New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-10-23
Davis himself produces tho following letter received
the night before ho started for Syracuse
DELEvAN HOUSE ALBANY, Room No. 1o7,


Jan. 16, 1875.
offer of At Troy was oat OF town. go failed 10
see hm must rely ON Your exeTtions 70 collect tne
or yonr order the sum OF III 900, stated Please act
obliso, Yours truly, H. H. VAN DfCk
The Deputy Attorney General also testi6es that he
had been visited by the claimant or his agents. that
he examined the question, became satisfied OF the
Controllers authority TO pay the claim and one day.
when casually in the Controllers Office on other
business stated to him that those parties lad been
TO him twice had rather excited his synpathies for
their pecuniary condition. and that If the Controller
wished his views as TO the objections to paving the
award. ne would cheerfully furnish them; to which
the Controller replied that he didn't wish any opin-
ion from Mr.. Fairchild He didn't want any opin-
ion from anybody but the Attorney-Gcneral,
"whereupon," says Mr. Fsirchild begged his
pardon for having partially volunteered an opinion,
aud went out"
MR. THAYER RoDS THE CLAIMANTS OF S3,1OO.
From the testimony of Mr.. Thayer and OF the At
torney-GoneTa it appears that before Mr.. mayer
had closed his negotiations with Mr.. Van Dyck he
had asccrtained from the AttOrncy-GenoTal III per
son that his opinion favorable 10 the payment
of the claim. 1t also appears that the Auditor ana
Controller had a full understanding with each other
in regard to the pressing necessities OF the Baxter
the technical obstacles to their payment, but, I'M
fortunately for them Mr. ThayeT could get the At
tornev-Generals opinion 10y WINCH no put into his
pocket *, 800 that no was not entitled to- and for
the want of which -thcy were obliged to sacrifice
the IS 200 that they were entitled to. II does not
appear that Mr. Thayer enjoyed any facilities for
obtaining opinions from the Attorney-General that
were not equally enjoyed by the Controller while 1t
does appear that the claim was finally paid on the
opaion of the Attorney General, for which Mr Van
Dyck had to pay $500 instead of 81 GOO The
testimony Of Auditor Thayer is here given, Iii winch
his share in this transaction is fully admitted,
though Mr. Thaycr denies that he purchased the
opinion of the Attorney-General. Extracts are
given from the testimony Of Controller Hopkins as
followsl
THE BAD RECOLLECTION or MR.. uorRINS
O. The question we would like 10 direct your attention
t. i how YOU came to make the suggestion 10 ny Van
Dyck that the opinion Of the Ationey-Gono@l would
cost ~ OOO and why you said 10 him that Mr. Thaddeus
C. Davis was the person who could probably get it A.
let me answer those questions at a time; never
made any such sug -ccn 10 lin tld II would cost MN
81 900 did make the suggestion to him CT the iacl
that Mr. Davis was coming through there, and think
MI Van Dyck suggested his name TO me himself, having
learned that he had hurried up the Attorney Generals
opinion in another case. , 80,
and Canada Road eicyC e is called.
.. Ud You in any form Of speech suggest 70 Mr. van
DNCk tFt there iiu one ptitou tildi you hh'N ~
VINO could get an opinion OF l1St 'heie VA iIis"I
who could probably get an opinonf A. Not ~ an
time but it is very difficult 10 get written opinion
q. DIDN'T you receive opinion from him IN I'm, very
O. He swcars hcre-it is only fair TO tell youthat he
had given Vou ms opinion. A. His written opinion
q. lie ,wcsrs distinctly tnat you had ITS opinion ana
other; now is II hr fact uot. that me did give You an
Oral opion That you Lad rsaG to pay 1t A No. SIR.
Il ar Fa.Tchii. tie Deruty Attorney General,
adyse you ycu lad right 10 pay 1t A. No, sir;
ne, er tailed with him to my knowledge.
Q. Fc sweas that you dbl So va YOU are on IC.Vau
as eontrriciing cacn OF them pos4uyeyf A nave no
O. II il ia wan. of recollection want TO know; Nh.
Faiiolid that YOU did, and that IN rcil 10 MN
mt want d. although ,ou had h,cn in tue hab; OF ash
Ing his opinion a. had OF both Of them
o. Is tual statement of Nh. faiIcil true or ialse ac-
cOidus to your recOuccilouf A. nave no lecOltc-
DID the Attorney General testify truly when
he he hid prior 60 tis 10Th day o January,
1875. advised YOU tht yon dd have rsht to pay it'
o. ayng no .ocolccj on of those facts do you still
Vish 4" I yours, ON record tut yoa didn't suggest 20
Mr. Van DySt that an opinion might he ob',n and had
been obtained in analogous e,e az ah tApenoe 90 tir
parties 81 CU0l A. never m de any hncn CNr' ,.iol
O. am asking ii yOU ever made any such saSEe,tiJhi
A. No such suggestion 10 the best Of my recollection.
@ vii you swear now that You dluH Sdss'', u, nm
that Union misHt be. obj ainrd from tA9 A0fhel-
ssi so. hte Lao recollection ON tue subject; my inn
preston is that ho men,oucd MI Dd'i-'s name {" me
G. lie -vcars that he d.d uotl My imprc ,ionis that
Mr.. Davis was r1crrcd 10 inm ny s"n'hrol t''r
g. Iic says he referred t. MIN hy you aud nobody
60, SIr 'r..1y,rf a Nr. Sir: / did 80
q what object had y.U--wEen you declined to oh'a'n
for TN, nan ioI W." ana M0"''s' an Yi,yn 0 'ic
LII pu.Ing him OF from Time 10 umoi a. dd ntdo
O. Didn't you deliberately put hiu on. rot only
twice OF ia e. tiues. uut monet A. tod him must
have opinion from thc Ntcfn,y -Gtnc4a"
9 Ddyo l wri'r To me Atom y-G.nUal7 A. Idd.
e. Did you ever sgud 4ny 9.ier e.9lt thioIst jn .
medium Of This conduit, Iuadd'a, {. DAVIS or by Dis
@ 6rs@c. lbc question a. by bis hand; he came 10
@ III ,ou ever send any othorf 4 No, Sir
Testimony OF AZ uti' pthciai ~ tV'u 10 'h, ,'
80 Iat ths cinun, W "a oHcr t'elr, and
unt il occurred b me; and DAVIS in one cvcin-
tony house lud De sad: 'iuvc you Wriit to The Al
torn, &, nsIalf .Ir Van DyvN wants you to Wiie 10
him.; md sat down night theic and "I"'c the ie
ANOTHER FoEGauUL WITNESS
O. Did you ever kHow by tho nane OF Van
Dycki A. Yes, sir.
O. Dd you mako bargain with bim TO 90 to Syracuse
and y an opinion frOm the Attorney GcneIcll a. No,
Sir
O. DID YOU take a letter in that case from Nelson X.
Hopkins to the Attorney General fer an opinion and
leave il on his tablet \. No, Sir.
O. or give il 20 anybodyi A. Allow he to explain
that; was going TO syracuse. and took letter adj
dressed Judge Pratt and gave IL 20 Mr. Brown us
O. Didn't Won know what it containcdl A No. Sir.
O. Wouldn't you believe Hopkins undor oathi A. Yes,
O. II he swore he wrote that letter and gave to you
A. NJ, sir have no recollection OF any ihhS Oh lnat
kind suppose YOU viii let nc explain III ieSaIdI 10 u9
@. CSrtaniyi !. Then can ten YOU Mr.. Van Dyck
Wa ptrndUc q 10 ne in the STATE Engineers Office.
q. by whum' A. BY think, Mr Green; om not
POSITIVE; he then told rae ne had clam aganS the
tlte ~ NcyNork something done about these Bax-
steam tinng- he saG that ne cam WI. IN some
the Coutrolior-I don't know which. hut a.. Iccollect
iariv said ho wanted money very badly. and that II
Lean