The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-10-31
STEEL MEN
ARE GUILTY
Retract Former Pleas Before
Superior Court
FINES OF $1,000 PAID
Boston Also Receivers $4,000 on Judg-
ment--The Cases Grew Out
Of Conspiracy to
Defraud.
FINES OF $1,000 PAID

Boston, Oct. 3l.---David II, Andrews
president Of the Boston Bridge Works
and Charles N. Fits, secretary OF the
New England Structural company, de
PENDANTS in the so.called steel cases that
were exposed by the finance commission
some time ago, were before Judge Har-
ris in the superior court yesterday al
ternoon, on an indictment accusing them
of conspiracy. Both defendants live in
Newton. Each pleaded guilty TO The
inu.etment and was fined $1,000, which
was paid. They paid the city Of Boston
$1,000 Thursday. II was the amount Of
judgment obtained by the city, which
brought suit to recover this sum for the
extra profit. The Judgment obtained
was the full amount sought. The ar
raignment was not quickly and quietly.
It was not generally known that the
men had settled with the city and ar.
ranged 10 plead guilty.
The indictment specifically charges
them with conspiring to secure the sigma
senting that their bids for the job were
ture of City Engineer jackson TO a con.
tract 10 build the steel superstrueture
of Broadway bridge, by falsely repre-
made in good faith Tie Bridge Works
and the Structural company each put in
bid, the former for Sll2,s74, and the
latter for Sll3,900. The bids were made
in collision with n view 20 have the
Bridge Works get the contract and then
pay certain amount to the Structural
company. Various steel firms in the city
had what was termed a "gentlemen's
agreement" under which firms bid for
Jobs with the understanding previously
made that one should get the contract
and then pay certain sum to others,
so that there was no real competition.
The Finance Commission laid bare the
arrangement that had been carried on
some time in dealing with the city.
Assistant Corporation Counsel John ID.
in behalf Of the city, began
proceedings in the criminal court against
a number of men prominently identified
with the steel business. As a result of
a htndiu ia ltS AulitipdA NNutt hNANiN
Chief Justice BOLSTER, several of the men
were held for the grand jury. Indict-
merits were found several months ago.
Andrews and Fits pleaded not gIilty.
former pleas IheW THazetTaessd t s!n.sst
- siiperstrueture f9r the Broadway
bridge under the contract for which Il
md the Structural company bid. From
Is price received from the city, namely.
Sll2,s74, it paid to the Structural com
Dany, which coliusively bid through the
defendant Fits, $4,000. The defendants
have made restitution to the city to
he extent of the $1,000 paid to the
Structural company, thus the transaction
mas cost the defendants $1,000, $4,000
If which goes into the city treasury and
%, 900 to the Suffolk county treasury.
The steel cases were fought hard in
heir preliminary stages on the points
If law. Samuel j. Elder was retained
by some OF the defendants. John d. Nc |
Iaughlin represented the prosecution.
The former contended that what the
,teel men did was no offense. Mr.. Me.
-aughlin strongly argued that their acts
constituted a conspiracy. Now two OF
he defendants have pleaded guilty to
me indictment for conspiracy and paid |
heir fines.