The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-31
He Visited the Expert Accountant During
The Cas- Works Examination
VlTHAYIE 10 PAYING The SHORTlGS
As lie said, by Friends of Mr.. Adams. II
the Amount Was Not lNcessive-hr'
stokes Knew the Amount-state-
ment, by Mr. John 4. Meredith
and Mr.. Boudar-rinai Report
To-Day.


Works. held another meeting in room No.
OF the city Hall yesterday afternoon
az 3 o'clock. The following members were
present: Messrs. Gunst chairman Allen
BIoomberg. Cotuen. King, sncad. and
Woody. city Attorney Meredith Super
intendent Knowles. OF the City Gas
Works: Colonel ". p. Smith. the expert
accountant. and Ar John G. winston
the stenographer. were also on hand
Alderman John Mann, Jr.. appeared be-
fore tho committee at his request 10
make am explanatory statement. which
was agreed to- lie said that when he
appeared before the committee the last
time he said that he had used only old
brick in building the retort house. How
ever he was mistaken. and his attention
was called TO # first afterwards by his
foreman, who superintended the WORK
for him at the Gas-WOrkS lie useu
great many ncw bricks together with the
old ones in each piece OF work. re
stated 10 his foreman al the time that ne
would be held responsible for tho Work,
and that he therefore was AFRAID 10 use
only old bricks altogether. Inc new
bricks which he used We're not brought
TO the Gas-Wofks directly from the Drick
yard, but from vacant lot corner I"en-
ty-seventh and Broad streets
Mr.. r. H. Saunders. Mr.. Mann's fore
man. was then called at the lattcr's re-
quest He stated that ne was foreman
OF the work executed by Mr.. Mann az the
Gas Works. The bulk Of the bricks used
there were new bricks, but he could not
tell the quantity of the new bricks used.
They were hauled 10 the Gas Works from
the vacant lot corner Twenty-seventh and
Broad streets, whore they had sccumu-
lated, having been left over from other
buildings which Mr.. Mann erected. lie
vas told so, and ne could see the bricks
did not come directly from the Kiln, be-
cause they had been rubbed.
This ended the testimony for the time
being and Mr. Gunst. the chairman;
stated that as he understood it, the last
meeting Of the committee was adjourned
subject 70 the call of the chair with the
understanding that the mex session would
be an executive one for the purpose Of
formulating a report TO the Council
City Attorney Meredith asked that Col.
William T. Smith. the expert accountant.
and MIR. Boudar be requested TO 90 Jointly
over their figures gathered during their
examinations of the accounts Of the Cas-
Works i'm order TO discover certain dis
crepancies and ascertain the exact amount
OF the deficit WHICH he had been request
ed to hand over 10 counsel Of Mr. g. i.
Stokes. the bondsman Of the late Super
intendent Adams.
This was agreed to- and Mr. Allen
asked that Mr.. Boudar be placed on the
stand. When Mr. BOudar reached the
committee room he readily consented to
meet Colonel Smith this morning ar 10
o'clock 10 go with him over their tabu-
a..
taken in hand by Mr.. Meredith. who pat
to him the following questions:
MR.. GRIMES INSTRUCTIONS.
when you undertook to make an ex-
animation. did any one approach you
and say 10 you, or use words 20 that
effect. that if the deficit was a small
one, and YOU would not say anything
about IT, 70 would be paid?'
"I was told that ii the amount OF the
shortage was not an excessive one. the
city would not lose anything by IL; that
80 would bee settled up at once; that
friends of Mr.. Adams would pay II"
Question-"Dd they intimate that the
deficit was 20 be suppressed
Answer. "They expressed a desire that
/ should not say anything about IL at
all"
@. "Who was that?'
A. "Wel. 10 was told me In confidence"
q. But nothing is said IN confidence
90 a witness"
A. "rhe party did not tell me TO say
nothing about it, but ] took it FOR granted
that IL was q private conversation
Q. That would not protect you now.
This Is legal Investigation, and it is
your duty To tell us."
A. well Mr.. Grimes told me- We had
Fff ID
matters, and i'm one OF these converse
lions. he told me that n the deAcit dii
not amount 10 any unreasonable sum. the
city would not lose anything, and that
friends Of Mr. Adams were ready 10
pay IT,"
Question by Mr. King How long
ago was that. Mr. Boudar?"
a. THAT was probably a week or
TWO before / made my report 10 the
committee
@. During your examination
a. "Nca. SIR.
Question by Mr. Meredith: did he
say anything that led you TO suspect that
there would De dehcit?'
.1f time a. was currently re-
ported an around town. and the paDcrs
had paragraphs. that there was deficit.
We knew there was a deficit
Q. Were you approached and talked
10. lf MAJ use the tAbff-0i'Nf 10y any
one else except Mr.. Crimes
a. MIR Stokes had several conVersa-
tions with me- as well as a hundred or
two citizens. ] could not 80 along the
street without being stopped about it,"
q. "Did Mr.. Stokes show any desire
for it % be supDresedg'
A NO. sir Mr.. Stokes had an Or
dinarv conversation with ne. He asked
me how The shortage stood. did not
tell him how much IL was, ard 10 my
SUNRISE. ne told me the amount that
had discovered then, In dollars and
cents"
A. sixteen thousand and some odd
dollars did not know how he knew
Nothing passed except what would nat
urauv be- said by a man that was the
surety on the bond"
Alr Roudar said he had no further DIS
cussiou with Mr. Grimes on tho subject.
and il had never been intimated 10 him
that he had been approached on account
M Nr Adams family. He aid not think
mai 10 was Mr. Grimes idea TO cover up
The shortage. he did not make any such
hint 10 that effect. He only wanted 10
prevent the public from knowing the
amount OF the shortage
AIR Boudar added that he had not
given ont any figures about a shortage
to any one except. about an hour before
ne saw Mr. Stokes. 20 Air James X.
Branch. Mr. Branch came 10 ham re-
peatedly enQuiring as TO the progress Of
tbe Investigation. lie first hesitdted 20
sriv.. out any such information, but after
comforting with Mr. Hardwlcke, the chair
man of the subcommittee. he was told
that Mr. Branch had right 10 know, be-
cause ne was member Of the sub-com-
mittee.
This ended the testimony OF Mr.. Bou-