Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-05-25
ENGINEER DRUM IS FOUND
BY STAR; GIVES EXCUSES
Declares lie VIII Not Be Party
to "Whitewash" Report on
Overlook Buildings.
COUNTY OFFICER
COMMENTS ON PROBERS
Missing Man Declares He Will
Not Appear to Testify, as lie
Has Nothing New to Tell.

Although the Overlook Appraisal
Commission has been trying to locate
former County Engineer George #.
Drum for more than a week, without
any success, reporters for the EVE
MING STAR found him today at his
residence, so North Seventh street,
where he willingly gave his reasons for
not appearing before the commission.
Much mystery has been attached to
the fact thai letters sent by registered
mail to the known address OF Mr..
Drum were returned to the commission
unclaimed or efused. 1t was even In
timated that he had left the city. Mt.
Drum simply refused to accept n
notice. He also refused to accept
service of a written order to appeal be-
fore the commission handed him by
a constable from Sheriff H~arrigan's
office shortly after he was located by
the STAR reporters.
II have nothing to tell the Uverbruok
Commission, so why should ! appear
before that august body ot investiga-
tors z" said Mr.. Drum. You see. ] am
TlBlL lGIe, anu Afh bot ttfAND $500
or anything like that. despite the fact
that the commissioners seem to III
| am afraid TO appear before them
why don't you go before the cont
missioi" IL vas asked.
VIII Not Take stand.
"Why should I?' vas h reply. The
commission has my report, made In
1907, and that covers everything nave
10 say. There Is nothing | could add
to that. and | do not intend to go uh
the stand before the commission for
the purpose of helping them to ad-
minister a coat of whitewash To any
one.
THAT IL why they are 50 anxious 10
get me on the stand and why County
Counsel Mum wants to be there when
| am examined. They want To ask me
a few questions that will serve the
ends Of those people who are looking
for a coat of whitewash. | believe
would be asked only such questions as
would tend to thu end. so ] do not
intend to appear before the commis-
sion. In other words, | do not intend
to he made the goat. That's all there
Is to IT,"
But you nave INV ptCh
by the commission and Will
be forced to appear"
~ don't know whether l have been
regularly subpoenaed or not. Cohstaoie
Gottfried Kunz, of Sheriff Harrigans
office. called on me today and said ne
had a paper for me. He laid 1t on my
arm, but l did not touch 1t or read H.
SO l do not know what it was 1T an
compelled to go before the commission
| cannot be compelled to talk. As 1
said before I have nothing to tell the
commission. My reports cover all
know OF affairs at Overlook.
Another thirg Is this: Why should
/ go before the commission to help out
the county when the county owes me
s5.400 and refuses to pay me, although
the bills are undoubtedly just onesF
What do these bills consist off, was
asked Mr.. Drum.
vhnt Work Mns Done.
Time and labor on blue prints nj
Overlook work as well as maps ana
blue prints of county road work, and a
lot of other things of that sort. The
bills are ali on file in the county audi
tors office"
What do you mean when you VA?
the commission report will be q white
wash for some parties?"
II will not say anything more On that
subject right now, except that ! do not
intend TO be any party to 1t. That Is
why | have failed to appear before the
commission. Certainly ! refused to ac-
cept notices to appear Just the same as
refused to accept service by Sheriff
Harrigan's man today.
Later I may have something more
to say about this commission and its
work. hut not now Let's see. who Is
on that commission? There's Mr.. Hunt,
the chairman. He's n newspaper mai
What does he know about building
operations? Mr.. Ross may have butt
some docks and bridges. but I never
heard IF him in n big contracts,
while Mr.. Guild Is a lawyer. A COM
mission Of that sort don't look to me
TO he a rrorer one tn decide the merits
OF dement's Of construction work. and
the many intricate details of specifca-
lions and plans involved In a building
operation as large as that at Over
brook"
"Will you appear before the commits
sion at its meeting on Thursday" Mr..
Drum was asked.
mot unless ] change my mind he
tween now and then, and ] don't think
I will" was thn reply as Mr.. Drum.
closed the interview.
The document which Mr.. Drum re-
fused to accent from Constable Knn-
was not a subpoena hut an Official let
ter from tho commission requesting his
appearance before that hodv tomorrow.
Cnn Commission subpocnat
There Is grave doubt in the minds of
lawyers as to whether the commission
has the right to subpoena Mr.. Drum.
Frederick +. Guild, the legal member
Of the commission. said today he did
not care to discuss that phase OF the
question at this time.
The act enabling the chief justice to
appoint the commission is loosely
drawn That expression was used by
three lawyers after reading the act to-
day. 1t provides that If the corpora
| tion-in this case the board of free
holders and it's appointees-fails TO
produce witnesses n documentary evil
dence when called for the corporation