Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-07

Lumber company and Holgland had offered
TO furnish the material for Sl4.50 for white
pine and $3.50 for yellow pine, both tongued
and grooved and dressed on one side
Mr.. Rosewater demanded OF Geraldine why
he had not told Connolly of the fact that he
had ordered the lumber and give him an
opportunity to bid accordingly.
Mr.. Geraldine evaded this question and
further attempts TO make him answer similar
quesi ions were also fruitless.
DESIGNS ON CoNNoLLY'S NECK
Connolly then stated that the first time he
knew that change had been made in the
plans for the lagoon piling was about two
weeks after the contract had been awarded
to Creedon & Mahoney. He happened to be
in Geraldins's outer office and saw the
changed plans and expressed his disgust in
somewhat loud voice, saying he was tired
OF having bids opened in private. After
ward Geraldine sent word that he would
wiring Connolly's neck.
Mr.. Rosewater then questioned Geraldine
closely regarding the lagoon contract and
Geraldine admitted that If the exposition
had paid for the lumbsr and taken Con-
nolly's bid for doing the work about $500
could have been saved. Geraldine said he
had stated this to President Wattles. who
said there was so much objection to doing
work without contracts that it was not ad-
visable to do the work that way and it was
then let TO Creedon ~ Mahoney. Geraldine
admitted that the pile driving the la
goon had been done by the exposition with
ou: 4 contract
The employment of w. II. Tamm as super
| ntendent of construction was next taken
up Geraldine laid great stress upon the ue
| cessity of having on the ground man
| whom he could absolutely trust, as it was
| necessary to that the plans and specif
! cations were complied with. He sent for
| ramm and asked him what he would work
| for Tamn wanted 81 1qV hut Gerald
| inc said he succeeded in getting him down
| to 81. He reviewed Tamm's history since
the commencement of the Worlds fair, where
| both were employed. He followed Tamms
| travels all over the country to the Chicago,
| drainage canal where he was in the employ
| of Geraldine who had contract on the
| canal Mr. Rosewater insisted that the tale
| should be cut short. He said the committee
| and the others present had something e,se
to do while Mr.. Geraldine could stay all
| winter as long as his salary went on at
the rate of $lS per day.
| Mr.. Geraldine insisted that he had re-
| Quested Tamms employment of the commit
| tee the day before he was employed and had
| received no notice of any action by the COM
f, mittee.
! Mr.. Rosewater demanded 20 know why Ger
| aldine has designated Tamm as "superin-
| tendent of construction" when that was his
| own title.
| Mr.. Geraldine said he had been employed
| Buildings and Grounds.
| Mr.. Rosewater insisted that this was not
the case and said Ge,a di e had taken it upol
| himself to make contracts in his own name
| and carry things with a high hand.
RECORDS AGAINST HIM.
Mr.. Geraldine retorted that this was not a
fact, and in reply to this Mr.
Rosewater produced one of the early
! contracts executed by Dion Geral-
dine, general superintendent" and made
all 4, he nttCyh IN In
| This was passed around by the committee
| ard examined by the members.
| Committeeman Wells asked several peril
| nent questions of Manager Kirkendall !e-
| garding the authority given Geraldine, bring
| ing out the statement that the latter had 10
| authority whatever, but was supposed to sub
nit everything to Manager Kirkendoll for
approval before taking any action.
The letting of sewer contract to John
| f. Daley without plans specifications, con-
tract or bond, was next taken up and
Geraldine made a statement regarding the
matter. He insisted that complete plans
| and specifications had been furnished bid
ders. He reviewed the circumstances sur
rounding the opening of bids and said he
considered the execution of a formal con-
tract on a job requiring only ten days or
two weeks for its execution as entirely
unnecessary. He even deemed 1t unneces-
| sary to have an inspector on the work, but
inspected it himself. He said he did not
consider it necessary to exact bond be-
cause DAILY asked for no pay until the work
was completed. Geraldine said DAILY had
been employed by the exposition as an In
spector previous to his sewer contract but
was not so employed at the time he bid
on the work He further stated that Daily
was employed on the exposition work after
the completion Of his sewer contract.
Geraldine praised DAILY very highly as a
competent man and a reliable Inspector.
When Mr.. Geraldine had completed his
statement Mr. Rosewater denounced the
whole story as a very smooth evasion OF
the real issue and full of misstatements.
He then reviewed the whole matter and
showed that the DAILY matter had been
pushed through under whip and spur, and
the wool pulled over the eyes OF the COM
I mittee at the instigation of Geraldine. lie
presented the alleged contract which had
been executed and filed after the work waa
all completed, and dated back to the day
the contract was awarded. He charged that
in carrying out the work DAILY had used
cement belonging to the exposition. FUR,
ther, Mr.. Rcsewater said, the contract had
never been before the executive committee
i. Mr.. Kount2e said the executive committee
was ceusurable for not having the whole
transaction before it before allowing any
claims on the alleged contract.
This charge was discussed by the commit
tee and then It was stated that the charge
relating to the change In the ground plan Of
| the bluff tract having been dismissed, this
completed the whole matter.
Mr.. Geraldine protested against allowing
this charge to be dismissed as 1t had beer
: preferred and made public and he insisted
on having a hcaring on 1t.
Mr. Roeewater said that he was satisfied
to have the thing continued and said he wa'
ready TO 1e a large number OF addttiona
charges at once and produce evidence TO sup
, port them.
Mr. Bdwell took the position that The
, committee mad been appointed to investigate
the charges heretofore preferred and not t'
} hear testimony on any other charges.
! The investigating committee held a shor
consultation and decided that 1t had hcarC
e enough. II was stated that It might be
: found necessary to await the return OF Pres
q ident Wattes, who is in Nashville, as hii
r name had been mentioned during the hear
!, ing and If this was done the finding OF th'
: committee would be delayed until some tim'
= next week. The special committee will NEE
S at exposition headquarters at o'clock th
Z afternoon to consider the evidence.
Mother Accidentally shoots Herself
DEADWOOD. S. D., Oct. Especial Tele
: gram.)-Mrs, Babcock Of Minnesota shot her
! self in the right breast last night with
l I revolver She has been having trouble with