The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-01
OFFERED MONEY NOT TO BID.
CAPT. TwIGGs SAYS THE GAYNORs
TRIED TO BUY HIM OUT.

| Use Similar Material to Theirs IN
der the Contract of 1893, Capt.
Carter Ordered Him 10 Change 1t.
ASSERTS That Capt. Carter and En-
gineer COnnnt Oppressed Him.
Says He Lost $4,000 on the savan-
nah River Work on Account OF
the supplemental Contract.
The testimony that went before the
| Carter court martial yesterday appears
to have been regarded as the most impor-
tant that has yet been presented by the
! prosecution. 1t related altogether 10 tne
Savannah river work near Augusta
which, in 1891, was done by the Atlantic
! Contracting Company, and in 1893 by Al
| bert ]. Twiggs, the witness who he'd the
| attention of the court.
The defense again made objection TO
| the appearance in evidence of CONVERSE
| lions between the Gaynors, alleged CO.
conspirators and other parties not in capt.
! Carters presence, and occurring at
time remote from the subject matter Oh
| the alleged conspiracy, but after cohslu-
Grafton the court decided to hear the evil
dence. and it was given
| Capt Twiggs said he came to Savannah
to bid on the work in 1891, but was bought
! off, or rather divided the contract with
the Gaynors, receiving $500 and promise
! of the stone work. He refused to sell
out his bid in 1888, he stated, though Oh
| fered 81 900 not to put 1t in. After ne
| secured the contract he claims ne was
oppressed by Capt. Carter and made 10
conform closely to the specifications which
| the Atlantic Contracting Company mad
| not been required to do
Before the beginning of the testimony
| Col Barr made a statement with regard
| to the record. The reporter he said, mad
been unfortunate with his typewriter ana
| some amendments were necessary with
reference to the swearing of witnesses
| which had not gone in. These amend
| ments were agreed on.
| Mr.. f. r. Conant resumed the stand, be-
| ing questioned by Col. Barr with the per-
| mission of the court IL was stated mat
Mr.. Conant was an unwilling witness,
which seems to have conveyed to some ii
| mistaken impression. Mr.. Conant ana not
refuse his testimony, but was not vol
untary witness. He was an unwilling wit
| ness in the legal sense of the word.
He was instructed verbally and by tele--
| gram with regard to the work on Cumber-
! land sound under the Bangs contract or
! 1894 He was told verbally that the mat
! tresses there were for a foundation work,
| to be finally built up with stone, and were
! 10 be of finer material than that used
| in the fascines al Augusta. He was told
! also to use the same Florida rock as had
| been used. That, Capt Carter told him.
! was what was wanted.
! Capt. Carter told me the amount for
! that improvement was small, and would
! be of little benefit to the harbor generally
! coming separate ly, as it did, from other
\ moneys for that purpose. 1t was to be
| more of foundation work. He told me
| he did not wish me to carry Out that work
| as had been done at Augusta
you have stated that several times, Mr.
! Conant. l want to know what he said
| with reference to the contractors" Col
! Barr said.
"He told me the contractors had bid
| low on the work, lower than ii could be
done for, and that he did not wish them
pressed" was the reply.
| Capt. Carter. he said, went frequently
to the work, but did not go on the first
trip. He did not go over the specifica-
tions with him. Col. Barr asked the wit
ness why he made an estimate of the cost
| of that Cumberland sound work under the
| Bangs contract.
! Mr. Blair objected to this evidence as
| being irrelevant, on the ground that ii was
witness several years ago. If such evil
dence was to go in, he said every Tom,
Dick and Harry could be summoned and
asked what he thought about so-and-so
some years ago.
Col. Barr thought the matter entirely
| pertinent, saying IL was in line with the
| testimony showing that although 1t was
said the contract was taken at a loss, the
| witness had stated that the contractors
made $S2 900 on the work. 1t was peril
nent also in view of the statement that
| Capt. Carter had told him not to press
| the contractors. He insists on the line
of inquiry as TO the witness reasons for
making the estimate. The court, after
elaboration of about ten minutes, decided
that the question should be answered.
What was your reason for making the
estimator" was then asked.
My reason was a personal one This
was my first experience in this kind of
work. and l wanted to find out something
about the results. / showed the estimate
to the contractors and asked if l had left
out any important item. My recollection
is they told me nothing of importance had
| been left out; that the estimate was a
fair one, and that had a very good idea
of the work.
This contract was carried out by the At
lantiC Contracting Company with Edward
H. Gaynor in charge. His estimate as has
already been stated was that the work
cost SSO,UUO. Inc Dld or Mr. Bangs was
$4,000 The witness was turned over TO
the defense here.
The Twiggs' contract was first taken up
Capt. Twiggs had been ordered to stop fur
nishng stone for the government he said,
because of a report of his showing that
Capt. Twiggs had not been able to furnish
stone fast enough to carry out his own
portion of the contract.
He was questioned again as to the fas-
cjnes used at Cumberland sound Those at
Cumberland sound, he said were twice as
heavy as those on the jury platform. and
it required two men to lift them When
asked as TO the difference i'm the fascines
used i'm Cumberland sound, and those at
Augusta, he said those at Cumberland
sound We're better for the work there
Then those fascines were so made for
the benefit of the government, and not for
anyone else?'' Mr. Blair asked.
II cannot say that" was the reply. Il
think the change was for the benefit of the
contractors, too. I do not know whether
Mr.. Gaynor, who was in charge of the
work, heard Capt. Carriers statement to me
that those fascines were of more benefit to
the government or not. He was near at
the time Capt. Carter was talking to me
about the matter"