Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-03-24
WITNESSES HEARD
IN ROAD CASE
Supreme Court Commissioner
Takes Testimony In Holly
Beach Matter

Commissioners meeting room in the
city hall in the certiorari proceedings
brought by r. L. Golf, of Ocean City,
against the building of the Holly Beach
road, Saturday.
As was stated in the Sentinel of last
week, Supreme Court Justice Black al
lowed two writs of certiorari TO review
the award of the Cape May County
Board of Freeholders of contracts for
two roads. The hearing was before
A. A. Howell, a Supreme Court Com
missioner.
U. G. Styron, of Atlantic City, rep
resented r. L. Golf. A. D.. higgins,
of Camden, wss counsel for Harry P.
Willis, of New York, who was award
ed the contract. Walter II. Bacon, of
Bridgeton and Joseph Douglass, solicit
tor Tor the Cape May County Board of
Freeholders, were the lawyers for the
county. A. K. L~ittlefield, of Atlantic
City, a court s~tenographer, took the
testimony.
Among those at the hearing were
Freeholders Fox and Townsend, of
Ocean City, and Gus Hilton, of Wild
wood.
r. L. Golf, the prosecutor in this
matter, as he stated under oath, said
that his interest in the suit was as a
taxpayer and the owner OF land through
which this proposed road will pass.
Under cross-examination, he said he
had no personal interest in the suit ex-
cept as a taxpayer. He had made no
arrangements with anyone to go into
this suit. He expects to pay most of
the costs of these procee iings. He had
discussed the award with several of
the members of the board of freehold
ers, and also with e. M. Sutton, of the
Sutton & Corson Company, of Ocean
City. The witness declared that he
has not correspondent with anyone in
reference to this suit.
Asked as to whether he had discussed
Warrenite with anyone interested in
the award of the contract, the witness
said that all of the materials were
talked over. The Sutton d Corson
Company were bidders. Regarding
this suit, witness said he had not paid
any money as yet. He had no recol-
lection as to whether Mr.. Sutton had
come to see him or whether he saw
Mr.. Sutton. The matter of the con-
tract was discussed even before the
contract was awarded.
Frank W.Fowkes, clerk for the Cape
May County Board of Freeholders, was
next called. He was on the stand for
a long time. His testimony was simply
to give the minutes of the meetings of
the board as they related to this award.
Leaning Rice, engineer for the board
of f%reeholders, was given a rigid exam
ination along the lines OF material used
in the construction of roads.
Lawyer Bacon offered in evidence
the formulate of four different compan-
les which were given the county engi-
neeJ-Emperite, Warrenite, Filbertine
and Amasite.
Harry Parsons Willis, Ex-Chief En-
gineer OF the New York State Depart
ment of Highways, who has the on
tract for this road, was next called.
Mr.. Willis said that, since the award
of the contract, he has spent probably
$40. He has had tools sent to Wild
wood and was about to send material
here. He has not yet paid for his bond.
He has entered into a contract with the
Atlantic Refining Company, but has
paid no money to this company.
He said he did not offer a bid on
Emperite after he had discovered what
its composition is. He had experience
TO the extent of SIS, 900 900 along the
lines of this material. He could have
bid several thousand dollars less on
this than was the bid of Joseph G..
Champion, of Ocean City, the lowest
bidder, but could not get a bond to in
sure it.
Asked as to what Emperite is, the
witness said he had never heard of it
until the Wildwood road matter came
up, but he did know of il as the pene-
tration method. In answer to another