Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-07-08
ALLEGES COUNTY
PAID TOO MUCH
Hudson Overcharged for Court
House Furniture, Is Testi-
mony of Expert.
TFrom a stan Correspondents

~ ~ a
JERSEY CITY, July s.-Figures tc
show differences between the actual
cos of furniture for the new s3,0Oo,O Ot
Court House and the price paid by
the city were given today when Hor-
ace Andrews, a New York furniture
contractor. testified how the con-
tractors, were overpaid, after he had
qualified as a expert witness in the
Special Sessions Court today before
Justice Swayze and Common Pleas
Judges Blair and Carey, before whom
the trial of eight of the fourteen
men Who were indicted in connection
of the building of the new court house
was resumed.
M Mr.. Andrews told of a contract
made by John Gill & Son, of Cleve-
land, O.. This, he said, was for metal
furniture, and amounted in all to
$114, 900. According to Mr.. Andrews,
nine wardrobes, measuring hfty-six
inches each, were charged to the
county at $4S2, while the market
value is only 5000. Is.
Other examples of how the county
overpaid was testified to. In one in
stance two wardrobes, each measur-
ing eighty-six inches. the market
value of which, Mr.. Andrews said,
was s243.s 5 was charged to the county
at $685.. One wardrobe, measuring 1O4
inches, cost the county $500, while the
market value was $219.30.
The county paid 1876 each for 36
typewriter tables, it was charged,
the market value of which is only
$123.37. Twelve bronz tables, the
market value of which is $1,000 each,
was paid for by the county at the
rate of $40 each. Ten tables, SO by
As inches, the market value of which
Is 1920 each, cost the county $40
each, while six bronze tables were
paid for 1t a rate of $145 each, while
the market price was $3.50
Eleven tables. 54 by "a inches, cost
the county $115, while the market
value was only $67.y9. Two book
cases, zach sixty inches long, was
valued by Mr.. Andrews at s1Ss.4o,
while the county paid for the two
81, 094.
During the proceedings Justice
Swayze halted the trial n said hat
the overcharge to the county was
not the main thing in question. What
was particularly glaring In the mat
ter of contract breaking, said Justice
Swayze, was the change in s%pecifica-
tons when steel was substituted for
the more extensive bronze.
A letter addressed to John ]. Null
vaney, counsel of the new Court
House Commission, vas introduced as
evidence. This was signed by Hugh
Roberts, an architect, another of the
indicted men, and was dated June
27, 1906. 1t urged Mulvaney to buy
the site for the Court House.
1t is said that the State has several
new material witnesses whose testi-
1pony will be of a sensational char
actef. There are in all about twenty |
witnesses to be called by the State.
The defense, it is understood, will
call about thirty witnesses. principally
experts, to offset the testimony of
witnesses for the prosecution.
The eight men are: Hugh Roberts,
architect of the Court House; Theo-
dore i. Frankel, his draughtsman,
who said in court at one time
he drew all the plans; An
thony Murray, who was clerk
to the Court House Building Com
mission; Colonel Kermode F. Gill,
Of the firm of John Gill & Son, of
Cleveland, o., the contractors who
finished and furnished the building;
Norman l.. Ker, agent for the Gill
firm; George c. Metzger. manager of
the New York sales offices of the Art
Metal Construction Company, of
jamestown, N. Y: w. G. Andrews, of
the w. G. Andrews Decorative Com
pany. of Clinton. L., and Robert