The Pensacola journal., 1907-05-12
Board of Commissioners
Issues Official Statement
Continued from First Page.)

ty witnesses and the bills and
vouchers relating to this matter we
find that the cost of the repairs made
to the court house in October, Novem-
Der and December, 1906. and Januray
1907, so far as we can ascertain, was
S4,249.66, itemized as follows:
II. Altman, tin work, etc =. IS 9S5.S4
c. l.. Fulton, painting e. e.. - 1.36O.9S
J. E. Long, carpenter work. 81 ,S29.49
J. d. Kendall, superintendent $500
+ d. BruX, iron work =. e. e. 5.35
We also find that J. E Long was
paid on account of work on the coun-
ty jail and fence $1,46610
We unanimously find that the
lamount paid for the repairs to the
court house was exhOrbitant and eX-
cessive and that said repairs should
have been made for considerably
| less money
From the evidence produced before
the board We are unanimously con
WINGED that fraud was committed by
| H. Altman and c. L. Fulton in pre-
senting bills for labor in excess of the
amounts actually paid for same, and
that they received the money there
| for, and We request the county solici-
tor to file informations against said
parties and prosecute them in the
J u
We also find that the bills of J. Z.
Long were exhOrbitaht and excessive.
| but We were unable to ascertain
whether there was any fraud commit
/ ted by the said Long for the reason
that the bills presented by him. with
the exception OF the last bill present
ed for the last ten days work, were
for a lump sum and not itemized in
any particular When his foreman,
E. H. Hall, was placed upon the wit
ness stand he testified that he kept
the time of the men in a time book
and was thereupon sent home for the
said book with instructions to pro-
duce it before the board. When
he returned he stated that he was
unable to find the time so kept with
the exception of the time for the last
ten days above mentioned. which
was not material in this investigation
We discovered that the sheets which
presumably covered the two months
desired had been cut and removed
from the time book, and that the said
Hall was unable to give any satiSfac-
tory explanation of what became of
the two sheets that had been so re-
moved We were unable, therefore
TO check the bills of the said J. T.
Long as We had the bills of Fulton
and Altman, having nothing before
us except the bills of the said J. E
Long for a lump sum approved by J.
D. Kendall. but showing neither the
l names of the men, the length of time
they worked nor the amounts paid
them per day, or the amount of ma
terialS furnished.
We find that J. D. Kendall was en-
/ ployed as superintendent at $40 Per
day to represent the county and look
. LOT int
the evidence produced it appears 'PaC
Mr. Kendall gave up a job at $500
a day with Mr.. Long as foreman TO
accept a position with the county at
$500 per day. and that after accent
ing said position he continued in the
employment of the said J. F. Long
and after his services as suDeTinten-
/ dent were dispensed with still cOntin-
ued in the employment of the said
Long at S4O0 per day From the
statement OF Mr.. Kendall himself we
find that he approved all bills as pre-
sented upon the mere statement Of
the contractor or his foreman that
they were correct. making absolutely
no inquiry as TO whether the men had
actually performed the work Ior the
length Of time claimed or the wages
paid them. knowing that the county
was depending upon his approval Of
the bills as showing whether they
were correct and should be paid.
1t further appears that Mr. A NJ
Avery. as chairman of the board. au-
thcrized the janitor. J. H. Hutchins,
70 employ someone TO make the first
repairs and that he employed J. E
Long: that after the repairs to the
lcupola were practically completed
further work was stopped by Mr..