The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-05-22
WHAT They ALL SAY
Synopsis Of the Testimony offered to
the Investigating Committee.
A sCREWLoosE SOMEWHERE
According to the Evidence There
Appears t. Have Been More
or Less "Funny Business,
INDUCED In at Times.


Great Falls. May n.-The following
Is a brief synopsis of the testimony
which was taken by the high school in
vestigating committee. and which
Holmes and Hanks wanted to consider
In executive session. 1t probably ex-
plains some of those little details"
upon which Holmes puts different
April 20. 1886. Daniel Mckenzie, part
ner OF George Leuchars in the stone
cutting business. was sworn and gave
substantially the following testimony:
In response to a statement by Mckay
tnat White did not know much about
stone work, and q request from Mckay
10 give White some pointers on stone
work. McKenzle = Leuchars dictated
whites plans for stone work. White
said that he intended to- reduce the
window Jams and make the clean cour-
to favor Mckay. These changes would
have the effect that the outside pub
Tic would not know the cost of the
building. and competing. contractors
would have no chances 1t would give
Mckay the advantage fas there would
pe no comparison Of plans. White said
that was his intentionI The occasion
for his talking that way was that we
mad quarry and ne thought that by
promising to use our stone he could
keep other people on. The sample of
stone which White furnished, and
which came from our quarry, was
adopted by the school board. Mckay
asked us to put id a bid on the build
ing. We told him we could not put up
a 1900 certified check. He said he was
not going to put up a certified check
mckay wanted us to bid $50. 900. but
we bid $500. Mckay put up an un-
certined check on. the Cascade bank,
~, oil, l.
National. then closed "a common
cneck, without date. The evening of
the day the board decided on Whites
plans mckay, Frank Bossuot and /
were standing In the Board of Trade
saloon. Mckay told us to stand there
ana ne would go up and see how the
tning went He went into the board.
ana Gockstetter wanted him to put up
the cigars; that Whites plans were ac-
cepted. He said when they came to
Jones plans Gockstetter threw them
aside, the board hardly looking at
lsem, ana they decided upon the plans
or Rex" Whites nom-de-plume. Aft
erwards We bothered Mckay for mon
ey ana he told US he was broke: that
ne paid those school trustees $500 to
accept Whites plans At another time
ne said the same. / understanding that
~ was paid as a bride. Mckay said at
one time that Henry Prentiss. jr.. a
trustee, was trying to get the fob for
martin Strasburg. but" he said. "the
- - - - doesn't know he is GET
ting my money" Mckay told me the
stone work was planned only a few
Ieet under ground, and the foundation
would have to go down, and thew
would get extra on it. 1 asked him
What about the board p He said. IT
nave got them" I said, There might
De new board" He said he could fix
them; he could fix anybody. think he
SAID. have never seen the man I
If they don't sell the bonds?" He said
we will get ourselves paid In adj
vance, and IL we don't get II we will
De ahead anyway. We will get IL any
way because the people will not allow
the building to stand like that" He
Maseeo US 10 DO the stone work, and
SAID he would get different specifica-
tions made out for us. The stone used
in the building is not the stone origin
ally adopted. There have been several
changes In the specifications. Parts
that were to be stone when we figured
nave been changed to galvanized iron.
stone would cost IS to Sc more per foot
Pilasters, bastinoes and chimnevs have
been changed from stone to brick.
extra work
George Leuchars was next sworn.
June IT, 1898, / drove with White to
of his plans. 1 told him they WERE
good plans. but too big for the money
He said the plans might
De big, but there would be quite a lot
Of extras, as he intended. At that time
q lawsuit was pending over the Helena
a,gn school building. 1t had been
White said that If Mckay got the
building this one would be carried on
In the same manner as it was carried
on there; there they found that the
foundation would not carry the build
cost $4,000 to 100000. the original
contract being about $50, 900. He said:
IF they don't get very big figures on
the building. we will get II out in ex-
tras." He said the walls showed two
tcet, but he would reduce them to Is
inches above the first story. 1 asked
him how IL would be IL the board
should appoint another superintendent.
He said there was no fear; that he had
4 majority of the board the way he
them, and they could not afford
20 go back on him. Leuchars corrobor-
ited McKenzie's testimony that Mckay
had claimed to have bought the board
Tor $500 understood that he gave IL
TO White to pay to the school board to
get his plans accepted. Mckenzie has
told me of his conversation with Nc
Kay about Prentiss. Witness corrob-
plans being changed, and estimated the
changes In favor OF the contractor ex-
Elusive of the foundation, at 81, 1000 The
stone work would cost between SsS. 900
Ind $4,000. have examined the work
Ind feel satisfied that they are not
ARRIVING out the contract, in the items |
II footings. concrete. cement. and 9TH
RS.
William Young. a stonemason for
more than 30 years. was the next wit |
less. He corroborated Leuchars and |
Mckenzie as to the changes in the |
pecffications- He worked on the build |
ng five or six days Instead of using |
tone two feet wide. as called for. they |
ut IL down to IL inches Some work |
$ not more than nine inches from out |
ide walls to the frame, where IL should |
,e at least eight inches further. L
,uilt one pier myself. and know GER
ainly that there Is not a header in IL.
The rock being used is almost a mush:
rou can work IL any way: IL is very |
oft You can take a chisel and cut |
nd r.fF al.