New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-12
Mr.. THONPSON'S DEFENCE.
HE DENIES CONTRACTOR DEvLINs STORY.
WHAT NJ. II. FLYNS's FIRM DOES FOR THE CITY
Mr.. UAMLIN ALSO HEARD.


| Mr.. HAMIIN ALSO HEARD.
| The Senate Committee on Cities continued
Yesterday the investigation OF the Department OF Public
Works. Contractor John Devln, whose testimony on
Saturday last created STIR had been su0p@nacd nut he
failed 70 appear The scrgcantat-arms was directed 10
| bring him before the committee.
John OConnor chief engineer OF sewers in the Depart
ment Of City Works Brooklyn testified that during $50
there were 1865 water connections and 40 sewer con
necions made In Brooklyn. The cost was Sll,O03 Inc
foreman of gang pail $1,000 year; examiners
got So and aborcrs II 80 per day The cost 70 house
| holder for making sewer connection was ~ 90
| PAYERS of Belgian stone paid 50 90 and granite
! PAYERS 81 per day
Commissioner Thompson was then called. His direct
! examination was conducted by his counsel Mr.. Payne
c was informed that the witness Dcvlin had stated tha
he had been asked by Mr.. Thompson 10 contribute to
political fund IN October 1882. In MI Thompsons once
and that the result OF such promise be hat received
permit giving the Western Union Telegraph company the
| right TO open trench Broadway from Dey--, 10
Twenty -thirl-st, in which lay pneumatic tubes, Mr.
| Devlin being the contractor 10 perform the work
Mr.. Thompson-Ihavc read the printed account OF ms
testimony. It is absolute lie rom beginning 10 emu
| and one knows it better than DeVIln
! To further questions Mr. Thompson replied:
There was no conversation at any time or az any lsce
that could he tortured into me construction neNu a
ccSsor received communication from tue corporation
CeGnse, eting that he was authorized To gant p ms
S ommo Counc t9 ne We.fcrn Union Telegraph Com
pspy TO take up the street ,b a tmE NV alien
! ton was called the law 81 1872 anu tnousnt .'s
Sn n.T op nS 'H Ho Informed me verbally that
Department of Public Works did not have ne power o,
granting permits such as the Western Union 1omPSdy
H BIm OF the western Union, hat
mi5cn pipe ss under BroaGway On Ap TO- 1858
ceived the letter from Mr. Iumsone On May Ire GNed
le er from him that the necessary permission ll psrIi
acquired from the Common Council and asking for I per
init ON that day wrote to the Corpornioh C91iSSsl.
asking for mis- opinion On Nav received nls rPS %'
The Act of 1873 horned the company to lay wires u
der the streets aud that it WAS Incumbent on me 70 grim
the permit. then did so When me oEsln pIInIt WA
issued III November. $50, and rcvOk 1t becauS" ber
the Department mad not Tue P9wFT ~ 90 , Sni her
obtaining the authorization OF the omhon Coui'' 10
unusual delay in granting IT, Ia TN" ia Oh isS3'
when the work was partlY done cancelled me permit
This was done because all through the summer there were
constant complaints from the Inspectors that the wofA
inspectors although demonstrated with. He kept prom
Using 10 do better hut did not. -
paid twice nch for repairs of streets az other con
tractors wOud do nc work for ....,... .. ...,,.
bidding Ghe npt his T y Mad %HsTeS cay
light Company I found ir Cunningham doing the
work of repairing the streets when became the head OF
the Department n, having been given 1t ny Mr. Camp
he'll and Continued him. since have been At tho bead
OF the Department have slightly raised two Of the prices
for repairs II Mr. Cunnin CHAM repeated requests on the
that the price OF labor and material hl increased
Cross-examination by Mr.. WhriiSs showed that
Mr.. Thompson had not given Mr. De9!in chanc" to lie
heard by him before after revolving The Western Union
Company permit
Mr. Whi,ridgr-How is It that the work which costs
people - so or - costs New1ok residents
$40 Sl2l
Mr. Thomps on-Thcre is difference in the kind OF
Mr. whiridse- ourDep1rtmcat pavs 80 for scwercon-
nectoDs - Ter water connections. - Tor sever repair
connections and - 80 Cor the repair sewer connections
In Brooklyn the charge for all kinds Of connections ANA
Mr. rhompsonYoq c9nno, make any comp rh be,
tween the Work done III brpoHNh ana Nc"-l"IA' AncA
a., dict IfirfT tfl TO-
Mr. Whitrid-ct looks TO me AZ II you pad ABOUT oo
per than BcO0klyn fOr the same l OF W0'A
The committee would ike more Information on ti'it
Mr Thompson-we Will give You that through orr
engineers.
Senator Gibbs announced that the serceantaarns had
returned and stated that Devn had left his house i'll III"
morning with his wife and daughter, and had no; rc-
turned. -
Maurice T. Flynn testified:
lama member of the nrm ot Hochkss, Field & 20. l
am also interested in tie Gold Heater Adnhacinfihs
CnmDarv | have never had dollar Uf interest IN lhs
Johnson Meter Company. ] Introduced John C. Kelley
OF that company 10 Mr. Canpbei WAeh the later W.T.
Commissioner u Public Works Mr. kc!ley was IIl,hd'
have had any interest III street contracts ihsle
sgted az hond9sn Yer les o. tour n bl ct co9ta
atentcd appliances, Others do not. do not remember
Department Of Public Woke for stot"pck@ or SbGa,A
boxes I'm one l3Y. GcneT3Y the Orders We're "ctA nI
two apart. nv firm makes ali 81 nose we tuinsh We
have furnished small quantities. of pig lead for the de-
psrjment; about -, 900 worth in three years We are
ciIocs etc nave never had any transactions with
Contractor Cunningham in furnishing these materials
VOID ioanng him money in business way for day
| two and those sumo were always promptly rcpald
| s stoclhodcr in the Thomas Iron
| company. These transactions were purchases for
,n tho nepatmoSt OF raJc WORKS in 1876 since We
bean We have no furnished more inin SuV, 90 or
fa+ toned have been replaced with heXasonal ana
| perforated ones his done at he request or tue
| EC,t dofH a. u
houses. ihaye kno insrec9rs glly9n ana Bsncoek
pointed se, have never purcna ed Old nn-l"l
covers have bOucn scrap ron il1ol3 covers "a "a
other material 9iokcn 1p' u puohc ,'lc Lave heNr
hid any private peGHirry Transaction WIN
or Thompson or my hr oiiGi- oi 'd, 'oIt .. tli 80
p3luuent OF Pubic WoraS nave va a. ln'c ie ing,
an never "hslgc more than he prce' thus ootneI iol
furnishing ,J, o.s oi he same Gas, II goo =, " frh
them at thc same price awe ol here We 10 4hoat $4,000
and 40 ioout 500 900 81" 5000 u 3nNaiSs curry
Tie Work 10 'oI tag Pablo Works Department Is riy
pr,t Of Il per cent, Any one can ISo the johnson
patent The city has he ;'Kh 10 se Il, ana any GA
i u work done Tor he 'y We do moi nor does any one
a t6 rs 6 oT Of H., ray mp1oyl lo .c have
never recommended ore to be an Inspector OF the De
partmcnt ~ Public Work.. .
there today, he Nd move that certain records
be placed in evidence.
MS DEPUIY CDMMISSIONTR'S DENIAL.
Deputy Commis soner Frederick II. tIanlln testified :
The statement that Contractor John Deylin offered me
mcuey absolutely ana entirely fGlsc nothing OF the
kind occurred al any time any place. Nothing was
ever niimatcl lJevn by that money was needed
TO procure permit FOR the western Union Comp ny.
The delay issuing The permit AZ The outset was because
f whether IL advisable TO be hlc ia tho sea
which Devlin was ding his work Our rules are very
strict In reference 70 his class or work ana tue IN
S% lSo'' Of i'"S' dIsdns trench is don. through
business street th1 o!eis uc 10 90 IL IN Sl''! !" -