New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-05
THE WllIeIT'S POINT SWINOle.
TESTIMONY BEFORE rHx COMMITTEE
Strarge and Startling Disclosures.
SECRETARY FLOYD IMPLICATED


ed In this case BY the House Of Representatives
OF ths Committee tie Hoo. j. b. HakIn Of tbs
State is the chairman.
Anthony J. BiseckS sworn.
q. Where 90 ytu reside
A. In New-iork City.
O. Whist - yout busiuess
A. AN or suctioreer and real estats sysot.
Q. How lorg have you been engaged n tba sss-
ness
A. All my life; thirty or fOty years
O. Have you been eogsped as eysusivty in o&
business any req. estate saotioneer o. asens N
New.YoIk
A. suppose 40; more than any others.
O. Are you scqustted with the value OF propssty
in the city Of NeT.York ara Long Island
A. Yes, Sir, generally.
=. Are you scqusnted with the value OF property
in lie town Of Flushing
eriy there.
q. BE Kind enough 20 state what you know of tao
valustion Of this property az Wilkinss Point, sat
what the intrinsic value Of II was IN April l6i
A About thst time General Wetmore called upsa
me ard asked me If 1 couc give him certificate ~
10 tie yslue of this point stating the amount per aero
a, which he WISHED me TO estimate IT. whea vas sols
II 800. a. COO or $4,000. The puce be fixed was 80
arce that told nm could not certify 70 t. told
him distinctly tha; could not bring my IDEAS OF The
value of the property up to any such proc; :n1
could have bought it three OF Tour years ago tos >0
900. ard that did not supp1 toat 10 80 short uas
there had been such great rise 10 It's value lie sad
that he ,a not ask 10 give him an opinion but thN
| would be well paid for certificate. toia hin taS
could not give Inn certificate. L was sI'po,eo =,
The great difference in the price between what nad
always thought the property t. be worm, anl taat
be wanted me to give hin cert hcste IA " u WA
worth then. The thing passed from my minc, uaW
about month after, when Mr. Scheii, tne Colecoos.
called upon me at my office to know If had gvea
valuation Of the property or was acquainted vita ut
value tod him that had refused TO certify to ths
high prices fixed the value OF the property ana nsa
re,rssa Cen Wetmore, ard referred to parties vhs
krew rore about 1t than did, tnat there mgnt nave
been some great rise in the value OF the property
which did not understand and could not enter INTO.
and referred him to the late Mayer Mckle 10 MI.
Cryoer and TO gentlemen owning around there, whS
had be q neghbors of mine when lived in that vi
ciity; ard aiso referred him to Wiessman who knew
most about its value, the matter ended there, untd
sfterwsrd heard il was sold to the Goverment.
O. Did the Collector want you 10 sign the cet-
tifCate
A He did not say 81; ne wanted to know what
had dore in the premises; told him; he Cid no. led
me bis views; suppose be wanted to Do possession
of the opinion of expert so as TO advise about tas
SALE but whether it was sold at that time or mex,
Cannot tell
erty
below, called Throgs Neck Point Wnkinss Points
around IN little bay further east than mine but quite
near 1t.
A. owned it for three or four years, and have lived
On it for two year,. sold oil pant of 4 to Mr.
Irving
Q. What did gentlemen owning property sreun!
this piece hold il ~
pretty high price; got $500 for it hsi ftty
acres, and got for them So, 900.
Q. What was the value OF your property COMPARED
with that Of " kinss Point?
Q. | would rather have my place Tor residence.
because It s on Long Island Sound
.. Did you adoin Crydeis
4. ives mex. but two to that place was next b
o. What were those places considered worth.
A. suppo sc they are held at 81 900 an acre bs.
they al front on the nayigabe sound
O. Whist Is the character of the land at Wilkins
Point ard the land IN the rear of it
A. There is q good ces of low land and swamp
r,und connected with the main land, aud thst de-
erred my partner and myself from buying Il; 70 vent
here some five years ago with ths idea OF buying IT,
aud they then wanted either $50 COO or oOOO toru
Hd was in iaycr Of taking hold Of it; but Mr.. WI
sm Weeks, who was then my partner. and who.
blink, went with me, deferred me by his opinion e."
tele was too much poor and about IT to make tie
yerage right. We gave it up.
Q. lie expressed that opinion
A. Yes. Sir; We went together, and 1 think M
opinion was affected by my companion.
z. Your Judgment was that the property vaaa
worth very much,
A. 1t was not worth to us, to buy it, $4,000 u
$50 600.
q. How many acres are there in it
A. think little over IOO acres.
G.: What do you think this property was wor:hn
April last
A. should not think it was worth over 800 a s.n
to buy the whole of it.
Q. Is this spot considered healthy
A. From the character of the lands behnd shord
tEiIk they had intermittent fever there That hr
been the general complaint, however, along there. ]
mad little at my place, but the owners very %!
to think that i belongs to the adjoining place.
Q. Do you know Of this property having bssah
the market for eale'
A. When De Ruyter built his house he wsntedb
sell the extreme point and had 1t mapped out; tesl
did not hear what became OF it, lost the run d -
have visited it since the occasion was there
With view OF buyipgt
Q. You do not know Of ts being put in tho hands
real estate sgeht for Ss.s within the last two or three
years'
A. do not remember anything about that. M
Wiessman has spoken about II, and has always Desi
wiling to sell it, and he may have spoken 20 me. bal
have lever had any idea Of il as bargain, or saJ
thing worth buying.
Q. Do you know Of any parties interested in tar
bus.nessf
A. Only by hearssy. asked Wsissmsu who BE-
cold II to, ana Think my old friend George Irynsvs
one OF tie parties.
Q. Did General wetmore inform you who tn, pa
A. No, Sir. found that my opinion would not 81
him, AID that ended our conversation.
q. How many yeas ago did you sell your proPsT
near Mr.. CrydeTsi
A. think sold 1t in the Winter Of 1883
Y. Your property was farther from the city DINER
Yolk than wilkins PoiLtl
A. IL is rearer.
z. liz what year was il that you went out " ysf
'Lir property with the view Of p1rchasingt III
A. 10 not know whether It was before or s:.di /
rent abroad. think It was five years ago. huS
bsye been during TIE time l was cognzSi
the Pr, pery frcm being owner or having bees es
z. Was real estate more valuable there L j"