Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-21
DENIES THE CHARGES
J. H. Crawford Testifies in
"Favoritism" Investigation.
PAYS TRIBUTE TO FERNALD
Contradicts Statements by Preceding
Witnesses.
SIDNEY BIEBER WILL APPEAR
Mr.. Macfarland Announces That
Light Is to Be Thrown on
Alleged $25, 600 Offer.
SIDNEY BIEBER WILL APPEAR

Joseph Fl. Crawford. president Of the
Crawford Paving Company. which is al
legged to have received fayors in the way
of contracts from the District engineer
department. such being part of the
charges preferred by the Brennan Con-
struction Company which are being in
vestiga ted by the District Commissioners,
testifying today. denied the charge. He
contradiued statements of several OF
the other witnesses.
The name of Mr.. Crawford and that of
his brother. Percy. were included in the
list furnished the Commissioners by At
torneys Douglas and Baker. for the Bren-
nan company, to be summoned to testify.
When Commissioner Macfarland announc-
ed this morning that Joseph Crawford
would testify Attorney Baker explained
.hat he had placed the Cranfords on
the list merely as means OF securing
their attendance. in order that they might
hear anything that NIGH. be said about
them by the other witnesses.
Witness Not Interrupted.
At the suggestion of Attorney Flannery.
for the Cranfords, the Commis sioners
agreed that Joseph Crawford be permitted
to give his side o. the case in his own
cross-examination until he had completed
his narration. Mr.. Crawford commenced
by saying he has been engaged in the as
phalt and paving business in the District
for twenty years. and that during that
period he had almost daily come IN con-
tact with officials of the various depart
ments of the District and that during the
fifteen years he had known Fernald IN
business way he had always respected
and liked him and mad known him to De
straightforward and honest.
why. l believe Charlie Fernald to ne
straight as a die Mr.. Crawford said
"And as ior Mr.. Hunt, the engineer Of
highways, whose name has been frequent
ly mentioned here and aga nst whose In.
tegrity insinuations have been made.
want to say a better or more honest man
never lived. He Is warm persona
friend of mine. and God never put the
breath Of life in a cleaner or squarei
man.
.At the time Brennan. Beai. Smith and
Bradley were making plans for this IN
mentioned. l told Bradley that l wouit
rather have my right arm severed than
be a party to such thing" Mr.. Cram
ford added: Regarding the favoritisn
charged by Brennan, such charge Is ab-
solutely groundless. My company has
never been the recipient of favors except
the award of contracts after competitive
bidding.
Receives Information From Bradley.
AT the time this investigation was COM
menced informally Joseph Bradley of the
Columbia Sand Dredging Company, who
testified here several days ago. told me all
that was going on and incidentally re-
marked that Brennan had said that Fer
nald had told him that Fernald had re-
ceived 5000 from Mr.. McDermott of the
McDermott, McMullen Construction Com
pany. 81. 600 from Jack Wainwright and
money from other contractors. / asked
Bradley what had to do with it. and he
replied that I had a good deal to do with
it and that he would tell me later. He
said Brennan was going to make d
searching investigation into the engineer
department and that if he didn't get sat
isfaction from the Commissioners he pro-
posed to take it to the President. whom
Bradley said, is warm friend of Bren-
mans.
II told Bradley Mr.. Crawford remark.
ed, that the investigation did not inter.
est or affect me In any way and he could
go on with 1t.
Explains Proposed Combination.
Mr.. Crawford then explained the state
ment made by o. H. Perry Johnson. secre-
tary of the Brennan company, during the
session yesterday. to the effect that the
Cranfords had attempted to induce the
Brennan company to form a combna-
tin Ito boost prices and make the Dis
trict pay more for its street work. IL
would be easy to get wrong impression
from Mr.. Johnson's testimony. Mr. Gran.
ford said. 1T is true Mr.. Brennan and
Mr. Johnson and myself talked about
forming a combination Of our two plants
50 as to do away with the cutthroat
game we had been playing against each
other. | had been running my plant at a
Ice n.rroln n
Brennan If he had not come out loser
by his short and low prices to get work,
and he said it was true. My idea was to
consolidate SO that We could cut down
Regarding Mr.. Johnson's statement
yesterday that Sidney Bieber had gone to
him and offered $4,000 for the Brennan
Company to keep aloof from the street
paving contract of 1907, know absolutely
nothing" the witness added. 1T was a
shock to me when l heard it for the first
time yesterday in this room. l can say.
however. that if Bieber did go to the
Brennan Company and offer money he
did not go as the representative or my
company He can testify to that
Mr.. Macfarland at this point said that
Mr.. Bieber had been summoned by the
Commissioners and will testify later.
Paving Of First Street.
Regarding the proposals for the paving
of 1st street. which contract was awarded
to the Crawford Paving Company and
which was the subject of protest ~ the
r. ]. Beall Construction Company. the
hid of which was 81 higher than that OF
the Crawford company, Mr.. Crawford
stated emphatically that there had beer
no collusion between himself and Fernald
as alleged
"Our proposals for the work in ques-
ton" he said, were made by my
brother Percy the night preceding the
day on which the bids were to be opened
On that night / asked my brother If he
did not consider the proposed bids as
being too low. l requested him to wait
until the next day before submitting
them This he agreed to do. The next
morning he said he believed our company
would be safe in doing the work for the
amount called for in his proposal and
that he intended submitting the bids i'm
mediately.'
Replies to 1nsinuation.
In answer to the insinuation. the
witness continued. that Fernald had
opened the other proposals thereby letting
my brother know the figures of the other
bidders. desire to say that it is ground
less The figures contained in the pro-
posal as submitted by the Crawford Conn
CONTINUED on Sc cond Page.)