The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-23
THE COMMOD0RE'S VAGARIES
His Alleged uncontroiinhie Mania for the
Acquisition Of rroprr,S Tactics In Tun-
melting Fourth Avenue Hniirond History.

Acaui.ition OF prrtS-Tnctics In Tun-
melting Fourth Avenue Hniirond History
The first witness called Yesterday in the
Vanderbilt will oasr was Mr. y. Il. Allen. who
was replaced upon the stand to shy whether IN
former examination he had said that The Com
modorc would fan under the influences OF
somebody OF some woman lie could not
rccOlloct.
Mrs. T.. Sorhin White testified that she lived
for eleven years In the oil Stn'en leland home
stoad " Commodore Vanderbilt; lived with
him when his fret wifc was sent TO an asylum
for the insane: never had any talk with VIM H.
Vanderbilt nhout his mother going to an nsy-
lum: knew Miss White. the goycrncss knew
Miss Smith never knew OF her going out rid
ing with the Commodore.
Mr. Abraham V. Connor, County Clerk OF
Richmond county. was called TO identity decd.
Mr. Lord saying that he had twcnty moro b,sds
tina, he desired to Offer. as showing that an
acuuisiiivr mania destroyed tho Commoipre's
sense 81 Justice and natural Affection. and took
from him tho power ~ tcstemcntary dsposi-
ton. The Commodore was go far a victim Of
his unr0uirollnhls mania for ncuuistion By
whatever means, that he was in The habit "
taking drods from persons who had no title.
md also ~ taking whlt W n" known ~ Heating
deeds. giving ril;htof location nnywherr along
the breach within certain Boundaries He set
tied thosr floating deeds .n tue lands II infants
superior power. At his instightiuu.nul with his
direction. TOUR or i've land companies wcr' or
ganl,d to control those lands and sell them out.
mil they w"r' solid ON warranty de"ds to per
sons who were unable to raise money on them
or make u.s. ut them. because OF The inp.ri"c-
tion " the titles. At the C1mmC torres death.
nll those companies went up Ike So many
bubbles. Mr.. Lord furthermore oilNr'd To
prove that the Commodore entered on II
grand scheme known a- The Fourth Avenue I'm
proNcmem. winch involved ths eNirn iiturc oi Il
IItf
nue t. the GRIND Central depot aud beyond;
that. in t'c first place. he asked Of the city the
own expense aud aitrrward. when he had got
the valuable right to that nNrnue he, by i'm
proper and fraudulent log slntion. induced tho
passage ~ an at is which the lily was To pay
one-hulf of that larr" expenditure. ana after
that =" made up his accounts that IN truth and
in rcgnrd To the New York Central and Hudson
River Railroad Clmpauy's Increase of stock:
By som common understanding. perhaps oven
by statute it was supposed or assumed that tho
snd railroad would nN be- allowed to pay divi-
donds Of over eight per cent. Of net profits
would hc diminished and its PASS niger rates
lowered. But It was paving sixteen yer cent.
there was no right. a plan was consummated 10y
the unmmodore to convey II from the people to
cd upon a series Of acts with his directors, and
then through system Of legislation in Albany
by which they, collected together al the vast
expenditures 81 the roud IN the past. from the be-
ginning and already paid f1rout " the earnings
81 the road. AMI 10y some strange halluclnation
the directors and Legislators allowed that Nust
amount to be- put into stock rs though the whole
amount had not hcrn paid for long bef0r, out
Of the earnings Of tho road. IN all of which
tnrrH was dishonest purpose and disregard
Of public Justice.
Surrogaie Calvin remarked that. in order TO
determine that. II might hr necessary Ia sub
lerna all tho members of the Legislature who
passed and the Governor who signed that bill
anu investigate I'M ir motives
Mr.. Lord replied That, It that were 50. it would
tr Tue sFaudt~i vli rtuniy ruuft over ma 10