Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-13
TALK OF IMPEACHMENT
Trenton Investigation May En-
 tangle Ex-Off1cials.
A REPORT EXPECTED NEXT WEEK.

Chairman yoorhees Says That This Will
 Not End the Inquiry, but That the Com
 mittee Intends to Probe Deeper Into
 statehouse Affairs.
 TRENTON, March 13.-Tho senate invcs- tigating committed resumed its sittinSs in tho senate chamber, with all the members Of the committee present. Counsel Corbin began the search for extravaganza by stat ing to the committee the results of his care ful examination of the mutilated books of John Mullins x Co, the Jersey City fur niture dealers who supplied the state with so much furniture during Ford's adminis- tration and about which such interesting testimony was given last Friday.
 It was shown that metallic filing cases had been put in the vaults of certain offices of the statehouse at total cost of S9l, s47.8s. Henry N. Booze of Philadelphia testified as an expert that S7, 4S0. 95 would have afforded profit of 33lA per cent, the actual cost being $2, 400. It was also shown that William c. Heppcnheimer, who was state comptroller at tho time in- terested himself very much to have the different stato officials consent to having Che cases put in.
 Stryker Objected to the Hill.
 Adjutant General Stryker said he had been requested by Comptroller Heppen- heimer to havo the cases put in; that he considered thom much safer as regards fire than the manilla boxes he was using, but that when tho bill of A. c. Dick Ss Co. for $3. 715 was presented to him he object cd to it and refused to approve it. Comp troller Heppcnheimer, he said, replied that he had nothing to do with approving the prico; that it was n matter for tho state house commission.
 General Stryker indorSod the bill "cor- rect as to work furnished. Tho bill was thon approved by the comptroller and oth- CT mem bers of tho Statehouse commission and was paid.
 Colonel s. Meredith Dickinson, who is assistant to Allen McDermott clerk of the court of chanccry, testified that me- tallic cases had also be put in the vaults of the clerks office and that when a biu of $5, l19 was presented he was satisfied that it was too high and indorsed it goods duly furnished. Comptroller Heppen- heimer. in this case too. was anxious that the cases should be put in.
 The other offices in which cases were put in wcrG the stato treasurcr's and tho executive otfioo at n cost respectively of $2, 60 and $2, 645. and tho comptrol- ler's offices. main floor and basement at cost of $l, 6l2 and S3, GOA respectively
 Tho personal ledger of John Mullins & Co, which was called for in the morn ing, was produced, and x-Bookkeeper Murphy sworc that cheeks aggregating $4, 197, which had beon drawn, according to the cheCkbook stubs to tho order of John Mullins x Co, were charged up to the firms personal account with nothing further to explain what had become of the proceeds.
 CnupSnIlor TorI,;r s~ %L, fact that, leaving out tho furnishing of the senate chamber, the total of Mullins x Co sales to the state footed up sum that made the amount of the checks refer rcd to just the 10 per cent which Murphy claimed Ford had been paid.
 Talk of Impeachment.
 The committee took occasion to inquire of Counsellor Corbin as to the rcsponsi- bility of Fnrd's bOndsmen, one of whom is United States Senator James Smith, Jr Mir. Corbin replied that Ford was under a bond uf $5, GOO for each of the thrcc years to faithfully and honestly perform his duty"
 Chairman Voorhees,, after the commit tee adjourned. said that a report would De submitted to the legislature probably next week, but that the committee would by no means havc completed an investigation into statchouse affairs, to say nothing about the wider powers which have been conferred " the resolution under which tho investigation was started.
 He also added rather ominously that it would Do Q satisfactory thing if some im- peachment proceedings were begun. He would mention no names, but when asked bow ox-officials could Do impeached he said that proceedings could be instituted at any time within two years after person had ceased to hold office