The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-01-21
Mr.. HILLS
BIG BILLS.
The Architect on the Stand During the
Morning Hours.
END OF The TRIAL NOT IN SIGHT
The Testimony Long and Tedious and
Anything But Interesting to the
Small Crowd of Spectators in
Attendance.
END OF The TRIAL NOT IN SIGHT


Commissioners was resumed again this morn
ing with a very small attendance.
j. w Geary was examined about the maps
and plans of the alrnshouse drains for which
he did the eXcavating. He produced the
maps and explained them.
In answer to Mr. Marr he said he received
the certificate for laying out the Indepen-
dent School District of North Mannheim
township when he filed the viewers report at
the Clerk of the Courts office. He then de-
manded payment for his work.
Mr. Geary said he paid his employees on
the almshouse excavations the amounts set
forth in his bills.
Under cross-examinatiUn he said he has
had nine years experience, and began to sur.
vey at the almshouse July 3rd, 1895, The
blue print originals were produced The ex-
animation then turned to the length of time
taken in earring each item of various bills.
Considerable time was taken up in looking
for the dates, the witness explaining that
most of the data was contained on his field
notes.
Witness stated he located all the old drains
at the almshouse by digging them up, be.
cause there was no map and no knowledge of
their location. He then prepared maps of
the drainage system. First they dug down
at points where the old drains were known to
be, and then dug along the drains The old
drains, not now in use, are not on the map.
O. Why didn't you put courses and dis
stances on your maps.
A. Because we never do on such maps
The drains are all at right angles and can be
easily located from the starting point at the
building.
G. Did you go down on the s o'clock train
or on the Buffalo"
A, Generally left on the Lehigh Valley
after o'clock.
Q. You charged $40 for every day you
went down there.
A. No. sir; sometimes SIS, SO and S.. or
according to the work. | charged nothing
| for my own horse and carriage when | used
them; and generally hired of Liveryman
Mat. Walker when | needed an extra team:
| surveyed some of the lines more than once
because the stakes were not knocked out;
my field notes do not contain full account
of every detail worked out.
Q. Let us have your book?
A. There are private notes in it.
Q. Then read out your entries for April.
1896
A. April 3, working ON profile at aims
house.
q. What's that for?
A. Locating drains
Q. Didn't you locate drains in August,
1882
A. Not this part; this referred to the steam
pipe.
Q. Read on.
A. April 6, at Almshouse. j. w. G. work
ing in office on Almshouse map.
Witness then explained the work done in
laying out the proposed new school district
of East Mt. Carbon in North Mannheim twp.
the job took 10 or IL days Rourk, Davis,
Sullivan and Reinhart helped. We finished
April 80.
Attorney RyOn here objected to the further
cross-e examination of the witness because the
indictment refers to the Mt Carbon School
District and not the Independent School
District of North Mannheim township.
The Commemorative motion to amend ac-
cordingly and an exception was noted on
motion of the defense.
On redirect examination the witness said
he charged the county the same rate that he
received Of boroughs and had bills to show
it, He was then asked about his pay for the
County Surveyorship, and Mr.. Ryon OBJ
jected. Court sustained the objection, saying
that had nothing to do with the case
To Mr.. Marr. Some of my bills were OBJ
jected to by the Commissioners, who went to
the Almshouse aud looked over my work be-
fore they approved them l had my father
employed and paid him at the rate of So per
day he has been a civil and mining en-
gineer in Pottsville for life time.
Harry J. Buddle was sworn. He said |
live In Philadelphia and am connected with
the General Electric Illuminating Company.
He identified the contract with the Com
mssioners which was offered in evidence.
The prosecution fought the introduction of
this evidence question by question, and one
relating to the dynamOs was ruled out.
Witness was asked if Gill q Co. could
furnish dynamos of a certain speed but OBJ
lection followed and court SAID he might tell
whether other firms bidding could furnish
the dynamos, ETC., contracted for by the
General Electric Company. Witness said he
did not know positively what they, the other
frmsdid manufacture three years ago.
HILL TEsTIFIEs.
ID. W. Hill, architect, and live at York willie
The witness told Of his employment To lay
out the almshouse improvements and of the
necessity for the service of a civil engineer.
j. W. Geary, Jr., had been employed for this
work. Hill planned the improvements for
the old buildings in addition to the new
hospital boiler house, laundry, etc.
There were steam pipes laid to the several
buildings, both for heating and cooking.
Asbestos was used to wrap the steam pipes to
prevent condensation and loss of steam.
An objection by the Commonwealth to
testimony in this respect un the asbestos
wrapping was sustained by the court because
the charge does not state the work was inn
properly done but that the contract was il.
! legally entered into.
Mr.. MARI Was not the last instalment
of $2s7 on your first bill of 81, 625 for pre-
liminary work paid to you before you signed
the 81 900 contract?
A. Yes sir; and | recepted for it,
Strenuous objections were made by the
prosecution to further questions tending To
show that the Commissioners and witness
were legally justified in the payment and re-
ceivng of the 81 600 additional for the A Inns
house plans and specifications and Judge
Rechtel most decidedly ruled all questions
out. In his ruling the court indicated that
he believed the claim of the defense fOI just,
hcatiOn in this respect rests on an unsub.
stanUial foundation,
EIn answer to Mr.. Mari, Mr. Hill detailed
Incidents of tho trip to New York for the
purpose Of inspecting machinery. They
visited number of establishments
nur ,n.als avnrtu.I 1,Ilar