Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-28
Brought Out in Investigation
Of Superintendent Stutler.
THE TURKEY INCIDENT
CONTRACTOR ROBINSON ALSO
GAVE MR.. sTUTLER BOX CIGARS.
Commissioner West Assumes Response
bility In One Charge-Session
This Afternoon.

| curry lnIO lQe CndTSSS dsdiHSt " ti ACA
| Stutler of the street cleaning department
| were a statement made by Commissioner
West relative to the increase in the area OF
! machine sweeping since Mr.. Rusk became
| the contractor, and the reading of an
anonymous communication received by
| Commissioner Mcfarland bringing up a
| new and separate charge against Mr.. Slut
| Ter.
| Commissioner Vests statement was con-
| sidered as a point in favor of Mr.. Stutler
Mr.. West said that the unusual increase in
area of machine sweeping since Rusk got
| the contract for that work Is due to him
| self The Commissioner declared that he
| ordered an increase in the area, and that
Mr.. Stutler did not even suggest it.
The writer of the anonymous communica-
! ton implied that Mr.. Stutler had been
| fixed" by a company selling hand sweep
| ers to purchase machines from the COM
pany.
1t was implied that Mr.. Stutler had been
given a large block of stock In the alleged
| company. Mr.. Stutler entered vigorous
denial to those implications, and suggested
that the man mentioned as having knowl-
| edge of the matter be summoned to testify
| before the Commissioners, which was done.
When the investigation was resumed
shortly before 3 o'clock this afternoon In
| spector E. s. Holland of the street cleaning
department was sent for to testify with
reference to the charge that Rusk was not
| fined for poor flushing on Pennsylvania ave-
nue..
The examination of Mr.. Holland was in
progress when The Stars report closed
West Assumes Responsibility.
| The inquiry was resumed this morning at
| 1850 o'clock. when the Commissioners
| took up some time in examining records
| and certain contracts.
| Mr.. Stutler was then called to the stand
and questioned by Judge Cole relative to
| the increased area swept by machines in
| the past few years. The records as quoted
| by Mr.. Stutler showed that during the life
| of Lilly & Robinson's contract the increase
| in area swept each year amounted to about
| 25OO00OO square yards. During the flrSt
! year Mr.. Rusk had the contract the fiscal
year 1903. the increase was about 3O.00O.0OO
| square yards. This latter increase. in area
swept by machines, said Mr.. Stutler. was
| made by members of Congress and by Com
missioner West. Witness said that he OPP
| posed increasing the area to be swept by
| machines, and that he did not recommend
| or suggest the increase of area under MI
| Rusk' S contract.
| At this point Commissioner West inter-
| rupted the examination of Superintendent
| Stutler in order to make a statement
| Mr. West said that there Is some sug-
| gestion in one of the charges preferred
by Mr.. Robinson relative to the increase
of area to be swept by machines since
| Mr.. Rusk became the contractor.
| Il have intended to make a statement
relative to that matter at some point dur
ing this investigation" said Mr.. West.
| and 1 believe it is well in point right
| here
| When 1 became Commissioner and took
| supervision of the street cleaning depart
ment 1 noticed some things with regard
| to the streets that 1 thought should not
| exist. I observed that considerable dust
| followed the street cars on certain
streets.
| TT occurred to me that this uncomfort-
| HI Ia -y.,fn Of fof v,nf 4 Ac{,. ~
| and should not be allowed to exist and 1
| ordered that the streets be sprinkled and
| later that these streets be swept. l
think it is necessary to sweep these
streets
Now. 1 wish to say that whatever in
crease was made in the machine sweeping
area on these streets under Mr.. Rusk's
contract. was ordered by me and was not
on the suggestion or recommendation Of
Mr.. Stutler.'
Another Charge.
| After the examination of Mr.. Stutler as
| to increased area was finished Commits
siner mcfarland stated that this morn
| ing the Commissioners received an anon
ymous communication. which. he desired
to read and have Mr.. Stutler explain if he
had any information on the matter. Mr.
mcfarland then read the letter to the
Commissioners, signed by "A Citizen"
as follows
"In your inquiry ask why machine-ha
sWeepers were rejected when Dugan and
Daggett were contractors and afterward
accepted. George Fischer. 1t is reported,
when getting up stock company, said
Stutler had been fixed with stock and
| would adopt machine. Look into it,"
Mr.. Stutler was then questioned by the
Commissioner with reference to the implf-
cations contained in the anonymous COM
muncation.
Mr.. Stutler emphatically denied having
held any stock in any concern whatever,
excepting in the National Brush and Broom
Company in 1893. He denied the fmplica-
ton of bribery in the letter and said that
Daggett and Dugan performed their work
under contract and had to furnish their
own hand-sweeping machines Mr.. Stutler
suggested that Mr. Fischer be called to tes-
tify. This the Commissioners determined
to do.
Continuing the investigation of charge
four, relating to the sweeping of Pennsyl-
vania avenue and 18th street, Inspector
John w. l-add was called to the stand. In
spector Ladd said he has charge of a hand
cleaning force. He did not know why Mr.
Stutler discontinued the sweeping of Penn
sylvania avenue and 14th street by ma
chimes. He not certain as to when
the machines were taken of.
Charge No. 5.
Inspector Ladd said that after Mr.. Rob-
inson preferred charges against Mr.. stutlcr
he saw Inspector Beymer and Mr. Robin
talking together on Pennsylvania ave-
nue. at different times. Mr.. Ladd said he
felt very friendly toward Inspector Beymer
as the latter had shown him many fayors
when he Ladd) first went on the work
The court then proceeded with inquiry
into charge No ). which reads as follows:
The flushing specifications require the
streets to be flushed from the center to the
curb so as to remove all dirt and dust from
the pavement, which means that 1t shall be
washed into the sewers Mr.. Rusk simply |
wet the pavement of Pennsylvania avenue |
washing the dirt into the low places, where
he left it. Mr.. Stutler instead of imposing
fines for poor work. as is mandatory upon
him. ordered extra men, at the expense of |
the District, to clean up the street in the
morning after 1t had been flushed at night"
The first witness was Mr.. Robinson who
told of the methods Of flushing streets en-
ployed by Mr.. Rusks men. He asserted
that the flushing was not properly done and
that all of the flushing was done from one
side of the street. The result. he said was
poor flushing and cleaning of the streets
Mr.. Robinson told the Commissioners he
had been up three different nights to OBJ
serve the way flushing was done here. He
said he had observed flushing in other
cities
why did you make this inspection of
street f1ushing?' asked Capt. Harding
Il wanted to get some idea as to how to