Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-29
COUNCIL COMMITTEE FINISHES ITS
WORK OF INVESTIGATION.
CHARGES NOT SUBSTANTIATED
QUESTIONS TOOK A WIDE SCOPE,
L DISCLOSED NO JOBBERY.
Report of the Committee Not to BE
Made Until February S-More Dis
appointed Omceseekers Air
Their Grievances-Mr.
Baer's Ire Aroused.

The taking of testimony in the Baer and
Youmans investigation was concluded by
the Joint council committee at $50 O'Clock
yesterday afternoon and the committee Will
meet Tuesday night. February s, to formu-
late its report. The testimony adduced at
the closing session tended to shed but little
additional light upon the matter, 1t being
simply corroborative of that given by pre-
viouS witnesses.
When the committee met yesterday al
ternoon Judge Field again began his ques-
tioning of Mr.. Baer. He asked a great
many irrelevant questions, until finally Mr..
Baer exclaimed:
Il am growing tired of your method of
questioning ME, and 1 don't intend to an
swer another question not couchcd in
proper terms"
Don't get excited, Mr.. Baer," said Mr..
Field, "all we want is the truth"
We'll, you have got that from me all
along and you can continue to get it from
me-"
The witness was then examined for an
hour about the work he did for the Mis-
souri,. Kansas and Texas Trust Company
OH the Jansen place, telling all about it.
and exhibiting his contract, by the terms
Of which that concern was to furnish the
pipe. which it did.
The water connections were made by the
city on hat work in the usual way, the
water department furnishing the material
for the same and collecting from me just
as 1t did from other people" said Mr.. Baer.
Mr.. Baer said the last work he had done
for the city was in July, 1895. when he
paved Missouri avenue, and he denied that
he had ever been interested in any city
work in any way since going on the board.
As to the manhole covers he got from Ford
for the Westport sewer work in No. 8. he
said he bought them from Ford and paid
pickey for them. He got them from Ford
for the sole reason that they were offered
to him cheap. He said that he owed Ford
some money along in 1896 for some previous
,Westport work in 1885 that he had done TOR
him, and he supposed that Ford had refer
ence to that in speaking TO parties about
his being indebted to him.:
IF the Westport tax bills now outstand,
ing and in litigation" he said. are ever all
paid, i expect that on a final settlement L
will owe Ford something more, but not
on any work done at any time for Kansas
Alderman Wolf testified that he bought
water from the city for his skating RINK,
and Mr.. Hough. of the committee. said he
had also purchased water. and ii was Sug-
gested that If Baer and were
guilty of violating the law in getting water
from the city. to flush cutters in Westport
and paying for 1t, those gentlemen were
also guilty. for they were councilmen;
Ex-City Engineer Ahsrcrombie or West
port testified Thai at the tlne the contract act
Jansen place Mr.. Matthews. of the NJ. X.
and T. Trust Company, had ~telephoned him
that he gave the contract to Baer for the
reason that the latter had said he could
get the city water turned in the pipes, and
Armstrong. who was after the work also,
could not.
Mr.. Baer denied this and added that after
the admission of Westport Mr.. Abercrom-
bic had come to him asking for a job that
he did not get. Abercrombie also testified
that Ford tried to borrow money from him,
stating that Baer owed him money.
Adam Armstrong testified that Ford told
him Baer was interested in contract work
with him and owed him money which he
| could not get. He said Ford had tried to
and did borrow none from him at the time
he made that talk to him.
Baer again admitted that he then owed
| Ford some money for work done on West
| port sewer No. 4. in 1895. before he went on
| the board of public works.
W. A. Lukens, a draughtsman in the wa
ter department. testified that the water had
never to this day been turned into the
pipes laid by Baer for the NJ, X. and T.
Trust Co. on the Jansen place in Westport,
and further, that the connections there had
never been placed on the water map. for
the reason that the plumber doing the
work had never made a report.
Just before the close of the session Mr..
Ballingal asked Colonel Simonds whom he
supported for mayor in 1891. and that gen.
tleman replied Cooper"
a number of other witnesses were exam
ined. but nothing not already testified to
was developed.