The New York herald., 1879-09-07
CONTRACTOR M'ENCROE'S CHECK.

PARK COMMISSIONER LANE DENIES HAVING RE-
cEIvED THE MONEY, AND CHARGES THAT
THERE Is CONSPIRACY TO ISJURE HIM.
One of the most important developments in the
matter OF the bribery charge against Park Commits
sioner smith f. Lane is the fact that the name or
the person who is alleged to have received that ye
hundred dollar check from Sub Contractor McEncroe
is now stated as that of Douglass A. Levien. To
understand the charge moro explicitly it must be
remembered that the check given by the contractor
Is supposed to have been received for the pur-
pose OF bribing Park Commissioner Lane aud induc-
ing him to withdraw his opposition to tho pay
mont of the bill for the Riverside drive work to Me-
Encroe. amounting to S15. 900. Commissioner Wen
man, upon being questioned as to whether 1T was
truo that Mr.. Levien the alleged intermediary
between Park Commissioner Lane and the contractor.
refused to give any definite answers, but. upon
being pressed and asked IL the reporter had made
fair guess in supposing the mysterious eobetween
to have been Mr. Lovien the Commissioner
ceded that tho reporter was "a good suesser." but
that was all he willing to say the subject
and he declined to either explicitly confirm deny
the story duplicating Mr.. Levien.
missioner Lane has openly declared that his
correspondent az" and Mr.. Levien were one and
the person. but still insists that the letters
did not refer in any way to pecuniary considerations
or money propositions. On the part of Commits
sioner Brennan and his supporters it is affirmed that
Park Com missioner Lanes letter tos his friend "Z
aud Levens letter to Contractor NcEncroe will tend
to trace the history OF the famous hve hundred
dollar check. and in this particular connection
1t is intended to four OF Park Commissioner
Lanes epistes to Mr. Levien as inferenial proof to
show that Commissioner Lane, after sending to the
Comptroller in November last his earnest protest
against the payment OF the $4,000 BILL had quietly
hfc trta
sideration of $500 cash he Qane) might possibly
become convinced OF the justice of that Uili, and
The statements of Contractor McEncroe were to be
used in addition with view of dem tratng that
~" got the $500 check and paid the $500 to his
friend Lane.
THE LETTERS ONCE MORE.
In view of the special interest surrounding the
Sc the peculiar character OF Commissioner Lanes
letters to Z become of vital importance, and it is
to be noted that in OF these is there any direct
made to the Riverside drive bill $4,000
which has given rise to all this trouble The first
OF these letters dated November 90 1878. bears
information to "Z THAT Lane carried out the pro-
gramEnc to-dav, that his (Lanes) letter supposed
to his protest) had been forwarded to the
Mayor and Comptroller and that ne would lie
pleased IL 'Z would "insert the promised paragraph
in the way suggested In the second letter Com
missioner Lane asks ~" for his assistance ''n the
informs 'Z that "the effort Of McEucroe Quin-
tard the contractors of the Riverside drive
to prevent the Comptroller from making the ap-
pointmeEt OF an engineer on the commission will
result in breaking up tho whole matter" In the
fourth epistle it was announced that Wenman and
Conover, having used McEncroe far as
him, and the episte concludes, "As you
are to see McEncroe on Tuesday. write
this confdentially" In the letter alleged to have
been sent b. ~" to McEncroe in November the
contractor. was notified by the writer supposed to
salary of S3 800 year from the contractors but he
warned ut the same time not to give money to
not to allow himself to be backmailed. In a briof
which Lane has drawn up as the alleged basis OF
some criminal charges which. it said. he
preparing against Contractor McEncroe. Jr.. and
'Z." he says
MR.. LANES ARGUMENT on BRIBERY.
I'm this attempt at bribery McEncroe Is the person
who caused the offer to be made by II In the
statements already made it is conceded that McEn-
croe gave n check to his order for $500; that
both of them went to the bank and got it cashed,
and that n took the money. The open question
is whether II gave Mr.. Lane any money. Mr.. Lane
says he did not. II has not alleged that he gave
offered to give it, Either this money transaction
was wholly and solely between McIsncroc and Il
the money offered to Mr.. Lane. The attempt
to twist the transaction into support OF the charge
against Mr.. Lane is aterthought and IT, in order
to damage Mr. Lane or to extrcate Themselves they
have done this the letter from u to McEncroe
dated November, 1873, Is fabricated and antedatcd,
and this may be the with the other documentary
evidence. Assuming that H.. did make an offer to
Mr.. Lane, McEncroe and H. criminally liable.
In that NcEncroe gave the check to r. for the
purpose of giving it Mr.. Lane. he EN- with
money in his hand. offered it to Mr.. Lane. If r.
says he did not offer the money. then the whole
charge against Mr.. Lane falls to the ground. All
Lane Lot the ewspaper Investigations drive T. >
out of his hole and force him to speak way or
another.
WHAT Mr.. LANE SAID LAST EVENING.
Commissioner Lane was asked last evening
whether there was anything new in tho case He
replied that there was not that there were no new
developments whatever to be given to the press.
He was then asked whether it was true that he
preparing criminal prosecution of Mr. Encroe and
''Z," either before some judge before the Grand
Jury. but he laughingy denied having any such in
tention He said he was about to leave for Cald-
IA " wnore he IN an I'M INT
TO argue Mondty, and would, therefore. not be
back until the latter part OF the week.
Mr.. M'ALpINE's REPLY TO MIR. LANE
The following communication received yes
terday by President wenman. of the Park Depart
ment:-
Nrw YORK. Sept. g. 1879
sI have received your permission address this open
letter to in reply to Commissioner Lanes character
ho~ersr only 7" bis r Sas Ss asr. Directly to
and this part Of his letter usual made up of mis-
aud half which render his conclusions
lie claims that 1t is his duty to 20 behind the roturnsr
meaning my certificate OF tho of the done
that ho performed his whole duty because being
Of the parties the contract in which declared 70
the work done yet he admits that he has objected to all
aud pay able to the contractor noarly $1,000 aud fur
ther of about $1,000. which has boon retained to
surely Que Would think tina, G" Of this large sp@ even
TO at sss, pay portion thereof Instead Of which, he
of IL. In his last letter he ho
against tho payment TO the eonr"etors because the orig
inal design had been marcatcd and therefore tho work
ought to bc paid for"
able taste he should refuse to Tor of the work
which has actually been done Bat ia this as usual 30 Is
the most complete manner. even whore ID might have
been greatly improved by almost necessary chan gcs
IL his former letter he complained that the only
city officer who has the legal right 10 audit
this account had gone around his Board and
performed that duty In advance. lie drops the Au.
dor and clauH that other city officers the
workthc Park Department. the Comptroller. the Mayor.
she the Supreme Cour-befoIe tho oneys
due contractor be paid Must every bill against
the city pass rough such ordcal.
explained Mr.. Lane ia former letter that by the
terms OF tho contract appointed umpire decide
the ostions which he raises, TO
litigations' are the words OF tho contract applied