New-York tribune., 1871-12-28
A MODEL HARBOR-XASTER.

THE INVESTIGATION IN THE HART CASE.
EXTRAORDINARY PROCEEDINGS OF TIE CAPTAIN
OF THE PORT-MORE DAMAGING TESTIMONY.
The merchants of this city will have an Op-
portunty to present themselves to-day before James E.
Jones' Captain Of the Port Of with evidence to
secure the removal Of incompetent or dishonest harbor
masters. THE TRIBUNE has given the merchants every
aid In ite power this crusade 1t has, at ts own ex-
pense procured furnshed to the committees OF the
various mercantile associations Of this city evidence and
adavits for the correction OF the abuses from which the
commercial interests OF New York heavily suffer- and
neither time trouble has been spared to make tho
people at large acquainted with the many causes
which retard the city's growth, destroy its COM
merce, and drive it's population to adjacent cities.
The adavts heretofore printed, and several which are
TO follow sent " Gov Hoffman about the middle Of
this month by Of the oldest and most trustworthy
shipping merchants in the city The Governor had
pledged hilDseh to s. g. Wood the Albany agent for
Austen Hudson River Tow.bOat Company, to remove
any obnoxious harbor master upon the presentation OF
adavits drawn in the proper form and duly corrObo
rated Tuesday the Captain of the Port issned the an
nouncement that he had received orders to investigate
and act upon the Of arbOr Master Hart, hut the
| merchants who had made the charges received no
official nu,iof the receipt by the Governor Of their
| atlidayits and letters.
The CAPTAIN having appointed yesterday morning for
the hearing the matter, TRIBUNE reporter appeared
AT II O'Clock attend the examination James f. JONES'
Captain Of the Port, HarbOr.Master Hart. and two
friends of the defendent were present No preparation
seemed to made for more than i've persons
there being only that number Of chairs in the room The
reporter was received with unusual courtesy and told
| that all parties desired the most thorough
| investigation. He looked anxiOusly for the
| appearance Of the plaintiffs. but they had
not arrived at 1880 and smiles began to gather
upon Mr. Harris face. The reporters faith In the mer-
chants Of NewYork shaken for the moment and he
began to consider the defendant the most persecutcd Of
men. The conversation OF the friends OF the accused
grew more confident the minutes passed. until
stranger utterly ignorant of the true state of afrs
would have thought that the merchants were trying to
detraud OF blackmail the barbormastcrs Mr. Hart he
came picture Of injured innocence by 1889. and repeat
cdy remarked that ne only desired that all his accuscrs
should appear against HIM. Now, Mr.. Reporter one
Of MI Hart's friends finally remarked, you see how II
| s. Here are, aud none "f the accuserS nave ap-
pearcd At r. Can't Jones dissolved :he tribunal and
adjourned the hearing Of the until to-day. al H.
The reporter went away much lperplexed by the non
appearance of the complnans. but his ast0nlShineht
stil greater when. on meeting one OF the Leading
merchants no had collected and prepared many Of the
aidaviis, hc informed that the interested persons
ad received notice from the Captain OF the Port oi
the hearing of the Upon visiting each OF the seven
merchants epreseted III the charges forwarded to the
|
much the par of the merchants IL ap
peared that Mr. Jones had late the previous alter
! noon, addressed unofficial note to whaihnger Oh
| Pier iNO. s. asking him to Inform r. 3. Powell, MI
| Favel, and Mr.. Lloyd Of the intended trihi MI.
Heney OF Heney Parker tius1avus A. Brett OF Brett
| Sons d Co.. and H. W. Coleman Of Coleman * 'o.'
mentioned the informal letter. Why "a
wharhnger. who not in inannsr oonneossn ~'n
the case, should he used "a means "r eon"uncauo"
WAS NOT aprmrept to any one. THE TRIBUNE reporter
nf =
oh.,s f the trial to-day. f. 3. Powell agent Of the
wilmington Packet Company. at once sent word TO his
| lawyer m present. The other merchants, although
greatly desing the compliment of II notice from MI.
Jones. also sIeied their determination to he ready.
Ia addition to the testimony areary printed III THE
TEIyi NJ the appended deposition q" the captain OF
the schooner !. 4. MurchlsOn Of T.. = Powcu- packet
line; the corIohoravc statement oi the mate of the
same vessel and the complaint {" j.. " Curian d Co..
! arr given laio"
| DEPOSITION OF rnE CAGTAIS or me SCHOONER LOLA
4. MI ECHl>ON
| VIC Jnrrs. being duly sworn, d"p"."s and says I
since the 18th of hccin"r last was in
the port Of New York or about lng 10 1871 was
III the month of the slip between P"rs Nos. and T.
along idle OF Il canal boat winch la, Iier No T. and
had line 10 icr No G. for the purpose of hauling
O. Had ,ou any berth at that pier and if so nv whose
anihoiy prrni' .oni A. The wl"iingrr o Per No q
ai,hOrZ,d IT, don't know is uanc lid not liul into
the berth. hcta- the Harhor Ma,tcrtod me- not TO II"
! Q when and where. and under what circumstances
| dIi lrtc!l you SOL STATE the whole CONGREGATION a.
VIZ on vessels deck and the Haror Master was ON
Icr No :: was going in and flour the grain
ro1 cali-hotS aud the nolr from the pier; n SAID to
me that could not @ INTO NO ,I,a c %"'n ~ % a ,u o saV m 70
which bad hold Of and asked lln II he was going to
take the schooner out the captain replied that ho va"
not: tod him that as could 20 to the office
and see the agent would 2" ont of me Dock t thrn
started 90 to +. ;. Powell's office and tr Hari"l-
Master said, You need no, go away. for III have her
% ont ." s YA sa "s @"r re XS9 % 2rsss I Of Capt
Hart A. told him, n was going ny th" pier " III
m gctcan Capt lia!D wants I" & take ilr Vessel m ln
mate when Capt. Hart told me could not load there
askcd hn the reason other vessels loaded at that
pna,s:" said 81 am going to take grain and flour
Of canal hoats; then asked him to gIvc me berth
somewhere rsc he said that he would not. and that Uhe
hnd one hr uonM not yre dnE then went NJ to
Mr. Powrll-; I gone about liit"quaftciN nI an
hour and upon my found the vessel gone, and that
she wa. anchored in the the Brooklyn side be-
tween Hamilton and South fciTms. ,.. ....,.o.s.,
y thc whnrnger occupied by any vessel on return
from Mr.. Powrli's object A. No. II war nor occupied NJ
,nHyc INV vessel; he asked if refused to and
said did not did not resist or fo,rhly oppose the
Uarbor- Master in any manner by word or deed
the captain apt Of Fort ih. arOOr Master to eH'Sr
sworn to before me HANSON G. gibson. Not'y Public
COKRUBOKATNE TESTIMONY or THE NATE Or TIE 1T OLA
Henry A. Gairiei being duly sworn dcpcses and says:
was attached 10 the schooner Luoia A. Mncntoh M
Maser =" as shc was about haul into the dock per No.
G: heard the conversation between APT Jones anu 'n
iiarIor Master the first heard Mr. Hart say was 81
n ooin~ 10 tow the vessel out OF the dock" Capt Jones
said TO him that he going up to the oice he Haro3r
cane bacK his vessel would be Capt Jones asked
hIn n he hadn't berth for him; the Harbor Master
give tito It to h} the Captain went away and the Har6or
Master res.ned at the time Capt Jones eit tne vsSs M
a hy @ ad had Inc tO the head Of the ship the ves
se had lust arrived and was there for te purpose Oh
getting aberth at Pier No she did not haul into inc