The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-15
He Is Made to Admit that He Wanted
to Employ Floyd A. Woods for
His influence.
MR.. NOEL IS MADE ANGRY
HE PERSISTS UNTIL HE SECURES
ANSWER TO A QUESTION.
Harry M. Franklin, Clerk Of the
Works Board, Under Fire-Adtourn.
ment Until Tuesday Night.

William II. Newly, whose Injunction suit
against the Board of Public Works pre-
cipitated the Council investigation into the
letting of sprinkling contracts. was the
principal witness before the investigating
committee last night. Harry NJ. Franklin.
record clerk of the board. was also sub
jected to an hours searching examination
on the part of Attorney James NJ. Noel.
So much time was spent in questioning
Newby and Franklin that it was too late
C. Megrew or Charles Mcguire. members
of the board. on the stand. and after cooling
their heels in the anteroom for two hours
and half these gentlemen were excused
Mr.. Noel bent every effort last night to
show that the bid submitted by Mr.. Newby
on Feb. n for the city's sprinkling contract
was the lowest by far ever known; consid-
erably lower than the bid made at the same
time by Frank Remington or by Budden-
baum, the other bidders; that there were
no Irregularities in Mr.. Newby's bid suffi-
cient to justify its rejection in favor of a
higher one; that the board had power to
let the sprinkling contract for three years
If it SO desired in order to accept the re-
markably cheap proposition Of Mr.. Newby;
and yet, In spite of all these circumstances
that the board turned down Newby, to
award the bid to Remington later on. To
make these points clear to the committee
Mr.. Noel hammered away at Newby and
Harry Franklin for three-fourths of the
time Of the session.
William A. Ketcham and Fred E. Matson,
Mr.. Logsdon's attorneys, in cross-examina-
ton, sought to neutralize the effect of the
testimony brought out by Noel by admis-
sions from the witnesses that on a certain
basis-which the board would REQUIRE in
sprinkling-Kennington bid was lower
than Newbys and therefore the proper one
to accept They endeavored to bring out
that Kennington's bid was the only one
made in proper form and that there was
really no competition before the board.
ALLEGED LOSS TO CITY.
Newly stated on oath last night that he
had figured that the rejection of his bid
would cost the city about $500: in other
words. that he would have done the work
for $500 less than it is to be done by Ken
nington.
The value of the influence of Floyd A.
Woods with the administration was one of
the interesting discussions of the session.
and Newby was pulled and hauled both by
Noel apd Ketcham in telling of his attempts
to get Woods TO help him get the contract
Harry Franklin was placed on the stand
when the committee met at 8 o'clock The
original bids, advertisements and specifica-
tions relating to the street-sprinklinR con-
tract were exhibits of the examination and
Clerk Franklin verified them before under
going examination by Mr. Noel. After Noel
had labored without much result for a half
hour Attorney Matson took the witness for
cross-examination. and by Franklin's testi-
mony established the following facts: That
Kennington's was the only bid which COW
cred the contract as the board intended II
to be let; that Newby's bid might have been
the lowest, yet 1t was for three years and
the board had advertised for one-year bids
Franklin testified that. while Kennineton's q
bid the first time read $3.50 fat rate for
two sprinklings day, the board had the
right to order three sprinklings and that
the board figured Kennington's to be the
lowest. taking that into consideration Mr..
Noel called his attention to the fact that
by his own statement the provision giving
the board the right to order three sprin-
kings was not inserted until after the bids
had been submitted. Franklin denied max
ing that statement. and declared the board
had a right TO order three sprinklinRs at
any time. Franklin was asked about how
many streets are sprinkled three times a
/ day. He replied: About twice as many as
are sprinkled twice day" Noel doubted
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