The San Francisco call., 1897-02-10
He Was Granted a Hearing
by the Grand
Jury.
He Frankly Admits That the
Milk Contract Was Worth
$1,000 to Him.
Morgan & Co. Have Not Signed the
Plans for Their Mission High
School Contract.

Frank Marty, the miIkman, was before
the Grand Jury nearly all OF yesterday
afternoon, and when he came out of the
ihquisitorial chamber he plodded down
the dismal Railways of the City Hail, his
hands in his pockets, his eyes on the stone
flooring, and refused to notice the repeated
salutations of an acquaintance. All the
outward indications OF a bad humor were
present. Mr.. Marty had evidently been
having a bad two or three hours. He had
been asked all about that alleged offer of
$1,000 TO Supervisor Dodge for the securing
TO him of the contract tor supplying milk
TO the City and County Hospital and the
Almshouse.
Mr.. Marty saw no particular harm in
the transaction. He told the jury fatty
that the contract was worth $1,000 TO him.
lie was asked great many questions as
to the methods by which contracts have
been secured heretofore, but as to nearly
all Of these questions his memory failed
him.
When asked if the late Superintendent
Stable of the City and County Hospital
kept him waiting for his pay for the milk
delivered Marty was quick to deny the
seeming impeachment. He declared tn at
Dr.. Stable was promptness itself in this
matter-no sooner was the month around
tnan the superintendent paid the bill.
He was asked why it was that the late su-
perintendent was so punctilious in the
matter OF the milk bill when it was quite
notorious that other creditors waited and
watched in vain for what was due them.
MIR. Marty did not know about this. No
action was taken, butit need be no matter
ofsurpTise TO Mr.. Martyrs friends if be is
indicted for attempted bribery, for that is
on the cards.
A report will probably be made at the
next session, on Friday, in the matter of
the fake improvements at the City and
County hospital.
c. J. Besove resumed his testimony in
the matter of the Mission High School
contracts. Morgan & Co.'s plans and
specifications, which were not 10 be found
when wanted last week, were before the
jury, and it was discovered that they were
not only not signed by the Board of Edu-
cation, but lacked the signatures of the
contractors themselves. This is said to
be most unusual as, unsigned, they do
not bind. a report will be made in the
matter Of this inquiry at the next session
also.
The following communication from Nor
gan & Co. was read:
To the Honorable the Grand Jurv GEN
TLEMEN: Having noticed in Saturday morn
commenting
the award OF the heating and ventilat-
ing contract for the new Mission High
School &c the unders Igned, we would respect
fully Call the attention OF your honorable body
10 the Ia IS therein contained, which out of
justice to all parties concerned, should, it
seems 10 US, be forthcoming at this time. The
article as we saw it stated, first, that a num-
Der OF bids were presented for this work, but
the School Directors selected the highest";
second, THAT large number OF experts were
called before you to give their views" (men-
IIonlng i've or six ndmeSl.
With reference to the first com ment the fol-
lowing, which is list of the different bids re-
ceived, shows conclusively whe ther the under
signed was the highest bidder:
Heating and yentilatinp-P. W, Co Bid /
$4,000 and $8335; bid 2, $8O15 and $685. bid
3, $685.. Morgan Company: Bid l, $7542;
bid ,, $7542; bid 3, S622O
Watercloset bids-P. w. Co., $1735; Morgan
4. Co.. S1954 and $3.50.
Comparing the alb We bids or our first and
best proposition OF $7542 with P. W. Co.'s first
and best proposition OF $4,000, we were the
lowest by $l758 bidding on the same spccif-
cations OF the architects for the work. and
comparing our work cheapest bids we were
the lowest by $165, so that the boards ac-
ceptance OF our bid No. / not only saved the
City almost the entire cost OF the closet work
over our competitors figures, but adopted a
system OF heating and ventilating that has
been thoroughly tried and tested IN the Dudley
Stone school building on Haight street and
found not only to work entirely satisiactorily
but tmoreeconomical in the matter of fuel than
any system in use in any of the City schools
The price named in the paper OF S9496
therefore not only saves the CITY money hut
included in addition the heating and ventilnt-
ing apparatus our best closet system as we'll
As TO the second comment, we notice that
the experts mentioned were in all cases people
engaged in the same line of business as our
selves. While we should be very glad to have
each member of the Grand Jury inspect this
system in the Stone building above referred to
and compare the practical results obtained
with any ether system. we hardly expect that
you Will hear any hattering comments or
nearly lndorsements OF our apparatus from
those engaged in the same line of
work, and more particularly from those
The more the investigation from disinterested
parties the better shall be pleased, and
our hope is not only that thorough comrari-
son OF our system and apparatus will be made
with any other, but that we may be one of the
parties to appear before your honorable BODY
10 still further substan tiate our position az
not only being the lowest bidder but as hay-
ing the best apparatus. Respectfully yours,