Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-02-15

tween Charles A. Bloomfield and Di-
rector Frank H. Pownall, of the
Board of Freeholders just after the
hearing before Col. w r. Livermore,
of the L. S. Corps of Engineers in
the Army Building, New York, yes
terday afternoon.
Mr. Bloomfield and Mr.. Pownall
had exchanged few words and then,
raising the tone of his voice, Mr..
Bloomfield told Director Pownall
that he couldn't be trusted and that
/. he should be watched as a cat
watches mouse Mr.. Pownall made
some brief reply and Mr.. Bloomfield
Interrupted with: Il don't want to
talk TO you,' and, sUiting his action
to the word Mr. Bloomfield walked
away from the group at the front of
room Ms where the hearing was held
The repartee between Messrs. Bloom
field and Pownall had been heard by
but a few, as those who had listen
ed to the hearing We're walking to-
ward the rear Of the room and don
ming their oyercoats and hats.
Preceding the hearing, shortly be-
fore II O'Clock in the morning, Mr.
/ Bloomfield had uttered sentiments
similar to the above regarding Direc-
tor Pownall to a small group, in the
lower corridor of the Army Building,
composed of TWO or three members of
the Board of Freeholders, of whom
Mr.. Pownall was not one. Mr..
Bloomfield said to the freeholders to
whom his remarks had been address,
ed: You can tell Mr. Pownall what
/ I've said, if You want TO. never say
anything behind a mans back that |
wouldn't say to his face" During
( this conversation Mr.. Bloomfield said
, that he had nothing against the pres
ent Board of Freeholders. which
came into being January l. Il wasn't
/ born yesterday" said MIR. Bloomfield.
I"I was guileless and innocent" he
continued, until March, 1904" He
( then went on to tell of the alleged Wis
7 it TO him of Freeholder Haney and of
the alleged limiting of the latter at
tho possibility of placing Mr.. Bloom
on a large salary.
At the Hearing.
( The hearing commenced at 11:04
o'clock when Col. Livermore called
/ the hearing to order. He was seated
with First Principal Assistant Cor
ham and a stenographer. at one side
of a large table, facing the audience.
Two clerks of the war department sat
at one end of the table AT the 9TH
er side of the table, facing Col Liv-
ermore and Mr. Gorham, and with
their backs to the audience. sat j.
/ w. F. Podmore, of the Ostrander Fire
Brick Company, secretary of the spe-
cial committee of manufacturers
above the Amboy bridge; c. A.
Bloomfield. chairman of this commit
tee, of which the only other member
was z. A. Fisher, of Sayre & Fisher;
Willard p. Voorhees,. counsel for Mr.
Bloomfield. or the manufacturers
committee; and Alan H. Strong,
county solicitor and counsel and
spokesman for the freeholders.
Col. Livermore read the notice call
ing the hearing and inviting all in
/ terester to be present
Then Col. Livermore caused 70 be
read all of the correspondence relat-
1 ing to the bridge, including the en-
/ dorsements of the war department
/ officials and the letters which passed
between war department officials and
/ also between Mr.. Bloomfield and
( Lawyer VOORHEES, and the war depart
ment and former County Solicitor
Willis and the war department.
The whole history of the great
Z MiGdleseX bungle was traced in these
communications from the tine OF
Bloomfeld's first complaints anent
the bridge of sighs up to the present.
1t was brought out how the war de-
partment had sent engineers here to
inspect the bridge and ii had been
suggested that about 700 feet OF the
spile structure be taken up and re-
placed with spans. AT first the time
limit for taking it up and making the
alterations had been set as thirty
days. but later was changed to two
years. Bloomfield had complained
that the closing of navigation each
winter would entail much loss to the
manufacturers and suffering to work
men and their families. The manu-
facturers' committee was formed in
March, 1904, and the passage of a
law authorizing bonds for steel spans
was secured.
Two clerks had alternately relieved
each other in reading the foregoing
volume of correspondence
Col. Livermore then had a copy of
the notice of the hearing issued about
two weeks ago read. Copies of this
notice had been sent to the freehold
crs and Mr.. Bloomfisld and a number
or manufacturers and Others and had
Ann., li.. ,Anl IN 40 ,,nst niIicas ~