The San Francisco call., 1898-04-23
Outrageous Frauds in Furnishing Supplies for the
 Schools.
Grand Jury Unearths Mass of Corruption That Will duplicate
 Many

pine at the contract price of S7 "A. Th' experts measurements showed tha
 only 7500 common shingles and 3O,00 feet of No. Oregon pine had been used a difference of 9500 shingles and 5l,o0' feet of pine Less than half the quan l tity charged for had been used, while the highest price had been charged fol inferior material.
 At the Golden Gate Primary on Col den Gate avenue, between scott anc Pierce, the departments records snow ed that 14000 fancy shingles, at $l 9l per thousand: 4425 feet of 1x6 NO. tongue and grooved redwood at Sl9 Os per thousand, and 5376 feet of No. 1x1C rustic at $16 45 per thousand had been used. The experts could only find 550t common shingles, 2854 feet of No. Z red 1 wood and 1900 feet of rustic, half ot which was No. 1, and the other half No. ?.
 A visit to the John Swett Grammar School on McAllister street, near Cough, showed that Inspector OBrien had been unable to find any use for shingles during the six months, but he did manage to get in bill for the con- tractor for repairing a stairway. The l bill as paid calls for 22S8 feet of step ping at SPA per thousand, yet the ex- perts could only find where S67 feet had been used, and the principal was posi- tive they had been shown all the re- pairs that had been made.
 The Everett school on Sanchez, near Sixteenth, banned out better, from the contractors standpoint, and no doubt Ragan's brother-in-law was satisfied. Besides the usual deficiency in, ana overcharge for, lumber, the investiga- tion disclosed a little job performed by Inspector OBrien that, when it be- comes known, is not likely to add to his reputation as private contractor. Some more shingling had been done here, for which the city paid, as usual, S1 91 per thousand for common shingles it ought to have been charged 99 cents a thousand for. There were A 900 shin gles charged in the bill, but the ex- pert's measurement could only un- earth 27,000 Then there was a charge for 315 feet of 2-inch Oregon pine, at s7 "A per NJ, which dwindled to 90 feet under the experts rules.
 During Truman's preliminary inves- tigation he had heard much of a mys- terious boiler and furnace, buried some where on the grounds of the Everett School, and Mrs. Banning, the princi- pal was questioned yesterday as to what she knew about it. She pointed to little shed in the yard that is used by the teachers as lunch room, and said the boiler was buried under that. Inquiry brought out the fact that the boiler and furnace had formerly been used to heat the school with steam, but had been abandoned. They were placed in a pit which had become filled with stagpant water, a constant menace to the health of the children. Complaint was made to the directors and O'Brien was ordered to remove boiler and fur mace and fill in the pit. Instead of do- ing so, he had a little dirt thrown on top of the boiler, leaving q great cavity underneath the surface, which remain ed filled with the disease breeding water. Then, to cover up his work or lack of work-and to use up some more shingles and lumber, he built the shed over the quagmire, for which the only use that has been found is to give the teachers place to prepare their midday lunch.
 Only five schools were visited yester- day, but those five bore evidence of the city having been robbed of many thou sands of dollars, and all within a period of six months. What the other schools will show can hardly be guessed at, but the committee of the Grand Jury with the experts, will visit them all
 At present the investigation will be confined to the lumber contract. When the full extent of that job has been revealed light will be thrown on the other supplies furnished the depart ment.