, 1877-04-15

no knowledge that any ono Of them ever benefited
to tue extent OF one cent BY the pas.ass o.
owned land in the vicinity Of tue parks. and be.
1icyed that the newspapers were actuatcd in their
adyoeaey Of thebl entirely with reference to the
BY Ir. Aason-Witness 1isitcd no newspaper
oice: between the time 0! the passage OF INC aet
aEd itt adoption BY the people, in order to stempr
being raised for the passagc OF the act except the
tor extra ;xt oe
bens shs3 Il
TINT the park votes should be placed in separate
hallot-box. he paid his own expenses to Spring
field
MR.. J. .1EDILL SWORN.
by Ar: Aason-He knew Of no money paid
land received other valuable thing obtained d.
rccty OF indirectly nor Of any promise to be paid
pany for any influence it might exercise OF with
hold in regard to the Chicago South Park And he
had no knowledge Of any Compensation or money
with reference to the South Parks or any other
park4. So far as THE TRIBUNE .vas concerned nc
testified from positive knowledge and to matter Of
fact He wns certain that no person connected
with Tue TRIBUNE received any money, or other
valuable thing. 1fthcy did ii was profound secret.
stockholder Of the Company, he thought he would
be apt to know il if such thing had eyer occurred
There never WAS any land or ''opton" OF pur-
chase Of land sold, offered, or glyen to any
member Of The TRIBUNE firm, or attache OF the
concern. In consideration Of anything that ap~
q in ~ The TaE 1.G retsf s
tempted TO influence the paper in regard thereto BY
Offering any consideration. Had no remembrance
Fl. enn as outs 81 s.
Randolph street, rany place else told Eddy
or any other man that Alfred Cowles owned eighty
the vicinity Of the South Park, IN which witness
and other attaches Of THE TRIBUNE had an inter, Ter,
est Did not have any interest whatever IN ls6e
that on which THE TRIBUNE Building stood: his
own real estate property at that TIME being all On
the West Side. All the newspapers of the city, ho
believed had supported park system Tor years De-
fore 1869; Mr.. j. H. DunhaEl. after he came home
from Europe. was the man who converted witness 10
a belief in the need and usefulness Of system OF
parks and boulevards around Chicago. 10 be laid
out before tue price Of outside land rose too high
THE TRIBUNE did not change front on the question,
system no Tor some some time T II Mr Eddy said that Wit
ness told him that The TRIBUNE would not oppose
the adoption Of the Park bill on the ground that he
mistaken.
Mr. Tsuesde1i detailed the evidence given BY Ed
dy, and The witness said TINT it impossible that
he could have made any such statement, for snen
opposed OF both Of the Park bills, and stumped
against one: did not remember which one it was.
All that part Of Eddys statement saying that wit.
ness had told hin, TnE TRIBUNE WAS '.iniuenced "
vas mitstatement aud erroneous. Witness new
er owned an inch Of land in common with cowle.,
time owned some land in Hyde Park. some distance
from the Cowes lot, which witness believed was
about TWO and one-half acres in extent. White
bought his land in connect On With 4 boston man
named Rand, and sold It not long afterwards nt
slight advance what be paid. The purchase, he
thought, was between the time Of the passage Of
the two Park acts. Witness was quite sure that
Cowes had nothing more to do with park '|oP~
tons" or gifts than Mr. Trucsdelf had.
Mr.. Cowies being absent, witness deemed It his
duty to protect that scntemrns reputation against
folsc nspcrs onx ana accordingly he detailed what
he knew Of Cowles' purchase. Tue latter asked
witness to Join him in the purchase OF some SIX to
ten acres OF land in Hyde Park, but witness re-
fused the price being 100 hieh1mo1e than it va vas
worth in his opinion. Cowles thoucht dl1erentlY,
and afterwards bought part Of the land. paving
for 1t in cash Hc still owned the same land The
course Of THE TRlBUSE WIS in no wcy Influenced
in the passnge Of the Park act so faEas v,tnsss
had anr knowledge, oy any other cons Iteration OF
motive than that the park system would De gooa
thing for Ch,cago. II there were any "options y
hc only heard OF them as one OF the vague rumors
about the streets. The fact he;ns that
everybody was park crazy the time, nearly eyerE-
BODY was IN favor Of grand park system all about
the city, believing that rnch would oe Of great puo-
lie value, and people dsd not require to be ''1n-
ncenced y to support the idea or scheme:
Tie Committee then adjourned until Monday
n,nfniu1 at 10 O'Clock.