The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-04
ISLAND CITY NEWSlTEMS
County Judge Mann on the Report Of the
Grand Jury.
OFFICIAL BODY WAS IMPOSED UPON
very Grossly In Regard TO the New
Court House, He-snys--An Ex-
ceedinrIy Dry spell.

Galveston, Texas, June s.-The following
statement is self explanatory:
To the Tribune.
The report OF tho grand jury published a
few days ago contains statements so ut
terly unsupported by the facts, no matter
what evidence may have been given before
that body, that | feel / owe 1t to myself
and to my friends to make correct state
ment and rectify. II possible, in the minds
OF the public the errors committed
In the report 1t is stated that sll,6sllS
had been paid to the contractors for extra
work, most of 1t ordered by the architect
or county judge without the knowledge of
the commissioners court. This statement
is absolutely without foundation. The total
amount Of extra work on the building Is
Sl0,0i6.1S, and OF this $1,000 was done under
the orders OF the former commissioners
court, prior to November j. 1898, and under
the superintendent OF Mr. Toothaker, en-
ployed by the county for that purpose. The
largest amount of this extra work is for
the cost OF raising the building two feet 10
conform 10 tho craze.
The facts in connection with the Item OF
Sl063.S0 for Turing the vault walls are so
Numerically opposite to the statement
made in this connection In the report that
particular attention should be directed TO
them. The contract between the Texas
Construction company and the 81. Louis
Expanded Metal company call for such
Turing, but the contract with the for
mer company and the county contains no
such provision. No member of the present
I commissioners court, the county Judge tn
Guided, was aware OF the fact that this
4 extra work had been done until the con-
I tractor asked pay for Il as an extra. The
architect made the statement that II was
not called for In the contract, but Mr..
I Toothallor advised the court that the work
was done with his knowledge and consent,
/ that the Item was proper and necessary
and recommended payment therefor. II Is
1 not true that the St. Louis Expanded Metal
company was not compensated for this
work The contrary is the fact, and
can not conceive how such a radical mis-
statement could have been made. The
only inference to be drawn from the mat
ter is that the grand jury were grossly
imposed upon by some person or porsons
who took advantage Of the secrecy OF theft
proceedings to mislead them and malgr
others
The other statements in the report arr
almost as grossly erroneous as the on'
last mentioned The impression is created
or sought to he created that the counu
Judge and architect have, regardless OF
cost or eXpedoncy, made changes and nd
dItious without the knowledge of the com
uissioners. 1t is not my purpose TO speai
for the architect but the only work or
dered by the county Judge without consul
ing MT Tootnaker or other members OF 10
court but subject to their approval
amounts to S22l 10, for substituting groun
glass for plain glass in those windows
Inc court rooms and Offices that opene
q on Railways and for putting in iron hai
!, In the window Of the collectors Vanl
, The change in hardware from iron
= bronze was ordered by the county JUG
q after consultation with Mr.. Toothakor hl
An of these items were subject 10 the A.
nroval and received the approval oi IN
!, commissioners court
The records and papers on Ole 10 the o.
zee of the county clerk bear Out me stal'
+, ments made BY me in this connection an
u earnestly invite their insphiuQn bY an
j one who has any doubt whatever as
5 their correctness Morgan NJ Mann