The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-09-28


of the following plot Of land which Assistant Alder
man Stacom maintains has been illegally taken nom
the city,
THE PROPERTY. IN QUESTION.
The property of the Five Points House ofIndustry
commences about one hundred feet from Centre
street, northeast side, and runs through to Leonard
street, covering large area which has been pur-
chased at various times and entirely occupied as q
charitable institution. Adjoining the house, ON the
northwest of Worth street, there was cusdesao Of
thirty feet on Worth street, running twenty
feet in northeast direction into
the playground which in former times
was known as EMISSION place." 1t was
never guttered or paved, and man Of the name Of
McKeOn used it, with the consent OF the trustees Of
the institution as stone yard. The officers OF the
institution, however, finding that the piles Of stone
obstructed the light and air. two weeks ago noti-
fed McKeon to remove the stone, which up to the
present he mas neglected to do. The Legislature OF
1872 in order to protect the interests of the Five
Points House of Industry, passed the following act,
releasing the interest Of the people in the property
in question, which was introduced by Mr.; Foley
SECTION Ian the right title and interest Of the people
S S Y %sa.s S saHssa 0 as ssN ysS
end and known as Mission place extending from tle
try hereby released to said Five Points House Of In.
STATEMENT OF ALDERMAN sTACoM.
representative Of the HERALD waited on Assist
ant Alderman StacOm at his place Of business and
received the following information relative to this
veXed question -
"The property in question:" he said, ''used to be
known as Little Water street, and ran from Park
across WORTH and ended within twenty-five or
thirty feet from Leonard street. About fifteen
years ago the mission people bought plot on the
northeast OF Little Water and Worth streets
and erected building on it, and had the name OF
the street changed to Mission place. Since that
period they bought several plots, northwest cor
ner Of the street mentioned This acquisition
gave them both sides of the street, and they put
fence up, and In measure
'ANNExRD'' THE STREET.
On two or three occasions the Street Commits
sioner made them open II, and eventually they
went to the Legislature and had bill passed, but
the bill conceded however, only whatever interest
the people had In this street. ! maintain that
in order to acquire possession they should apply
to the Common Council to have the street declared
closed by an ordinance; then IT becomes public
PROPERTY. The next step would be to purchase it
from the Sinking Fund Commissioners who are
the authorized agents to sell city property. The
State has certain rights to ali public highways; but
as this is part Of the Corporation property Of the
city OF New York the municipality also has rights
and these rights have been totally ignored and it is
very evident the street cannot belong to them
without
PROPER CoUNcILMANIc PROCEEDINGS.
The property is about 80 feet front by 200 in depth
fact, gentleman offered to buy it for $4,000 at the
time they were getting the bill passed in the Legsla
ture. They own ten or twelve lots extending from
100 feet from Centre street Worth to the Mission
House, and some lots on the east side of the inst-
tuition. some of which are now being offered for
sale and on several tenement houses have been
erected. 1t only requires to take one house
away to open this thorOughfare from Park to
Leonard street. The tenement houses referred to
are on Worth street, between the Mission House
and Baxter street. They make the plea that these
tenement rooms ere let TO reformed inebriates,
he finds II ont. The officers OF the institution
bought these lots some time ago, and shortly after
PUT ON A BILL or SALE,
and 1t Is my impression that some OF them have
been sold. If they were merely bought to be sold
\ :! ss \ 9 e 4 g
new factories have been built on the street, and
II would give the traffic arising from these
an outlet They tore up the sidewalks, payements,
&C., and took possession in an arbitrary manner,
and the Commissioner ought to be authorized to
take number OF men, tear down the fence and
restore the property to its original condition as a
this property restored to the city, ana ON
sion had resolutions passed directing the former
commissioner OF PUBIC WORKS, Mr.. tweed, to take
down the gateway and omen the street, which he
did. There have been several pieces OF property
similarly situated
One for instance is that situated on the corner of
Chambers and Centre Streets where Old Cross
street used to run out-where the old Manhattan
Gas Works formerly stood. 1t was "anneXcd' to
some other property In a similar way and the city
lost all claims to it.. The decision in this matter
property similarly situated, IRON Which the CITY
might derive a valuable income.
STATEMENT OF ASSISTANT ALDERMAN CONNOR.
representative of the HERALD called at his
Office and had the following conversational
t AZ hn mos az u is na
ted pubic thoroughiare from It's legitimate pur-
poses. What do you know about the natter
Alderman CONNoR-From my personal knowledge
/ believe that such statement is unqualifedly
false, as In recent conversation the
trustees who said that the ground in y aues
ton was simply c,a de sac This whole
Juror is merely matter Of spite, occasioned by the
refusal to further allow the contractor, McKeon, to
use portion Of the chdrcns play ground as
stone yard He has been in occupation for The past
past four months he has been promising to vacate
the premises. but has not done So
REpoRrER.What is your opinion Of the state
ment made that some OF the officers of the institu-
ton were trafiickers In real estate and that they
had purchased property Tor missionary purposes
and converted it INTO tenementsr
Alderman CONNOR-This assertion is too absurd
to entertain for moment Do you think 1t posi-
BILE that such men as Morris X. Jesup, George +.
Foster Marshall o. Roberts and others, who are the
trustees Of the institution could be capable OF
such petty transactions Every cents worth OF
property is devoted to the ofthe institution and
my knowledge OF the good being done and the
character of the gentlemen connected with IL, led
me to pursue the course IN defending their vested
rights. NY action on Monday In the Assistant
Board of Aldermen was entirely without solicita
ton on the part OF the trustees | was supported
by al the reform members, knowing that the feel
ing against the Five Points House of Industry has
always been q biassed one.
Al
are you In any way interested In it2
Alderman CONN0R-I am not lawyer, nor In the
remotcst way connected with the institution nor
have ever had any business transactions with 1t
excepting that, while in Albany last Winter, spoke
to certain members of the Senate and Assembly,
asking them to lend all the aid they could consis-
tenty with their position.
REPoRTER--was the ground in question ever o
public street