My name is George J. Schmitt. I reside in Chicago, Ill.; have resided here for the past thirty-five years. Am employed as clerk and bookkeeper in office of Mr. S. Krug, contractor, of Chicago. I have been in Mr. Krug's employ for the past eight years. On November 9 I left Chicago for St. Louis with Mr. Krug, to look after his bids and do any clerical work that he might want done. We arrived St. Louis on morning of November 10, 1904. Mr. Krug had his bid made up, and upon arrival at St. Louis we immediately went to the National Bank of Commerce, where Mr. Krug wanted to have his draft cashed and his check certified. We then went to the Administration Building and called at the office of Mr. Isaac S. Taylor, director of works, where Mr. Krug handed his bid to Mr. Taylor's clerk. This was about 12 o'clock noon on November 10. We were requested to go into the anteroom and wait until called for. There were present in the anteroom at the time Mr. Albrecht, Mr. McDonald, Mr. Schaeffer and son, Mr. Ware, of the Columbia Wrecking Company. One or two other gentlemen were present. I do not now recall their names. After we had been there some little time, Messrs. Frank and Abraham Harris, of the Chicago House Wrecking Company, came in. We all waited there until about 2 p. m. About this time President Francis passed through the room and went into Mr. Taylor's office. He came back shortly and said to us to come back in about an hour, as the salvage committee was going to lunch then. We went back again about 3 p. m. The same crowd of bidders present in the room. There, was some gray-haired gentleman who came in with the Harris brothers. When I first saw him I thought he was a member of the salvage committee, on account of his running back and forth into the room where the salvage committee was in session. I learned from Mr. Albrecht later on that the gentleman referred to was working for the Harris brothers. While we were waiting there to be called in he made two trips into the room where the salvage committee was in session, and came back each time and went and held a whispered conversation with the Harris brothers in the hall.