The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-11-30
City Politics.
Fernando Wood and IInclicy'- street
Cleaning Contract.


Cleaning Contract.
The Di.ttic, Attorney, Nelson j. Waterbury,
has been irquirci Of by a Committee Of our
,til,rs a. to what evidence there appear,
against Nla,or Wood Of his having participated
in the Hacilcy contract, and Mr. Waterbury
la, rc,.licd. giving copic, Of the evidence taken
before the several grand juriCs upon tho effort
made 10 indict Wood for his share in tho
transaction. The following are copies in pur
port, Of the aaidayits taken, each one of which
was sworn to at different periods in May and
June last.
WILLIAM II. WILLIAMS, ofLittlc Falls, MY,
Icing sworn, dcpO'cs that lac was the lowest bid
der, hi. lid being $50, 900 per year Mr.. Dcvoe,
"A PARTNER with Smith, the street cleaning con-
tract man, assured the deponcnt that he would
not get the contract because Wood would not
sign il unless he had nu interest therein. De-
voc also assured him that $40 600 was 30 be
paid to the Common Council, and $40 900 moro
10 another man whom he did not name. DcvOs
represented benjamin Wool, who was to have
, y quarter interest IN the contract without pay
ING anything for II.
| GrGEor &. BYRNE residing at ii3 Hudson
street, dcpOscd that his bid for the contract va
| ,2pO n net. year, :, lie met Garrison, Wesley
some oithc oihcis ON the understanding that h
was to have onc-twclith Of the contract after tn
expense, we've paid. Wood said il was bil
| contract and he thought il would pay well
! Wood was 10 have one quarter without paving
| anything, ard Garrison, Clam. and Wesley
| were pay the 100000. Garrison is the Cali
| iOrnia steamship man.
EDWARD u. WESLEY, residing at 90 East
10th street, testified that h. met George G.
liyrnc, llawlry D. Clapp, Daniel u. Connoyer
Cornelius X. Garrison, Ben Wool and man
= nI NJ hn
Hotel about the inst Of January last; Byrnc as.
signed the contract to Clapp, Garrison, and thu
dcnoncnt; Gurlson was To paw up for half the
contract, Byrnc aud Couovcr each TO have one.
twelfth, and Wood was to have half of CARR.
son'r interest, without pay; S2OOOO in money
and two certified checks of slO 900 each were
| deposited with Mr. Leland. This arrangement
subsequently fell through, as dcponent believes,
! because the money was not so placed that il
could To used without giving an account Of il.
DANIEL y. CuNOvER, being sworn, testified
hat on the last day of the meeting of the Com
mon Council last year, he was at the Metropoli-
tan Hotel mostly from ten in the morning until
midnight; Garrison, Wesley, Clamp, Devoe.
liyrno aud Ben Wood were there the dcpo-
ucnt bad directions to dispose of a quarter OF
the contract in favor of Wood Wood was to
name some one for himself who should hold the
quarter interest Devoe introduced Garrison to
deponcLt; Garrison came in to the contract ;
| dcponont does not Thick any one suggested to
him TO make the offer to Ben Wool that no
might name representative for one quarter of
| the contract dcponcnt thought he knew enough
| to do that hiusclf deponent knew enough be-
| cause he Thought il was best to have Ben
| Wood interested in the matter
| CORNELIUS X. GARRISON, being sworn, made
| iiidayt that he first heard of the contract from
| llevoc; Deyoe had arranged with Clipp and
Wesley for part Of the money, and at first want
ed from Garrison $4,000; afterwards il turned
out that We was to have one quarter without
| IaNing anything, and dcponent declined having
| anything to do with II If Woods name was in il,
| and demanded that Woods interest should be
| joined with that of dcponcnt, and he under de-
| ponent's CONTROL Daponent wanted the matter
80 arranged that 1t could bo managed without
Woods interference. Dcponent paid 500 600 in
money, or its equivalent, to Wesley, who paid
| II to Leland. ON the arrangement being broken
| up dcpcnent received it back from Leland.
IAWLtN d. CLArr, Of - Union Place, who
| formerly kept the Everett House. being sworn.
| "eposcd that he was present ON the 18th Janu.
hrN' 1861, nj the Metropolitan Hotel at that
| meeting were present Counoyer, Wesley.
| LYNNE, Garrison, Benjamin Wood, TOWNSEND
| Il the firm OF Dyctt Townsend 4 RAYMOND,
| EeNoc, and ccpyist an agreement was drawn
| mp for liyrnc TO sell, and Garrison, Wesley and
| dcpoucnt TO buy, contract which Byrne eN-
Iectcd to obtain for cleaning the streets al
| tract We,lcy and Deponent were to have
une-eigh,h each, the remaining quarter was ia
| lc assigned to Wesley and dcponent for the
| benefit ut liyrnc and COunoyer one halt Of
| Garrison interest was to belong TO Wood with.
| nut Wood payment OF anything upon it,
| ncithcr was GarIisonio pay anything on account
| 1t Wood, interest Wesley and deponcnt wer,
| to pay s2j,OOO Tor their quarter interest, anl
| Garrison was 20 pay the same amount for hi,
| quarter interest no payment was to be made
| for Wood quarter, nor for the quarter divided
| between liNmc and Conuoycr some doubt
| was expressed about the Mlvor signing the
contract, but benjamin WOOL asserted thai
| there was no doubt about it-ih.t the contract
| with Byme would be- signed,
| AN1HoNN 5. llorE, Of jS Warren st doing
| business at 216 Glecnwich street, dcpOsed that
| in the early part Of February, Andrew j. Hack
| ley came to his store and proposed TO him to be.
come interested in tho street cleaning contract
| dcp0rcnt and deponents brother, lIackley AM
| Benjamin Wood, are now interested in that con
| tract Wood has made no advances, as yet;
| llaokley said Wood was to have one quarter in,
terest deponent don't know, and never heard
| for what consideration,
| Thomas lIoPE, of No. | Stone street resd.
ing at the New York Hotel, deposed to having a
quarter interest in the lackley contract; Wood
llackley and dcponent's brother each have a
| quarter interest,
From the foregoing it appears that the con,
tract was first made between Garrison and others,
but that 1t fell through. 1t was subsequently,
made with the brothers Hope. All through
these afiidavts, the fact boldly appears that Ben
| Wood obtained one quarter interest without
paying anything for it. 1t is we'll known, in ali
political circles, aud elsewhere, that Benjamin