The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-04
.ASHWORTH UNDER FIRE,
The Grand Jury Discovers
Some Very Crooked Street
Work.
ARE sUBPENAED
Interesting Evidence May Be Elk
pected-Members Talk Freely
Of Impeachment.

The Grand Jury will to-day begin a
thorough examination of Street Superin-
tendent Ashworth's methods.
Last evening food of subpenas was
sent out from that body addressed to en-
ployes of the Street Department and others
having the desired information.
To every one of these some very peril
nent questions will be put, and upon their
Grand Jury which may or may not carry
Mr.. Ashworth into court.
Warnings the Street Superintendent has
received in numbers sufficient to have
served most men, but they seem to have
had no effect in Mr.. Ashworth's case.
Yesterday the Grand Jury took it upon
itself to go and see for itself a sample of
the work of which so much complaint has
been made. In company with the mem
bers of the Street Committee of the Board
of Supervisors they went to Twelfth street,
where bituminous-rock pavement is be.
ing Iaid-as they found-upon concrete
foundation that is hardly fit to be rated as
macadam.
Members of the jury were considerably
enlightened as to how the streets of San
Francisco are built under the present adj
mlnlstration. A surface that should, under
the specifications, be of the consistency
of solid rock they found no difficulty in
turning up with the toe of a shoe.
Standing idly by, watching this fraudu-
lent pavement being laid, was one of the
Street Superintendent deputies.
The comments of many of the jurors
were outspoken and to the point. They
said it was fraud and all outrage upon the
City, and nothing less, and the word Sim
parchment" was used by more than one
of them.
The Street Committee of the Board of
Supervisors also, as stated, inspected this
piece of work. They were advised of its
character by George W. Elder, Chairman
Spreckels' expert.
The majority of the members of the
mittee have hitherto been disposed to
be lenient with Ashworth and let his ex-
cuses and explanations weigh against a
great deal of evidence against him and his
work. But here there was no possibility
OF error, and they agreed with the mem
bers of the jury that this was fraud upon
the City that was being countenanced by
the Street Department. in the person of one
of the SuperintendeDt's deputies, who was
then present looking on.
Indeed, when Elder began to turn up
the surface of the concrete with his boot to
show the committee how easy it could be
done, the deputy was inclined to Interfere
This demonstration on Twelfth street
yesterday IS merely COrroborative of long
line of similar evidence that the Street De-
partment is not being conducted as the
people have right to expect it to be con-
Quoted.
This does not apply solely to the char
acter Of the work upon the streets either.
In this matter, however, Ashworth has al
ways stoutly maintained that he employs
as deputies only men who are entirely
trustworthy and then does not leave it
wholly to them, but himself personally in
spects every piece of street work of magni-
tude. That being true he must himself
have seen this fraudulent work on Twelfth
street, near to his Office.
But, as stated the inquiry of the Grand
Jury will touch upon other features of the
workings Oh the department.
The purpose is not merely to find ma
terial with which to score the department
in the semi-annual report after the ad-
lournment, but to take such steps as will
put an effectual stop upon the acceptance
OF poor and fraudulent street work by the
department, the business of which is to
see that the City get value for it's money.