Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1910 — WHO CHANGED BRIDGE BIO? [ARTICLE]

WHO CHANGED BRIDGE BIO?

Was Did Raised From $1,240 to $1,400, as Alleged?

WHO TAMPERED WITH PAPERS

Before They Reached the County Auditor, After Being Opened and Read By the Commissioners Is a Problem for the People to Figure Out—Commissioners Say It Was Read Off $1,400, But Others Present Say Differently.

Were the figures in the bid of I the Winamac Bridge Co., changed from $1,240 to $1,400 on the Milroy township bridge, on which C. L. Bader, superintendent and general manager of said company was recentlyj, convicted for grafting, between the time said bid was opened and read off by the commissioners at the March meeting and the time the papers reached the auditor ithat evening? I If so, who did the changing? ■ The papers were in the hands of' the commissioners all afternoon, and a raise of $l6O in the price of the low bidder, it would seem, could scarcely pass unnoticed.

There were five bidders on this particular bridge, and Mr. Marshall of the Lafayette Bridge Co., who was the next lowest bidder, is positive it was read off $1,240, and so put it down in a book which he kept for recording bids when attending lettings. All the other representatives, of bridge companies attending this letting confirm his statement in this regard, we understand, and it is reported that two of them have made affidavit to that effect, while the others said they didn’t care to make affidavit but would so testify if necessary if 'a trial were had. , • | 'Die bids of the various comi panics represented at this particular letting, which was for a 70-foot span, 16-foot roadway I bridge, were as follows as now ■shown by the county records: Attica Bridge C 0.,.. .$1,583 Rochester Bridge Co., 1,649 Elkhart Bridge C 0.,. . 1,545 Lafayette Eng. C 0.,.. 1,469 Winamac Bridge Co. .1,400

The bid of the Winamac company, it will be seen, if $1,240 when made, was $229 lower thap that of the Lafayette Engineering Co.—usually called the Lafayette Bridge Co.—represented by Mr. Marshall, who is its head. The latter says that he came here in person to this letting to learn why it was his company was always underbid here, even when they bid down to cost, and on his price of $1,469 he bid at exactly cost —if he had good luck all the way through, no extra expense in any way, good weather and everything went smoothly, he would have come out just even. His figures as taken down on the day of the letting correspond with all the other bids as shown by the bids now filed away and as entered on the records, except as to the Winamac company’s bid, which now shows $1,400 instead of $1,240, or $69 less than Mr. Marshall’s bid instead of $229 less!

The blank used by the ’ Winamac company jy making its bid was written out in ink all the way through except the price, which is in -figures and written in pencil. It now reads $1,400, but it is reported' that if examined closely there is some evidence of these figures having been changed from $1,240 to $1,400. This is not so hard to do and escape ordinary detectionaS one might think. Let the. reader put down the figures $1,240 in pencil on a piece of paper and then make a 4 out of the 2 and a cipher out of the four, erasing the erbok on top of the 2 and the center part of the 4. Not "very difficult, is it? The question is; if' this was done, how could it have been done without a few people

it, and who were those people? If it was- changed there must have been a conspiracy to rob Jasper county. Also, if this bid was changed, Was it the first time anything' of the kind was done here ? - ‘ ”