Mr.. Datz
had this to say:-tThe Board at present
is not in an enviable position, being un-
der Indictment. l am contented with my
lot and it is not a corner one either.
ber of this Board. Our records will show
that we have acted at all times by the
advice of counsel and the architect. We
ask people to suspend judgment until
this case is tried For my part I think it
is one of the best things that could have
happened. No one has breathed fraud,
only carelessness and I dare say no
building was ever put up where the plans
We're not departed from. This building is
amount to more than ss.1oO An allow
ance of ten per cent. is usually made
for extra work, and here we are with
about three-fourths of one per cent to
pay Personally. L do not care for the
indictment outside of the stigma
The others members feel likewise, so
they say.