New-York tribune., 1877-10-30
THE PROCEEDINGS.

Dratng gave the following account OF an interview AT
Tweeds room at the Delavan House
o-Were Won ever present at an interview between ,
Wmm NJ Tweed and Hamilton Harris, az when Was ~ OnS
cussed anv scheme egislang The then eXlsnhs ch
m'SsCnepS Sdo At was at the time the commits
SION OF made. We met at Iweeds Toon ~ y, a., ~
Which Mr. Harris wanted changed 10 one OF SIX th
was troublesome man on the commission h t' com
wanted 10 get rid Of and Mr.. Harris wanted Is SOi"
mission named and IL was to be appointed ny l"eeu Oh
QThat is the necessary legsla9n was 70 Ue
was that Mr. Harris and Mr.. Tweed were 20 divide; nj
l1rris was to mtn1ge III & 1ne IN, and te building
Q-Was the bill passed "a undertaken oy W. ba rcr
Yes sir; and the old commission went out ana tue he"
Q-who composed the new commission OF SH, Mami1fon
Harris Fswin 4 Merritt. Hamilton Harris was mane
chairman and Mr. Harris and Mr. Rice We're tnG p1Ui"
emf men and the Others there only occasloha9.
o-How long were You connected as d u
the Capitoi Al was there from inS We from the
don't remember tHe date when ieI, m1,i We 1at am
beginning until about ~. Inst want 10 s,S '.. -,
unprepared and that was why went 9acS iSs' hen
W,ned 10 prepare myself but when got TO AIDahS n.y.
found by the papers that thede bt hacl aud did So
ocond any legitimate profit possibly sc arse cut ~ G 0f
ne position OF commission 2 A-No' Ihete Is ho
o~wcre any nestmate profits, to your EnoWle3Se' 9e
aerived nv any member Of the cOmnissiont a.
dir in the way OF missions from contractors WHICH
gald TO me- and paid tnei9 10 It as rivep ont
'o~D0 Van mean 10 saw that persons 10 whom con
,s were awarded by the comnisso paid percent
ss or commissions To YOU and you pald them oVe' l"
oD,a tiese cor missions amount ia the aggregate to
c1ns ,lei W. sum Of urmcYi A.-i = Sir. ,,,o1,
Q-naye YOU collected from contractors inotYs i I'M
Coi cal commissions aud paid tnem over 10 MI h"'Il
o.nle than oncc3 Ayes sr - . .h,.
.cinmsson OF six being Interested in any stone quaS
when furnished sto e to the building oi '"' H'"
'owWiaf GuSrfy va thatl A-TAe Ncw-YOrk Granite
OLw,re yon dischqrged from position ae super,
niauGoB. Al have never consd.r.1 nlscl ,s ~,
woud no longer he rcqnred they didu't give me any IL
tinatiju that 1 Is Cischlrg d.
Nj Townsend remarked tina he had been requested by
e witness 10 act as his counsel and he read the follow
G,c lett, T OF recommendation
81 arkO4a e lnGE concern:
Wtcyeqe An INVESTIGATION "a going on by the
.cis utrrr tnc stat in lci renee TO the mfnner III
tosg,td Idi in teirs rrnoied tlmt Mr.. John Bridge
f,,t latr superintendent was removed DI tae c"'nS MN
ouc Of On, id iui lnS Tor lirOnprtthcl' We 80 q @
firsely,s OF te opp Ily tc say that there Is noI
r5dl slel in',,G Ia, ben conaeced VITA the s.d
tnre nom iis commeuc meut, and having 9rci.
L. las a.Nsys ana iuvaria1y shown tim@cif fully AM
rcri, conuc 90 c,nducj aud manage The e"nIt
would also furhcuno-e say tnat, so ong2s ne was con
ei w.,1 tuc SID works, lie always du WnolcIu
promptly. faithful y. LOUestr, and economically auu
souo know sake or aul, in any par Of the s.u9
tSsucD HMuToN HARRIS.
Nm. RICE.
y
di Dc understand where 1t came fron aud what II was'
". sir
}, commissions mon contracts and paid it to Mr. Harris
Q.-plh- ever direct Won TO demand PEI ccntages OF
commissions from cou,rartor>l Yes, SIR.
L ou cross4.Xamuat.n by Al1"rm 10 Cowing the wit
re>s adm tod that . u uut rstnOd the character OF
tc transactions te was engaged n. and knew tat tley
were fl.u .ul.ut ard sloue@t Alderman GIVING thel
,ssei: FROM whom d'a y,a reeve commissions ana ana
Il tAom lo tir hara<F NJ Towusend {. pee cd, on hu'
aud fir witness replied: " OH Nj Edward Learned"
Q.-ilO" mucI from bimi Al cannot give the
Q-1ho else3 An Bangs.
Q.-Giye their ui' ua'ueo ~nd their residences. Al
'Q-Giys .ho firm. A.-Ban4. & &G'vnor; cannot tell
G-A,ay 1aoI. more; If Al Z. Z. n,5i.y S9.a
O.. mat glll A.-No. nat l cannot think OF the
Saere dd tha.e c.t .c,ors livep Al think
l. ,fis-usc; L. =. sc"aru, IA Albany ANA Jacob HOer
a. Albany.
MP. HAprI>s DEVIu.
Senator Harris was que ilontd by Alderman Cowing.
be said IN regard +, Mr. nrilscfords testimony;
Itis absolutely and cutir y :al~e. irre not
ES stgr o !5 d % ~ ~ m IN s rS M aid d'gS Sf 'S Mr. Twa
en- uvs,n tilkcd aD. ut changing tie mln ssi0n an
b pai - ot gentlemen iD tile TX culye cbamber
ni.hl, w..cd M wool ~ re.urmber, II he calls q"
nInl. 4ud &c i0a- before That iuat / hao
ak with Tweed about contracts but tie
never a'y ~ W.ut whatever with Mr. Tweed
aUy 'aiN between Mr. Tweed and Mr. Bndgeioid 40
ny.lN la regard 20 comm ssi1s Or l regard 10 Irott-.
l. u true ihat ever recrv onr dc lar co nmis ion>
g. pre- dnec,lv or indirectly. II Is dlset j. en-
tcy fi-e; Incver III So Neither Is II true that eve
lcnri lhst ay cont ACTOR r an' su?phrr Of materials
fCf ia CItUl eve. paid dollar OF commissions or p'-
ccnia.es ! know OF Ole receiving commissions or
percentages upon nat work from the beginning until tne
picso.t time.
The witness then referred to the discharge Of Mr..
Biileciord anl the investigation by the Legislature
to charges which Mr. BrdSefor brought against th
Caitol Comm s-iol ani read extract from nis lIar
rs') testimony before tie wiys and Means Committee
OF thc Assembly in January. 1874. He SAID that Mr..
BniCofo q dschar1cd, nOt for incOmpeency
neglect, but because he of red IRON the commission and
Gid follow theni, ont claimed that they nteifercd
with hii aud le v. ud not act with them. Four days
Ter he (I lrrs) gave his testimony before the
Committee OF Ways anI Me ms, Mr.. Bndge
ford called al his Office ana said he bridge
fordl wanted TO bury the hatchct lie uted
fehtu-. pu want. ca e. Mr.. Harris told uim tn,
difficulty a0out II was the stories he had told about hin
tlIirrO, saying tnat G had made money ont Of the
Capitol when Ae knew better Bridgeford said he knew
tuat-tvat no one had made anythng-that lie himseli
WAS out Of pocket; that he had great many things
tlu ne was sorry for aud wished then to take back
thai be nad spoken and acted when lie was III passion
NJ Hau continued lis testimony:
Apparently he hn~ been irI'rdly with me since tiai
time, tlir -4tA Of January uuil now To my lace hc
CtrsIily soon after t.ai conversation he callel
upon me- aud want-i le-t,r showing that he
removed for incumpetrucy. IAciruVOn gave
N ,eltrr which Hr. Townsend has read here
Br sup"rtd me- n Wy canvass TWO year,
n dr. 81 ast Fall. and b. j We warmly supported me
For" great uunb.r Of ycars nave accommodated bin
iud i.e.t for b-r yCen 5000 aud $4,000 Aoout SIX
Wrtk- ago, hr asAVd how he could tn
,9Sen' ,s dssfS From ST. fmr 'oin he a l@ been Sny pd by
tang t. iujure me- and tuis Is part OF the plot
Ia icad 90 tIc charge Of pcre IMAGES paid by Bangs
d GayHOr. Mr. Harris letter from hlr. Bangs
statne that there w.s no truth in It.
Mr. ms nd ted never uaid auv auvthiup