The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-22
ENGSTRUM MAKES
HIS FIGHT ALONE
3 Contractor of Agnew Asylum
Buildings Confronted by
Array OF Experts
ISseeiaI pRealeh 10 The, Call


AGNEW. Jan 21-The states in
vesrigation into charges that the new
Agnew asylum buildings are death
traps through faulty construction be-
gan under full Roadway today Under
the direction of state Engineer EIery
tho inquiry is TO be made rigid and
thorough.
I'm going TO the bottom Of this"
De announced with the first tap Of his
Eavel. Little progress was made to-
day IN the inquiry, but tomorrow SEN
sationsl Developments may take place.
Beneath the surface Of the graft in
vestigatiOu q DOrtentioUs battle is
being waged. The issue is clear cut
on one side is lined up the combined
building trades union Of the state. and
on the other the open shop contractor.
i. o. Engstrum, whom they accuse Of
graft in his state contracts. Ellery is
conducting the inquiry under a special
commission from Governor Gillett.
Sitting with MIN as advisers are the
five members Of the board Of managers
OF Agnew asylum. Engstrum is pres
ent. representing himself with the aid
OF his son Paul In behalf of the
UNIONS this formidable array appears:
Cleveland L Dam. general counsel Of
the state building trades council: F. Il
state building trades council; o. A.
TveitmOe. general secretary treasurer
OF the state building trades council;
Henry A. Schulze, architect for the
state building trades council: James A.
Gray, sixth vice president OF the state
building trades council and president
OF the Los Angeles building trades
council Walter Z. Mathewson, mem
Der OF the state executive board and
president OF San Jose building trades
council, and J. p. Bowen, first vice
president OF the state building trades
council
fALLEGE FAULTY CONSTRUCTION
witnesses in attendance who have
made sfildayfts relative TO the alleged
faulty construction of the asylum
buildings are as follows: William A
Best. u. Savage, Charles OsgOod, Julius
} Jacobson, G. P. Damman, J. A. Riddell
and Gustav Thorsen. These men are
union men who worked for Engstrum
after having been called OF from the
work by their unions or discharged by
Engstrum.
Riddell and Thorsen were the only
witnesses examined today. Riddell tes-
tilted that IN his capacity as foreman
Of the mild and medium" building he
had observed that the gravel used in
making the concrete was of inferior
quality and filed with dirt and mud.
ENGSTHUM DENIES STORY
Put under searching examination by
Eilery, he stuck 10 his story. Attor-
ney Cleveland L. Dam of the building
trades council put a few questions and
the man was faced by Contractor Eng
strum. who fatty denied his story, but
nothing further OF Importance was de-
Feloped.
Thorsen was a more difficult witness
lfe had made an affidavit charging that
he had heard Contractor Engstrum say:
well. I've seen a good many concrete
buildings. but this is the worst Of all"
He was grilled by the examiners,
who took him up on fine points Of his
rhetoric. but he. too. was mistaken in
his testimony He testified along the
same lines as Riddell as 10 the poor
quality OF cement He said he had
been employed as a carpenter to make
forms for patches in the concrete in
the walls and that he had found many
defective spots containing loose gravel
and stones.
The two witnesses together were on
the stand but q few hours. the inquiry
not having begun until late in the
afternoon. State Engineer ElIery being
delayed by washouts.