The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-18
TELLTALE PAPER.
Mysterious McCabe Document in
the Light.
Does Not Bear Signature of the
Engineer.
HE ENTERS A DENIAL.
Did Not Write discriminating
Document, He Says.
Council NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Begins.
HE ENTERS A DENIAL.


James McCabe, city engineer. it was
said had made of NJ. w. Gilmore by
writing the same on a piece of scratch
paper was introduced during the course
of the investigation last evening.
The paper showed no demand upon the
face of it nor was it signed with the
name of James McCabe, though the
handwriting is apparently his. The
statements made by the State Journal
last evening were those substantially
made by F. G. Dreaming, city attorney.
Mr. Dreaming is the legal representa-
tive of the city and it was presumed
that he knew what he was talking
about when he declared that written
demand existed properly signed. The
reporter asked to Sc the document at
the time but Mr.. Dreaming demurred
and stated that it would probably only
be produced in court and was held I'M
der lock and key.
NJ w. Gilmore offers the slip of paper
as a species of receipt for the money
which he claimed he paid to James NC
Cabe.
Mr.. McCabe denied last evening that
it was his handwriting and stated that
he had no knowledge that such paper
ever existed. The slip of paper was
passed about to the members of the
committee H Ward Page, attorney
for Gilmore stated that his client ac-
knowledged that he had been paid $4,000
too much on his contract and that he
offered the piece of paper as evidence
of this fact.
The slip has the following data upon
it:
25 yards of loose rock at 70
cents -....... Observation-Disclosures 1Sl.5O
$50 cubic yards, solid rock. at
$3.50 $3.50; .:'.... :,. l'zz0oo
waited ....'........ ....-...... 5S2.'o
Total @A,UVU-ZV
The investigation is not progressing
very rapidly towards any definite CHI
max In the mass of stuff that has been
secured and sifted out so far by the
committee there is nothing that goes
to show either way as to whether Mr..
Gilmore is making false charges or that
James McCabe is guilty of extortion.
The proceedings of last evening were
very unsatisfactory. They did not lead
down any path. McCabe denied all the
allegations made by Gilmore during the
evening-to the effect that the sewer
was improperly constructed.
He said: ANY changes that know
that were made in the sewer were
where we struck rock We raised the
sewer in several places where we en-
countered rock and where we didn't
think we would encounter it. L know
of no place where the sewer was raised
except on account of rock"
Gilmore made affidavit and left it
with the committee giving data to the
committee as to faulty construction and
stated that they would serve as start
ing places for discovering conditions
which he states exist.
The affidavit refers to the following
places:
A rise of four feet at the manhole
west of Tyler street and east of Polk
street on Huntington avenue. A rise
in the grade at the manhole on Seven
sas avenue and west of Quincy street.
A rise in the grade at the manhole east
of Harrison street and west OF van
Buren, street on Seventeenth street.
F. E. Nipps. chairman of the commit
tee, stated this morning that he was at
sea so far as to what the committee
would be able to discover. We hear
new testimony every day." said he.
Some of this when we run 1T down
doesn't amount to anything. But any
day we may expect to run across. some
thing which may show things UP. We
can only go on and get testimony. l
don't know when we will meet again..
The committee is waiting on the ar
rival of George w. Brooks. a former
contracts. 1t is expected that he may
be able to offer valuable testimony.
The most significant thing said by
any of the witnesses last evening was
ployed as a sewer inspector for a por
ton of the time. Russell stated that
he heard Gilmore say laughingly that
McCabe was all right, that he was ,
fixed.
Fred webster, of the firm of Web
ster & Tulloch. curbing contractors,
when asked: Have you heard anything
intimated or have you seen anything
that would lead you to think that any
such condition existed?" replied, mo, |
sir. Not any,
Russell was questioned closely as to
whether all of the sewer connections |
had been put in at every lot
He stated in the affirmative but quail |
flied this by saying, They were nearly |
all put in. Where they weren't put
in the property owners didn't want |
them. We tried to put them in wher- !
ever the property owners wanted
Them
T. A. Orwig. who handled the sewer
excavating machine for the Municipal |
Contracting and Engineering company, |
said that he had not met Up with any /