The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-13
SALE OF STONE BY THE CITY.
EX-ALDERMEN CALLED TO TESTIFY
AGAINST CAPT. CARTER.


That II Had to BE MOved-The
Stone Was Purchased by the At
1nntic Contracting COmpany-Dr.
Fnilignnt Thought the City Was
Doing a Good Thing I'm Getting Rid
of It-Mr. Charlton Gets After Clerk
of Council Bailey.
The session of the Carter court martial
yesterday was devoted to evidence in sup
port of the charge that Capt Carter enter
ed into conspiracy to defraud the city
of savanpah by compelling the city to dis
pose of lot of stone at the quarantine
station at price much below it's real val
We, the purchaser being the Atlantic Cen
tracing Company.
Several ex-aldermen of the Myers ad-
ministration were on the stand to tell
what they knew about the orders from the
war department to the city to remove the
material beyond the harbor lines, and
about the sale of the stone ballast de-
posted there, to the Atlantic Contracting
Company. Among these were Messrs. D.
B. Lester, Hal II. Bacon and DR.. L. A.
Falhgant Clerk of Council w. P. Bal
| ley, Ex-Clerk A. N. Manucy Engineer
Morris and Capt. Thomas f. Healey were
also on the stand. The evidence on this
| specification had been concluded when the
court adjourned for the day.
Col. Barr read some more correspondence
| which he introduced in evidence showing
how the changing In the harbor lines at
the city quarantine station was brought
about Col. Barr also exhibited to the
at the station and how 1t affected the
land surrounding It, and some Of the
wharves. The notice from the Secretary
| of War ordering the city to make the nee
essary changes and remove the obstruc-
| tions there which was the result of capt.
| Carter's correspondence.
Mr.. d. b. Lester, who was an alder
man in 1896 at the time this question came
| Up said he was chairman of the commit
| tee on harbor and wharves. The cues
| ton of removing lot of stone at the
| quarantine station came up during that
| year. The Mayor received a notice from
! the war department to move the stone bal
! last beyond the harbor line. He had seen
| the stone ballast, and was somewhat Ia
miliar with 1t.
Capt Carter came before Council and
explained the harbor line. AT the follow
ing meeting of Council the city received
| an offer for the stone from Green & Gay
nor. ! don't remember in just what name
| the bid came in, but 1 think the offer was
| $500 or 800. There was another bid later
| on a different pile of stone by the same
party"
what is your judgment as to the val lie
received by the city for that stone?" Col.
| Barr asked
my Judgment was; considering what
the government paid, that Green & Cay
nor got 1t cheap. l thought the price was
| too low and made some remarks to that
effect myself" Mr.. Lester said
Did YOU change your mind about the
| matter?" was asked.
"Only on account of the necessity for
moving the stone Immediately" was the
| reply az did not change 1t as to the
value of the rock"
| He said he had suggested some delay at
| the time when the notice from the war
| department was received but not when
| the bid came from Green & Gaynor. He
| thought perhaps the districts congress-
| man might do something in the matter.
WAS your protest mild or vigorousY'
| was asked
II expressed myself very freely to the
| effect that 1t was oppressive" Mr.. Les
ter said. 81 could not say that any
! higher price might have been obtained.
| 1 believe Green & Gaynor were the only
| purchasers in the market"
| His Impression was that the second lot
| sold to Green & Gaynor was also within
! the harbor lines. The last lot brought
| the lowest price. 1t would not surprise
| him to know, he said, that the second
| lot was larger was not within the harbor
| lines and brought a lower price. That
stone could not be brought up to the CITY,
he said because of the fear of infection
The stone cost the city nothing. He tried
! to move his fellow members, but did not
succeed in so doing. The vote of Council
| on the sale of the stone might have been
/ There record n
opposition that he knew of. He thought
| the stone might have been. valuable to
| the city as a protection to the shore.
| Mr.. Hal H. Bacon said he was a MEM
| Der of Council in 1896 when the Secretary
| of War served notice that materials be-
| yond the harbor lines should be remov-
| ed al once. There was necessity for re-
moving the stone at once, he said. Green
| & Gaynor bid $500 for the first lot there
| was no competition and the bid was ac-
| cepted Capt Carter was before Council
| he said, and stated that work would be
! begun on the channel there within sixty
| days. That work had never been done
/ so far as he knew.
The stone cost the city nothing, Mr.
| Bacon said on the cross examination, and
| ii was of no use to the city except in
building up the land about the station.
| Council would never have permitted it to
| have been brought up to the city for fear
| of infection. The stone was put there
| with the understanding that it would have
TO be removed. He did not remember that
Col. VIM Garrard had proposed that the
| stone be given to go in the river If moth
! ing could be gotten for It. other stone
| from other sources would have been Just
| as effective for the harbor work
| There was some discussion about the
value of this stone in protecting the sta
! ton against storms. Mr.. Bacon said il
might have some effect, but that that
! proposition had never been preached. II
had no effect in the storm of 1898.
rs 1t not important to build the quar-
| antine station up as high as possible with
any material for its protection?" Col
| Barr asked.
Yes" was the reply. "for that mat
ter il might be taken up in a balloon"
| Dr. l.. A. Falligant, also an alderman In
! Mayor Myers Council at the same time
gave considerable testimony along the
| same line as the foregoing. He spoke of
Green Gaynor's offer for $500 for all
| the stone they could remove from the site
| at the new quarantine by May u.s. the
! time of the closing of the station. He con-
| sidered that the offer was satisfactory hav-
| ing figured that Ii would cost the city fifty
| cents ton to move it, without getting any
| sir q