The herald., 1898-01-15
THE INQUIRY'S LAST CHAPTER


of searching out jobs for contractors and
then sending the contractors to the
committee. The men were asked where
they had learned that this or that work
was needed and invariably said that
Adams had told them. Adams and AK
tell were always together. Witness did
not know exactly what made him first
suspect Adams; 1t was more a number
of frequently repeated little things than
any one act that he could particular
ize. He had informed Conrey of his
suspicious. 1t came to be generally un-
derstood among the members of the
board that Adams would bear watching
1t was never possible to catch Adams In
anything Bartlett then told of his ef-
forts to catch Adams in connection with
the Sprague matter, when Adams was
said to have held up an applicant for the
position of engineer of the high school.
He had never felt Webb's Iron hand"
Some time In the summer Webb had
called his attention to the fact that
Adams had tried to hold up the w. p
Fuller Co. for a commission on supplies
furnished the board. Webb had not said
much about it at that time except to
explain what it was.
The prosecution, on cross-examina-
ton, asked Bartlett whether any men,
tion had been made Of this matter to the
board, to which the witness replied that
there had not Asked why not, he could
only say that he did not consider 1t his
duty to tell what some other person had
told him, even though 1t concerned cor
ruption in the board. He was positive
L. A1ra IL.
and was equally certain that Webb had
not mentioned it in the board meetings.
He and Webb were together more than
other members of the board and that
was, perhaps, the reason Webb had told
him. Bartlett admitted that the supply
committee had done all the purchasing
of material used In the repairs on build
ings without the Intervention Of the
building committee, Of which he was
chairman. The rules were read to him
and he was made to admit that this was
in violation Of one OF. the rules and that
he knew it, although he made no effort
to change the rules
WEBB AS SS-EXAMINER
with Bartlett, Webb took the witness.
Throughout the evening Webb did most
of the questioning. leaving his attorneys
only to interject a question now and
then. He demanded to know If Bartlett
did not remember that he 6Webb) had
endeavored to induce the representa-
tives of the company which Adams tried
to hold up to report the matter to the
board. Even Bartlett would not admit
this, saying that he did not remember.
Later in the evening it was established
that Webb had made no such effort.
The effect of the evidence was to show
that Webb knew of Adams criminallty
early in the summer, although at the
time the investigation began he re-
peatedly stated that he knew nothing
whatever of any corruption in the board
or with reference to it. The fact that he
did know of 1t was brought out with
additional emphasis when the defense
! introduced its evidence in rebuttaL
Bartlett was on the stand nearly an
hour, and when he was finally excused
at o'clock, the defense announced Its
case closed. Mr.. Meserve said there was
one small matter which the defense
might desire to bring out later, but IL II
was decided to have it mentioned, II
would consume less than half an hour.
IN REBUTTAL
Assistant Superintendent Of Schools
c. L. Ennis was the first witness in re-
buttal. He was called to refute the
statement made by Webb that Miss Mae
Owens rating as teacher was poor"
Prof. Ennis explained the markings and
stated positively that she had not been
marked poor" but it was his recollec-
ton that she had been reported to the
board as fair" This, he explained,
meant that her work had been salts
factory. At one time she had been
marked poor to fair" on account Of one
recitation the professor had heard. Her
final marking was fair
Edward North, q resident Of Boyle
Heights, was then called, and his evil
dence caused some surprise. He stated
that on the night that Webb had first
been on the stand In his own defense,
he (the witness) and Secretary johnson
of the school board went to the Palace
saloon after the board adjourned. They
remained there for some time. While
they were standing on the sidewalk walt
ing for a car Johnson had said to him
that he had a hard days work ahead Of
him in the morning, and on being asked
what it was, he replied that he had to
read all Webb's evidence. In order to be
able to corroborate it the next evening.
The witness later heard johnson make
the remark, when the subject Of Mason
ry was under discussion, that 1t was the
duty of all Masons to stand together
in all cases except those of treason or
murder.
w. H. Gochner, a collector for the w.
P. Fuller company, told of an attempt
Adams had made to hold him up for a
commission on the school boards busi-
ness. He had been informed by Mr..
Edwards, an employe Of the company,
that Adams wanted a commission or
rebate on the business Of the firm, and
that he had gone to see Adams. That
was in April or May. Adams said to
him that he had the authority from
the other members of the supply COM
mittee to demand that a rebate had to
be made for the committee IL the COM
pany expected the trade of the board.
Adams wanted to know what could be
done. He was told that the prices were
about as low as the company could afford
to sell the goods, but IL there was to be
a rake-off it would have to be through
an increase in the price Of the goods.
Adams advised him to see Axtell. Goch-
ner did go to Axtell and told him what
Adams had said. Axtell told the wit.
ness to do nothing until he had seen
Webb. He did not go to see Webb, but
II 10 -