The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-04
I
The Ctnsgts Against the street COMM


| some evening" V)h dppOihtSu AVh eoSAoA
''-- 7. RI
The Charges Against the street ComnS-
/ ssoaer.
/ rNyfSTrG ALTON BY TBE SPECIAL CoMMITTET
The epe ,is co. nit of Board Of AIDE mea -on-
| sisue OF Aldermen Tseei Starievant aud Moore7nes
sem yesterday and NED their inv6sugst,oa nso
th charges recently brought egainst the Street Coa
sousr b. Alcsrmsa Doherty, II regard IT, the avAog
f the to regulate aud grsds 1874 stree %
tween Third avenue ana avenue A. The iohowlnge sS-
=, nony elclted:- -.
Thomas j Hogan re-examios6, testifed-Tde sreet
Cor mis- er said tsst If we Austin and
settie our own difficulties, he would award the eosract
10 me-. -,
| Alderman Doherty-Where did you a'st see AsSn
about this contract and what passed between ~ anu
Mr.. willard counsel for Mr. Furey the Street Camis
sone err objected to this question as IL would admoea
say evidence, which wouid be very uotar ana SAin "
vioation Of sill parliamentary rule. and usage he
also obiec entering into iDvestpa ion egsro9 the
conduct the aud his clerks lrtner
III an related to this contract Should the comhite ad
nit evidence Of shst Iog Dick and Harry ss eaon
the inve cation. TIE comm tee decided tilt they
would ADMIT hearsay ev'hence-thst what passa pc
tween Austin and Hegsnprov ded that it was oH IN re-
ference Mr. Furey bat else they woul osre'
! gard. -,
ders on this contract should also be isqured ito To
this the answered that they would consider
the pro posi- ion hereafter.
and he asked me if about I2Sd street: old him
that the last time had the Street Commissioner ne
that going TO send the papers tone 0Datu
Of Aldermen ne asked me bow long it was sire hsd
seen the Street Commissioner; cannot ay wkat
stated at tbst time, having nearly forgotten
! it; Austin then said IL settled our difficulties
| the contract would be awarded TO me: b did not
make any propositions to me at that time ne did not
say he had seen the Street Commissioner at that time
this about Eve six days before tbs contract was
awarded .
Aide rnan Doherty-From tie 10th day Of April until
the referred in the last had the Street.
Commissioner continued to refuse award the contract
you the repeated demands made by you for tina
| contract?
Ale had.
Alderman sturtevsnt- He'd you made definite AMI
direct dems nd for The contrsc
Al never asked hi bat once directly TO award thu
contract but repeatedly asked him If he had decided
Alderman IohetyArs you WI .n Gus; usua
practice of the Commissioner IS time N
.ns out 1Gea Ihs The lowest bisdcr Is noed
Al not acquan, cd with the rules but the time
use3 70 be two days after the bidding. In asking the
Street Commissioner in regard to the contract he would
sa- that be bad not decided who was entitled 70 It.
eide in few days. This five six days before the
awarding Of the contract The contract signed
o-WheD did you next zee Mr.. Austin on the subject
after seeing him the time alluded to?
Ain few days he came where was at work in Har
lem cannot distinctly say what happened then between
u.s. he sgreed to meet down town that day. between
eleven and t~eve O'Clock; there converse ton be
tween Austin aud in regard the awarding of the
tract by the Street Commissi ner the substance of
was, that wore TO come down to have the contI
made and then that TO let Torrance Mcclure hav
my interest in it for certain amount.
Aldermen Doherty.-At that conversation, did Austn
to you, that if you would enter into the asreemt
last mentioned the Street Commissioner would award he
contract to your
| A-No, he did not.
I Q.--Did he say anything to that efects
A.Idid not understand hi understood, before
stated that it was 10 be awarded 10 and that
to assign my interest to Mcclure, but this was
among ourselves that was the proposition BY
Qriorn the time you had the conversation the first
one) with Austin until this second had you the
n reIq fiapt N
mo; had not seen him in all that time the
ire the propo iton was made by Mctue and Austin,
partially agreed to accept $500 for Interest," to
soil my claim in It suppo 10 get 800 cash
and lien OF 500 on the work; there oier pro-
GLOW much would the'contract have been worth to
you bad got Immediately after you bid for it
ApIh ~ iast consderng the peculiar position you
then placed in as o contractorf
The committee consdcred Ibis question improper and
irrelevant, but had no objection to admit it.
Al cannot FAY how rduch with any degree Of cerrect
rees think. however, it would have been wor g. 900
or So, 900 to me.
o. Was the agreement between you and Mcclure ever
a. No IT rot; McGuire notified me that he had
backed out two three days afterwards Aust1 aud Nc
CURE banded me paper 70 sign sGyng that the Street
Commissioner would not take verbal account about the
settlement of our difficulties and wanted il in writing:
signed the paper; Mcclure told that he had
out but that Austin would give me what he promo ed
td him would not agree 70 il for less than $780, and
finally said would rot take anything; Austin never
too me thft the Street Commissioner would not give me
the contract without signed this paper he said that
NO would settle among ourselves II would be awarded
UP 10 this period had not seen the Street Conm
further sbont tbs contract came t. town on the d,y
signed the paper to get the contract agreed meet
at o clock P, NJ at the time stoned the PAPER in
question was NIT Informed by the Street Commi ssoner
or any person in his employ. THAT ne would award me
TIE contract; rext saw that paper MARKED ~ with
Dr. Turner in TIE Street Commi ssioners Office the dav
the paper vas 'igned or the day previous partially
promised 10 lot austin have my interest in the contract
finally agreed TO assign the whole contract Austin
% per agreement between ourselyes at Harlem he
was satisfied, md | was about TO assign il when
vss told by Alderman Doherty not 70 do 20
the day he contract was AWARDED Austin came 20 ma
and told NC that the contract was ready went with
him and signed the contract do not know that Mr.
Furev had any knowledge Of any
ton between ne and Ar Austin or Mr.. McGure.
o-Did Austn otter 10 bet you money prior to the cos-
tract being awarded that the Street Commissioner would
not award the contract to your
Ale DID.
Terrence MoCuire swornI am contractor and reside
10 Harlem ctlled on lilgan with Austin in relation
the contract; made application TO Hacap for the pur
pose Of getting his interest ia the contract prior to its
being awarded made the proposition in the latter end
Of june abmt the rat of July was to i've him $500
for his rights the contract; give him 800 cash
ard Lien on he work for 1900 he agreed to take IL;
met nn ov days after wards, and he asked me $500
be finally CAM down 5000 Hsgan made proposition
to e sfter Austin was sent to the isIapd) he
house and said he wed take $500: refused 70 give
baean 5000 ster ne had broken the agreement; it
not Understood thet should be appointed inspector
the work; vas looking for the appoint ment ~ In
sIecor; might have told Hagan that was going TO DO
inspector.
Odd you ever state TO any person that you thought
you would be doing well by being inspector on that
street,
Al may have said 50,
Odd yoaever entcr into any arrangement, directly
or iodrecty, between you add Austin that you shoid
b. the foreman that work.
A-ho, there WIS no such arrangement am foreman
on that work ard have been employed by Mr. Aus
TIM applied 70 The street Commissioner be appontei
inspector on Tat work aDd he said no would zee; he
would o. soon would be Inspector any other person
living fncfe; tiirk This DefoIe the contract
awarded the Street Con missioner Promised 70 appoint
ne inspector on That work. canEo. whether ~
before - after t contract o varded have not had
ssy Converrston eth tho Street Commissioner since the
hvarit q tho c0nftat in relation "a being appointed