ABSTRACT OF EVIDENCE.

FIRST HEARING, SEPTEMBER 22, 1871.

ALDERMAN GEORGE W. POPE.

Alderman Pope stated to the committee that he had but little knowledge derived from his own observation of the matters they were appointed to investigate, his information having come from conversations at various times with Alderman Jenkins and with the men employed as watchmen at Fort Hill. Finally, in consequence of the reports of Capt. Soule and the watchmen employed by Mr. Souther, the Suffolk-street Committee, of which he was chairman, empowered Mr. Squires, one of their number, to see to the issuing of tickets to the teamsters. In twelve days there were about six hundred and fifty loads stolen, of which over two hundred were taken on the twelfth day. After that Mr. Squires had the teams numbered; since then there has been no trouble, all the teams leaving Fort Hill and arriving regularly at Suffolk street. He said that since the teams were numbered, the number of loads received had fallen off from about four hundred a day to about three hundred. The cause of this was partly the inability of the committee to receive the dirt as fast as formerly.

Q.

CHARLES W. SOULE [sworn].

Where is your residence?

A. - I am living in Abington at the present time.

Q. What is your business?

A.—I am Superintendent of Fort Hill - of the contract-work there.

Q.

When were you appointed the Superintendent of Fort Hill? A.-The seventh of February.

Q.

Who were you appointed by?

A. By the special committee on Fort Hill.

Q.- Please state to the committee what you found when you were first appointed.

A.—I was first required to examine the various contracts; and my business, more particularly, was to see that those contracts were complied with, to look after surface water, to guard against flowage and to see that they did not undermine any of the buildings. My duties were quite varied.

Q.

Were you specially instructed to see that the earth was carried properly to its destination?

A. — Yes, sir; I considered that a part of my duty in order to see that the contracts were complied with.

Q. Who were the contractors at work there when you were put on in February?

A.- Mr. Souther had the Suffolk-street contract, and Mr. Farren had one for filling Atlantic avenue also Mr. Hayes. They had a sort of joint contract. The bids were the same, and they were awarded each about one-half, agreeing to fill at different places. They selected their spots to fill, and both took dirt from the hill to fill it with.

Q.-State the first instance, after you were there, of taking earth to different places from where it was intended.

A. I believe that the very first place I noticed was at Long Wharf. I don't think I made any memorandum of it. I noticed the building was marked Winsor Packet Line. There were a few loads down there.

Q.

-Whose side of the hill was that?

A. — I am not positive; that was a slight matter.

Q. — Well; go on.

A.

On the north side of Long Wharf and T Wharf, and the Eastern Packet pier, some as far down as Constitution Wharf. Q. — About what time was this?

A.-This was along in February.

Q.

Whose side of the hill was that?

A. — That was mainly on this side of the hill.

Q. Whose contract?

A.-Under Farren's contract. I wish to state here that I understood, and I think it was generally understood through the City Hall here, that Farren was only excavating by the excavator. I was told that I wouldn't be required to look after him much, as his went by railway, and he could not but carry it straight. But I afterwards found, after he settled with the city, that Bonner and Sutherland had a sub-contract with Mr. Farren. If I had known, I should have had it stopped out of his pay.

Q. During the month of February or about that time?

A. — February or March may be in March—I should say. Q. If then there were any loads stolen, it must have been not those loads which went by the cars, but those which went by the carts, under Bonner and Sutherland's special contract?

A. —Yes, 'sir; altogether. Bonner and Sutherland took earth from between Baker's alley and Humphrey place, that is, what is now Wendell street the location can be had from Mr. Davis' office — to ballast vessels, as follows, from February 7th to March 23d, 1871:

Frank Atwood, Mary Steele, Henry M. Pierce, Constance, Emma F. Lewis, George O. Parker, Edward Rich, Alexander, Merilla, A. S. Wiley, C. P. Payzant, Emma Linwood, Victor F. Goold, W. N. Z., Isabel L. Pierce, N. H. Morris, Belle, Annie Vail, Joshua S. Braggon, Ruth N. Atwood, Mary Steele, Eddie Pierce, Alice P. Higgins, and Barque Ambetta, Long Wharf.

Q.-Those were all ballasted from Fort Hill?

A. — Yes, sir.

Q. — How did you learn?

A.

Q.

I followed the teams back and forth.

How did you know that those teams were Bonner and Sutherland's teams?

A. I saw Mr. Sutherland; he was boss over them; and on inquiry I ascertained them to be Bonner and Sutherland's teanis. Doherty had some teams there.

Q.-State in full all that you saw there, Mr. Soule, of this, going along from that time?

A. In the morning when I went there to the hill, I made it a business to know where earth was going in different directions going to Atlantic avenue, and soon after that to the Suffolk District. I made it a business to know whether the teams were going to their proper destination.

Q.

street?

About when did the teams commence going to Suffolk

A. — It was the 22nd of Febuary. It was a holiday, and they did a half a day's work on the part of the Suffolk-street contract. I found that some were going to Boston Wharf from that part of the hill right near the Sailors' Home. I followed them and saw them dump there. I followed them and saw them take a second load. I did not follow the second load always.

Q. Did you find that these carts took earth to Boston Wharf by directions that these drivers received from any one?

A. My attention was called one morning there by a man coming with a lot of tickets in his pockets.

Q.-A driver?

A.—Yes, sir; he appeared to be. I think he was with his team. He had a frock with a pocket in it. I observed a good many tickets, that looked unlike the other ones that we were giving to go to the Suffolk-street District, and the foreman made a little stir about it.

Q.-State what was said.

A. He wanted to know what he was doing with those tickets around there. The driver seemed to be a little disconcerted. I forget just what was said. I think he went to his place in the pit to get another load, and afterwards I found that the same man had said, after I had gone away, that the boss came down and told him to go on hauling his loads the same as he had done to Boston Wharf. Q. Who heard him?

A. — I don't know. His name is John Breen.

Q. Did you inform the committee of this at the time, Mr. Soule?