New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-21
GRADY'S BATTERY SILENcFn
HOW MIR. THOMPSON SPIKED THE crw.

Ho" Ah lltoMrooN SPIKED THE GUNS
PECULIAR HISTORY OF THE INVESTIGATION O, -.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARrM Mt
The present discussion as to the best mo....
supplying the city with more water ia EXCITING 60.
interest The question Of whether or not Commi..,a-s
Hubert o. Thompson shall have control OF the exoenS
ture Of the immense which his new aou.a
scheme will require has led to numerous inquiries a..
corning the Investigation OF the Public Work. m.
partment ordered by tho State Senate last va.
The resolutions requiring this examination to be ma
by the Senate Committee on Cities adopted an
March IS after urgent appeals from Senators Grsdv
Treanor and others, who insisted in the strongest Ian.
gage on the necessity Of such an inquiry The resou
tons reclte fact that the expenditures OF the depa
ment under Thompson showed an increase Of 81 3D.
$50 I'm the first year those of 1s79 and IL xas
charged that such increase due to gross neglect n
duty violation Of law on tie part OF said Commis.
soner" Hence, Mr. Grady's committee ordered To
examino into the management OF the Department. Of
Public Works under said Hubert o. Thompson to the eud
that any and all abuses that are found to
exist may be speedily corrected, and
that said committee be empowered send for persona
and papers, and employ stenographer and incur such
expense may be necessary"
The committee held it's first sion in this city March
81. aud began ts work in n busnesslike manner Mr.
Thompson secured counsel f. j. Stets0n, who Is re
quently employed in special work by The Corporation
Pubbc Works, and George Bliss who at that lime was
drawing 300 day from the Government In tn Star
Route cases. and who has continued under the same pay
up to the present time 1t is understood that the city
viii be asked reimburse Mr. Thompson for the
expense Of counsel in defending himself. Ths
elasticity of the funds Of the Department OF Public
Works was shown at the start In the reporting and
printing Of the committees proceedings. Inc
committee informed Mr. Thompson that tue report a.
taken by the Senate stenographeF, would D. printed IN
due course OF time In the way az the reports Of
Oher Investigations by Legislative commit es nad been
printed This not satisfac DRY the Commissioner,
the proceedings printed the C his coun
day Senator Grady said that this would involve
an extra expense which the Senate committee did not feel
authorized ineur Mr. Thompson, therefore, employed
Ills own senOgr pher, and had the proceedings printed
each day and "a the voucher ne at the Controllers
Onice shows paid the expenses out of the contingent
fund Of the Department OF Pnbie Works.
TAe committee held few sessions here, and then met
ia Albany Some interesting facts disclosed. At
the meetings in Albany reporters not and
the proceedings have been publi he'd. Mr. New
cOmbe counsel of the committee, VINO was not employed
until it met Albany, began TO get at some singular
facts and promised TO bring out more OF the same n-
tcre when the committee was adjourned TO meet al the
call OF the chairman, senator Grady Lindsay Howe,
ex-COmmssioner Of Accounts OF this city, had been
employed previously by the committee to examine thu
books and accounts of Public Works Department. QUO
s committee has not been called together since the
Albany adjournment his testimony nas not been taken,
although ne has said repeatedly that he could make
some interesting revelations.
MI Thompson has not betrayed the least anxiety TO
be indicated" or TO show that the charges made in
the senate resolutions OF neglect of duty and
violation law" uufounded. After the adjourn
ment Of Legislature Senator Grady said that he would
call the committee together September TO continue ne
investigation About that time the New York Democrats
Cd tho upafiu WI
Tammany Hall SHOULD be admitted 10 the sate COnven-
ton Mr Thompson VINO since the organization OF the
IuuIty democracy Ia, been Its prncpal leduer, ana
VINO took part win John Kelly in the lottery OF 1850
over disposition or the patFohag. IN tails city was
suddenly converted to the platform OF peace and nar-
mouy rne one ener aim uis life according ais
pu Dc utterances had been TO exterunate III political
sense John Kelly ana fammany hali. NOW oseyer,
when many Ia the organization thOugn that the
e hSd s"e int TOR rpoea 10 prevea yhs Navy ps
Gratis believe tha In taking this course the County De-
IN tnis city Tammany was admitted to tn conventions
peace and harmony prevailed and the nyestlsaIon OK
rbsperrd about that no more VIII be heard OF
the bill senator DAILY took e. Albany tls year 10
empower Mr. Thompson 10 baild a dam 200 feet IN
6eitht and an squeduct to this city
has been passed lngn tue committee viii
report, aud the lawyers whom Mr. Thompson employed
viii send tneIr bills the city, the Comn.s son1r w
be indicated" and eena or Grady will De re- ecIed 70
the Senate at the next election without opposition from
the County Democracy II that faction IN existence AZ
tat time. ,,., ~ A., ,,,,,,,, "a
far IL went WAS Inat Patrick Brown or IODkers was
ON the pas rolls Of the Puuc NO. X Dcpa tmeIt as an
inspector OF waste water, AZ - nay "hle acting III
ts capacity nis cy he also served AS an inspecoc
OF election in Ionkcrs. He collected 9cZ Va
for his election services IN fOnkers ior
ak days and during that same time cole oed lroI THIS
clty 50 day for inspecting waste wafer Isaac New
ton chief engineer Cr0ton Aqueduc coritod tnss
tue work actually perorm,d AID necessary AZ tne
came tine Mr. Brown made All aftdavit that he actually
served Inspector % election IN lOnkeEs 10 tho
latter TACT w. H. Doy, the city clerk ot fOnkers, ALSO
Soi pHe Department OF ruDnc Works did not
abet, as ne sent IN reports Tor nose days MS os
Others Thomas Leaay, OF No; 26 Broom ST. tesLned
candidate OF the County Democracy Tor the STATE senate.
''young Seebacher" gave the Witness a letter 70
D-nnty Commissioner Hamhn, OF the Department.
M PblcWo rks tue purpose or securing empioyment
In that department. Mr. HAmlin according To te lest-
nOny called Mr.. smytle the clerA Ia charge OF repairs
10 sewers aud assigned Leany 70 MN, telling Mr..
smytne 10 n il all night with him." Mr.. nny the tooE
Leany upstairs and took GowD nls name ana address
and told hm TO report tle next day. Leahy reported
ar dterent times for about thirty days wuicn Included
me dave OF election aud registration, ana az Tue e1u
of mat time he asked TO sign q roll and was PAID
logger lie testified that he never did any worA, and
tnat he was paid of lnUlls III room
IN the Public Works Department. Charles Naides
of No ~ Broones testified that ne was given letter
nv MIR SeebJcAer addressed Mr. Haniin and that no
was also assigned TO Mr.. Smythe and mat ne went
through the same & I I tae same lime he said
thot there were other persons UNKNOWN 10 hlih VINO
signed the roll and were PAID NJ Tue same tie'
The counsel for tue committee said that he not at
thar time prepared state whether these men were pad
CUT or the or the city, whether tue Department.
PuDc Works was prOstuted 10 Da5e pJlllcal use,
and rs tue ned only short session after
THIS testimony given, nothing furtner was developed
regard It, Another witness testified tnat on sew
eral OCCASIONS wnie in the employ OF tue depar6nont
with his OF horses he was required 10 aaul urn
tre for keeper Croton Aqueduct aud 10 plough
his garden