The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-29
FORD'S NAME
 BROUGHT INTO
 INVESTIGATION
Attorney Klein Engages in Yer bal Contest With C. Lewis Bill Relative to Ownership of Land
Committee to Inquire Into City Engineers Office Begins its WOrk-Proceedings Uninter- esting

For upwards of three hours last night one of the largest gatherings that ever assem- bled in the Common Council chamber waited for sensations to drop in the initial hearing before the aldermanic committee appointed to investigate the office of the city engineer. The expected sensations did not Tnaterialize. Considerable progress was made in the charges preferred by Denis F. Mulvihill, for merly of the staff of the city en- gineer, the committee taking them up step by step and waiting to review the transcripts of stenographic re- ports of the testimony before arriving at any conclusion.
 Eight witnesses were heard, but that is paltry few in comparison to the total number summoned. Most of the hearing of last evening was devoted to the allegations of mistakes in layouts of grades for streets, side walks and sewers. The hearing was begun as the result of City Engineer McKenna's request for such an in vestigation that the air may be clear ed of disQuieting rumors.
 The hearing began at 8:10. But long before then the council cham Der, it's seating capacity augmented by a hundred chairs procured from out side. was damned to the doors and space ordinarily occupied by the city fathers during council meetings.
 The aldermanic committee of five, headed by Chairman Lavery, and in- cIuding Aldermen Walker, Paddock, Cassidy and Primrose sat with City Clerk Stephen F. Boucher, the ex- officio clerk of the committee. upon the rostrum.
 To the right of the committee sat Attorney Stiles Judson with Denis F. Mulvihill, the accuser, and the steno- graphers, and opposite their table sat f1anked by his counsel. Attorney Jacob B. Klein and his first engineering as- sistant, William D. Murray. Their table was piled with documents which included transcripts of the council proceedings, maps, and statements of cases to which reference was made in the charges filed with the committee by Mulvihill
 Half a dozen young women princf- pally former employees in the city en- gineer's office, segregated themselves from the cigar smoke that enveloped the chamber, and withdrew to a cor ner where they could listen interest edly to the proceedings.
 At the outset Chairman Lavery an nounced that the committee would hear the reading of charges filed "by a citizen" and while this was in pro- gress, the City Engineer and his coun- sel and assistant elbowed their way through the densely massed crowd about lthe main entrance. Owing to the keen interest in the hearing, Chairman Lavery took pains to warn the spectators to refrain from re- marks and applause. At the con- clusion of the reading of the charges the name of Denis r. Mulvihill was read as the subscriber, this being th', first time his name has been coupled in an official way with the charges Chairman Lavery announced the plan of the committee to take up these charges in their regular order.
 At this juncture, Attorney Judson asked that it be understood the work of tho committee is not restricted to the charges brought by MT. Mulvihill, but that all who have any information they believe should be made known are at liberty to volunteer. None volunteered. Then the Mulyihill charges were taken up.
 (Continued on Page A.