The New York herald., 1877-09-16

10 procure the passagc OF the charter furnished
by the various Tadcsmen and ourselyes-Connolly
myself, Hugh Smlih-who represented times
sweeny and at times Hall, and various tradesnen:
lngersoll' Garvey, keyser Co.. T. A. Woodward
James Watson Vibbard, Edward Boyle. Edward Mari
ner--I can't recoIlect the names--amost every body
who had dealings with us. do not know OF any way
TO refresh my memory, but tho books wished 10
would be Of service TO me. (Book handed him. What
am about to read now and what read the other day
10 not The proceedings OF tho Board OF Supervisors
but the approved resolutions. Consulting the book.
A. think Charles H. Jacobus paid something toward
and SO did Kennard and Hayes, well Henry
Smith; the latter was then President OF the Board OF
Police Commissioners; may mcDton names here OF
persons who did not contribute directly, but If they
did not they certainly paid their fifteen per cent
1870; have not mentioned the name oi man who
has not aone one thing or tho oher The Erie Railway
contributed something too through Fisk or could
you commenced a conversation with tho two
before you got through, Tor they spoke man;
think that money was handed in through Peter B.
can mention any other namcs hero; Mr. Henry smith
raised good deal OF II Tor us; got nothing from
tho heads oil CITY departments At shat time did al
other iimcs for inserting various tit the bills and
IN the tax levy the larger part Of the money pass
Hugh Smith Connolly ana discounte at tho Broad
way National Bank; as a general thing they wero
myself personally to influence members OF the
LEGISLATURE; great deal OF 1t paid through A: D
Barber, OF Albany ia who ,, did good deal OF Of
bribing members OF the Legislature to pass that ol
have no idea how much money paid 10 him IN that
c0nncctlonpr0baby much as 5000, 900; that paid
over 10 him in money, except that alter the session
there some $4,000 or $50, 900 required
ami gave him my cncck for IT the check aitcrward
came back to me Endorsed; think was for $3.50 OO0
the balance ailor the work done Albany, during
winter.
| BARBOUR THE Go.BkrwKEN.
Did you ever have any transactions with Mr..
Barbour except so-bewcen Tor yourself legs
lalors9 a. Mr. Barber was appointed by Charles
! Cornell Assessor IN tho Street Commissioners
! once; the position was worth from $4,000 10
n %, 90 inp ul
moneys 10 DO paid Tor assessments; Mr Barber
never IN his oihcs; the Work was done by the Col.
| the only oncc l know Barbour held; he kept a
crockery store, and bought few bills OF goods
from him not Tor large amounts
| q. What DO you call large amountg A. Well,
$4,000 | consiaerod u pretty large amount thcn 50
now. Q.aughtcE) Think bought less than $4,000
| worth IRON him.
Q. What is understood be Mr.. Barber's business
A. beisve he swora that his business was TO walk
up aud down the hill ana talk to members; Mr.. Barber
is very smart mas very conversant with al matters
gentleman who has spent great many years at Al
| bany.
! MANIPULATED BILLS.
a. After the Legislature had placed the power Of au-
diting b.lls in the hands OF TINS Board OF AUDITORS
yourself, Mayor Hall anu Connoy-did you three
have an understanding AS to how you were to make
money out Of mat egslation? A. Yos, sir; the
dcrstandins was that parties in whom VIC had conf
dencc should present bills for work purportng
to have been done TOR tho county and city
more particularly Tor the county-and that they should
receive only hny per cen, of the amounts OF their
bills; my suppostion was that there TO be some
basis no mattcr how slight IL nigh, be- for each bill
AN INTERESTING
Mr. Connolly had his Office very confidential
man at that tme-Mr. watson--who also had my
ndence; had done great deal OF business with him;
Mr. Woodward IN the Office oi the Board OF Super
visors he was an active, energetic man, faith
no ono doubted, and proposed that Watson and
and the county should pay them; that agreed
upon; the instructions given to both these men were
that they should 80 on ana Introduce the bills
and after they paid that fifty por should DO
deducted from the amount and the balance paid To
deduc ted should go to mo- ten r rer cent to james "
Swcney for Peter B Swccny, ten per cent to Hugh
Smith for Oakley Hall and ton to Connolly; OF the
other per cent five per cent to De retained by
Woodward and Watson for their services and Tho
remaining Two per cent vas 10 be put away
as n sinking fund Ior other expenses as they might
arise; Woodward was man of considerable
wealth ana Watson was to hold the iuud | think the
undc landing that was to approve the bills
Chairman Of the Committee o he Board Of SupcrvIs-
ors; shortly after this understanding Woodward
brought lot OF bills, on tho back OF which wrote
my name, with "Ch Ch''-charinan; he also brought
with those certificate TO be signed by the Board
and sighed a number Of bills after which s.approvod
and '.corrcct" were written upou them; on somc Of
them wrote those words mysc.i ,hon they had 10 be
signed by the Mayor and CVmDtr0ller. .s-.
n rfE xsAriATE CONNOLLY.
After the payment Of tho hrst three or four bills
| Woodward came TO mc and sutd Connolly
satisfied with ten per cont and wanted twenty; ho in
sisted upon thai proportion, and Woodward said
money; they have done nothin. tor 1t, and think
they would be satisfied with onclhrd instead of one
l.
to give Connolly twenty per cent, myself twenty nvc
and Sweeny ten. making any.ive per cent; thcn
~her" will We (yoodwara and wnsopl ~ be c"' :"
| II was finally arranged that Woodward and Watson
should receive only two and halt Per cent cncn
and Hall only tive per ccnl,, tho ten per cent thu
gained 10 be given to Connolly to make up MS twenty
per cent Hail was to be told hat the expenses OF
dong the business were great that the percentages
had TO be reduced. never had any conversation
about the matter after thai, except tlmc Hall
said TO me- ''Your people are very slow, aren't they
|
thore bills which Mr.. Halls percentage
had not been paid. had tue matter attended to- and
alter that / heard no complaints Mr. Hall did not
mention his percentage, but onnd he was not pad
his share OF little bill OF Garvey's, and so he was
holding back OH tho signing OF The bulls.
TnE ROBBERS CONSULT.
About the time the Tax Levy was under considers.
ton Hall, Sweeny, Connolly and mysoif mot Ia
of Mr. Swccny's rooms AT tue DcIavan House and
agreed TO take Zach OF us ten per cent Of the money,
allow the young men watson and WoOdwarJ) five per
cent Tor their services and keep the remaining hvc
per cent for reserve fund IN the hands OF Woodward
Hugh smith, as the case nigh, he, represented Peter
b Swccny, and Mr. smith represented Mr. Hall also.
q. Who presented these bogus bills A. James II.
| Ingcrsoil was the permanent business working
outside, as understood, ana Garvey WAS and
Kcyser was onc; pretty much everybody tnst drew
money out under that order understood tho arrange
mont ami paid; think could safely say every
body the charter oi 1870 was Intellectual Tor ras,ns
money and necessary pass subsequent acts
TO make Il effective for that purpose; besides Con.
molly, Hall, Swceny. think NJ one knew how far
mower of The clause III the tax levy extended: I
think none others knew that 1t opened the way to
obtaining moneys from The city and county treasury
think Hugh smith knew OF the object OF the specific
clause referred to, but although ncd conversations
with mcmner OF the committee never io.d them
that the object OF the amendment in question; Mr.
Barber knew II, Tor we talked OF 1t before pas
| scd.
An INTERESTING NARRATIVE.
q Will you state what men. bcrs OF The Senate you
pad money To Tor the purpose vi influencing their
ton rcgard to the chartar ~ 1870? a. Ny rclh-
ions with Of tho Senate delicate aud
50 many events transpred that wou prcier having
| "A COZ OF
answering
The volume was furnished witness and he proceeded
10 he would be Obliged to the qu
iiou IN the form OF narrative, there were so many
little points bearing upon II that otherwise would
| be understood II he answered ''ycs" or ''no. ~
| There was at the time tho charter was proposed
great deal of dissatisfaction among the democrats OF
New York city, and Senators Norton, Creamer and
Genet and Lawrence ID. Kiernan, IN the Assembly,
! were opposed to Tammany and myself and made up
their minis TO secure the passage OF char
ter of Their own They presented halt a