New-York tribune., 1884-12-31
MAYOR .EDSON ACCUSED.
WILLING. OF CITY OFFICES RECLAIMED

c,rsrs CoNsTERNATIoN-A DENIAL fkoM ihE
MAYOR. uo
An earthquake would scarcely have causen ihoio
-, opd CONSERVATION at the City Hall than the
announcement yesterday that an injunction hau
hesn issued restraining the Mayor and Aldermen
-. ,arirg any action toward filling the vacant
oitv office. coupled with the statement that the
Mavor was charged directly with making corrupt
offer to secure the confirmation of 'his nominees
The Injunction issued by Judge Beach, Oh 'he
Court OF Common Pleas. under the provisions OF
Section 277 of the Code, which provides that
Iudce of the Court of Common Pleas may grant an
Injunction when Superior Court Judge cannon DC
found
The petition in the case was signed by Theodore
Roosevelt Oscar 5. Strauss, Henry A. Oakley ana
Geerge Haven Putnam. and the injunction prohibits
the Mayor and Common Council from appointing
or confirming the nomination of any person as Com
missioner of Public Works or Corporation Counsei.
The order is returnable today at IL a. M when the
defendants are to show why the injunction
should not be continued until final Judgment Is
had Several afidavits are appended To the co'n-
plaint. the purpose of which is to SHOW th"' Tue
Mayor and Aldermen have attempted to form an
improper combination to confirm nominees LOT
Commissioner of Public Works and Corporation
Counsel.
SUBSTANCE or THE ArriDAviTs.
Leonard w Johnson contractor, oi NJ" 10
West Forty y-sixth-s makes oath that he mas oo'n
informed and believes that there have heeh ioriheu
corrupt combination aud conspiracy 10 sccuo
the appointment of persons to Office on conSiuci"-
ton of appointing certain OTHER persons 10 suooi-
diuatc Offices. He declares thai u ~ the duty Oh
the Mayor 10 nominate and of the Aldermen 10 con-
firm the nominations of ft and proper persons 10
fiji such offices that the nominees should be III
every way fully qualified to discharge the dn,ies Vi
those Offices and should be free from any pledge
hargain or restriction calculated to interfere with
their free independent and honest official action.
He further charges that one OF the subordinate
offices which has been made the subject of sucn
corrupt bargain and agreement Is that OF Deputy
Commissioner of Public Works. and that the ap-
pointment TO that position of certain person is to
he the consideration for the delivery OF certain
votes to confirm the nomination oil person 10 DE
appoipted by the Mayor as Commissioner of Public
Works. He alleges that such corrupt bargain IL
matter of common notOrlety, &id produces extracts
from the daily newspapers to corroborac his asser
tiOn.
In his affidavit James A. Lyons, of No. 1,12s
North Thirrl-ave SAYS that on Saturday December
l3 in company with Patrick liandl bode he
entered the liquOr-shop of Dlederich knabe, at
Centre aud Franklin sts., and knowing knabe TO bc
a member of the Tammany Hall General Commit
tee and occupying the position of Interpreter OF The
Second judicial District Court, he asked his
opinion as to whether General fltZ John Porter
would be confirmed by the Aldermen as Commits
sioner of Public Works. Knabe responded, raising
the fingers of one hand, 1t cost me this to-day
LYONS then asked Knabe whether it had cost hDa
50 or 800 and then Knabc said $500, adding that
IT was blan&cd shame, bnt mat thc O"odlc was
raised and Thompson would be knocked out
Patrick lIandibode. of No. sos SlXtl-ave., cor
roboratcs the affidavit OF Lyons.
james III. Londergan, of No; 4l9 East Onc-hun-
dTed-and-nneteenth ST.. says nc pSicso oS tdSlC ID
corrupt combination among the Aldermen because
he has read il III the newspapers
oBRIEV's CHARGE AGAINST Mr. EDISON.
John OBrien of Rhnebeck to whom was award
cd The contract for building onc-halt Of the new
aucduct makes the following affidavit:
vas one Of the bidders upon IN" work recently let by
IN Aqucluct Commissioners in this city for Che hui dung
OF G% o n" alter ihe fn. several bi- lad been opened
,T ,H' I,'..t ~ biilrrs asrertained Mr Edsou
"J w,s n,. of the Aancact Commissioners. sent mes
scngr to his Office went there ana "a" nm
he aid he had ont iwo or three messengers 10 M
me and was very anxious to see me lie took me ino
hi, private office ana theTe9pon t9e ioVTng G%hyer y
arrange with Brown, Howard COMPANY Iol
each to take half the Work. , SnsEe@lGui @ ii NGi td
emitted 10 the whoie 0i thc WORK anu ouSul 10
have h." Mr. Edison then said If would get him two A.
liz Work ri.l John Porter. he (Edsonl would vote
menber ,f the Aqueduc Commission to give me the
tnd dcponcnt further says that Tie time the said
,otveraiio took place Brown. Howard Co. were bid
der upon the Aqueduc and rival contractors
aud that at TIE same Tine filz J@Gn ro!ei n1nG % |oS
Aldermen for continuation as Commissioner oi fnphc
Works.
WHAT THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN DID,
Before the Aldermen met there rumors that
an Injunction had been gotten out, and also that
the Mayor and Aldermen had been OF were to he
indicted by the Grand Jury. 1t was known that
some of the Tammany Aldermen had been en-
gagged until late hour on Monday uirht ~, rather
Yesterday morning. in endeavUiing 10 convince
certain of the Republican Aldermen that II would
H. IA their interest U break the deadlock and con
Rrn nominations that The Mavui might make.
lhp County Democracy Aldermen on the Other
hand had hren equally active IN working to heer
ihpi Republican asss0caits ~ lihe SUhe said
that pnonGh votes had hpph obtained tu euhitm the
MaAufs noNinpps With pessh 0he Alderman iu
erAie 10 NabiHe up the required Aaiait,,
iabiug al these ihlhps inin consideration, u vac
n0 WunieI hat the inhies 0f the tiii iiaii ahd hn
approaches 10 lhe Aiermeu's chanbe, wefe allied
long before the time foT the meeting of ihe Hoard,
When President kTk called the meeting % nrdel,
few minutes after o'clock, the chamber was packed
with all eager thrOng. Republicans were represented
by John j. O'lirIen, John W. Jaoobus, John Il.
Brodsky Frederick Is. House and Thomas MuI-
ply lammany Hall by Senators Plunkitt and
Cullen Coropers Martin, Kennedy and Levy eX-
Senator Thomas +. Grady and James J. Martin; the
County Democracy by Excise Commissioner Will
lam T. Mitchell, Theodore A. Hamilton and others.
Some unimportant business ,:ansacted and
then the president announced tha. he had been
served with Injunction issued by Judge Miles
Beach, forbdding the Mayor to nominate, and the
Board to confirm, any person for commissioner OF
Public Works or Corporation Counsel. Tie injunc
ton was handed TO Clerk Maonoy, who read 1t.
When he inisIed, Mr.. duffy (fanmany) sad Mr..
President | move these counsel be put off the
floor"
All eyes were turned at once to Charles P Miller,