The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-16
WIS N|)E G HIS AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES ARMY ENGINEERS
VERY N0N-COMMITTAL EVIDENCE
IN GAYNOR HEARING
TOOK CAPT. CARRIERS WORD.
Long List of Things the Supervising
Officer of the Division Didn't
Know About HarbOr
Improvement.

NEW YORK, Oct. 15-Gen William
Price Craighill, u. S. A, retired, was the
first witness placed on the stand today
at the continuation of the proceedings
for the removal of ]. F., E. E. and w.
T. Gaynor and B. D Greene to the juris-
diction OF the United States court in
Georgia He was a witness for the de-
tense, and his line of testimony was in
reference to his inspection of the work
at Savannah under Capt Oberlin NJ. Car
ter.
Gen. Craighill said he had charge as
division engineer of the river and harbor
improvements in his district from 1888
to 1885. and the division included the
Savannah district, where Capt Carter
was in charge until 1891 The line of
defense was to show that the responsible
ity of Capt Carter ceased when the con-
tracts were confirmed by his superior Of
fcers The defense also holds that the
contracts were also properly made and
that there was no conspiracy at any time
to defraud. The witness said that in his
opinion the work done under Carter was
the most successful he had ever known
To Assistant United States District At
torney Irwin, of Georgia, he said he
based his conclusions on Impressions he
had received from residents of Savannah
together with his own observations. He
said that for the work presumed to fla re
was a reasonable amount OF expenditure
On cross examination witness said that
on account OF the work being under wa
ter largely 1t was impossible for him 10
determine how much work had been done
without a survey, which he did not
make, and consequently had to accept
Capt Carriers word in the matter He
said he never made any inspection of
the mattresses. He said this was not
his business, but that of an assistant
engineer.
WHAT HE DIDN'T KNOW.
After recess, Attorney General Irwin
endeavored TO learn from witness, after
showing him illustrations of number
of mattresses, his (witness) idea of the
cost of them. The witness persistently
refused TO state on the ground that he
was not posted on such matters, and
would not answer off hand. Mr. Irwin
called witness attention to the fact that
he had said that less j an $1,000 900 was
not an oVercharge for the work done in
Cumberland Sound by Capt. Carter, and
that he should be qualified to tell the
cost OF certain material In conformity
with the specifications. The witness
avoided the question by say ing that CON
ditions altered prices and he could not
answer the question. Counsel brought
out that the specifications were SO vague
that contractors were not in q poSilion
to make an estimate, and witness adj
1nitted that under the specific condition
he would not know how TO bid on GER
tain clauses of the specification in point
Maj. 6. McE. Townsend, of the United
States corps of engineers. stationed at
Rock Island, H., the next witness was
questioned upon the internal construc-
ton of facine mattresses. On cross exam
ination he said that he placed in his
specifications that mattress brush
should ke well trimmed" or with
brush" but it was specified which was
10 be used so that the contractors would
know which of the two kinds to make.
This was SO vague in the specification
formulated by Capt. Carter that con-
tractors did not know which of the TWO
to make. The witness said he testified
in behalf of Capt. Carter at his court
martial.
After this testimony an adjournment
was taken until tomorrow.