The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
ef WILLIAM D. CONNJFF

the evidence of William D. Conniff, for years an employee of Darby Laydon x Co.,, which bears out the statement made in The Call yesterday, that hum dreds of piles smaller than the Stan- dard sizes had been used by the Com missioners in the repairing of the wharves. The second item was forced from Dundon when he was compelled to tell the court why the names Bat terson." "Matterson" and "Ratterson" were inserted in the firms books in stead of the name of Patterson, the superintendent of construction for the Harbor Commission, to whom the entries referred. In doing so, and much against his will, he was obliged to state that his partner, Laydon, had private transactions with Patterson.
 While much of the testimony of Dun don was being given Commissioner Col non sat, or rather reclined behind At torney Stratton with his head tipped back on his chair, apparently taking but little interest in the proceedings. This was apparent by the many ill., concealed yawnS and the haif-clOsed eyes. When the second witness, Will liam D. Conniff, took the stand Com missioner COlnon assumed an upright position, and while Conniff was testi- flying the official manifested the keen est interest. This witness stated that by occupation he is a raftsman and that he lives at 776 Howard street For the past seven years he has been in the employ of the Darby Laydon con- cern and more recently he has been at work for Healy, Tibbets & Co. After bringing out the fact that Conniff used to deliver piles from his employer to the HarbOr Commissioners, Attor- ney Cope asked: What instructions did you receive from the firm of Oar by Laydon & Go. relative to the de- livery of piles to the Harbor Commis- sioners."
 Attorney stratton, for the State off, cers, was on his feet in a second and fired off a bunch of objections a yard long. It was very evident from the attitude of the plaintiffs attorneys that they expected to introduce evi- dence substantiating the statement of The Call that the contractors have been furnishing the State with piles not up to the standard of measure ment. The attorney for the com mission evidently intended to shut ont this evidence if possible. The judge decided to let the testimony in and Connfff made a long statement in which he said that for years he had measured and delivered to the com mission piles not up to the require ments. For instance he and the fore man of the State pile driver would measure the timbers and allow for more than the actual lengths
 "To what extent did such measure ments exceed the actual lengths of the piles?" asked Attorney Cope
 From two to three feet on a pile" answered the witness. "I think that the company knew all about it. for they seemed to be pretty we'll satisfied with the measurements. He (evident- ly referring to Laydon) told me to measure the piles in good shape and get all that could out of It. I turned the figures in on regular printed blanks. My figures were in lead pen cil" Conniff said that these transac- tions took place within the past three years.
 Conniff testified that some time ago a lot of old piles were pulled up at Fisherman's Wharf, and these he took around to Darby Laydon 6 Co., yards, or log boom at North Beach. These old piles were trimmed up. he said, and sold to the State again. This was done under the direction of Darby Laydon & Go. who gave the orders to have the old piles lowed to North Beach, cleaned and lowed back to the Creen-street wharf where the State pile-driver drove them again. Connff explained that the old piles were not all delivered to the State at once. but few at time. In every raft of twenty five piles from four to six of the old ones were worked in.