New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-04
MIR. EDSON'S REPLY.
ms AFFIDAVIT ANSWERING o'BRlEN.


r. Wo,or Fdson's affidavit in the proceed
,uss against him IN the superior oou'. ~ ,n., in
'.s III, % Io,n O.Brien upon which the orislhai IN
.,,e,,n WAS obtained, is of special interest In MS
smd.,s, Mr. o'Bren charged that after he pau III MS
,sas for the aqueduct contracts, Mr. hdson iio :,
vote IN the Aqueduct Commission TO give tue VIM.
tho work 10 oBrien II he tO'Brien, wouia -.
Aldermen to vote for Ftz John Porter as COMM ST..
:, public works Mr. Edison in his affidavit ha'iy ae'nv'
-..o, and .avs that IL Is absolutely uhqua'
our e,d maliciously false from beginning W Gnu
.h, M .ucb conversation ever heid ny In n.,.,on
ovarian (. that he had mot at the time NC so" a., 30,
ae,erminee TO nominate Mr. Porter anu '" ~ n,aco
con.ut with the latter as TO his accep." m, mdavit
until after his interview with y Do ,ho, occa.
than states In detail just mat 'ooA p ,anat,on If
.,on The affidavit concludes with an eAp , - .,'o
t.o' course in connection with the award Vi 'lio
aaraduct contractsL Following are the respccu'e Gun
aav,,s Of Mr. oBrien and ex-Mayor Edson' po'n O'ie
entitled in the injunction suit:
cg and gss q the town Rhnosscr in the oGn aVs
Of Duchess state Of snpsgd in puse.s
with TTsnf HIM aa sSS yse
Of g. os Of The work FsSea s
me SsasaSe bid iS The sSa
work and BIDS aad essn o and one Of
aa Ss s al e.
M wsns ass asS nd e see
me lie cok into his pvse once anu ssiS INV can you
arg :, sSss xs SS 81
oasS; NOMINEE a In
gt n% fwS hs
Edsop would vote So Is 81 se And SAYS
E at the s SSs se work snd
@ ~ sSs
board Of Aldermen Tor eoHnrh 1ssned) JOIN oBRIRS
C;tv aud County of NeD York, S. as,oss, and says:
Franklin Ea ~ n. CIV OF SewYork at the time when
the events alleged in the torc gace know Mr. John
0Bren the d sac see me
Serenaftsr set forth never said 10 ni a.
his call any other tine' anch 70 take half the
work e. ,,,, Iohn o,Rr,en.. the fol
n"r. the work recently by the Aqueduct Com
miss ~ .Is had put in my bid the said work.
ans;sTs a, work and an ought fa'' to have II
Vote s as member Of AqaeSuct Mss ob I0
9lys e a.. NOT bidder as an individual upon any part
81 tbs WORK referred 70 the foregoing affidavit oS' tss
comSrsing about i've miles Mr. John oBrien was
not a bidder at ALL either AS an ihui'iu"'A " 90
Der se foregoing affidavit of Mr. John 1 ;bs me
swears to the following statenenss. 70 confirm his
SAID thst o omnssioner OF Public Works F1tz John
Porter, that he. Edison. would vote u me tie
Whole Of the work" His statement false aS
sOuiey SnSasssdy peS sna used the words herein
Imputed to used words OF si1 obeP person
and oIS Mace specified or at any Other time or
piace-said anything that could be % corrobor
ron of the afdayit herewith make, add Inc ioio"-
ing MonSey the 9Th of December 1884 the Aqueduct
opened bids for the CONSTRUCTION Vi '
new aaueduct from the Harlem River 10 ne
Dam they then adjourned to meet on the aer
noon of the 9th OF executive session AT
time informal votes taken on AWARDS oa I'm; vi9
the FIRST Ave consecutive sections north from the Harlem
Kiver to Brown Howard COMPANY ana inc No agree
ment could reached at that meeting a.noush 40
onged into the evening protested os h and
he Commssioner OF Public Works expired at ~ O'Clock
that night and was anxious tnst the Win one ex
ception had been connected with the HY Ya
the Des,nnhs # in ali its details-shonld make
the awards IL seemed 70 me tnat In .Ie ,brnnch
fbsir action than through the action OF new Go, r
sioners who had given no especial with its details
For This reason protested against delay ana asKe n
received permission 10 nave nTotet against further
Seiay in awarding the contract or contracts i Wv.
strucon Of the new aqueauc. o Of the work conded to
fhfs Commission have been IN my )nugiheht
merit b ,e made y our citizens The advertisement
for lids up0n the work made with the iull und ;
standing on the part of the members OF me fr
tbat they should be opened the sh oil Decenoer or
the express purpose OF having the BIDS acseu D3
the same nersons that prepared the specincat9hs anu
that were Thoroughly familiar with all the details uhuer
which the contracts were to beawardea od ~ NJ
fh focf tile official Of one or more oibe peseh
commissioners about TO expire, IL seems unjust u
understandable TO throw upon their sncces9no ~ Tor
the responsibility which may be imposed ha ior
further delay in making the awards OF d1I ivy them.
q seeye a tbSt the viii be pub
lcly accused Withholding their action az tnls ue ioi
reatiy 10 be deprecated and from which their action
has been thus far happily free for 'hosc az" 80.
against an evident Determination to delay immedaie
action matter OF such vital importance W ose si
fare OF our city, when all the data necessary or action
eT Cmi.sion then adjourned to meet the after
noon of the 10th Wednesday,. ~
At the meeting the 10th Of December the new Con-
SS sa, Eers ntaay with the Whole subject and
Commission at his request or suggesti0n aporhsu 70
the Office of the AQueduct Commssioners on the ION OF
December ea ned that an article si appeared IN nc
eoapscton with tbs proposed awards After returning
10 the Mayors Office read the article. and Immediately
Cren and said so TO my private secretary Mr. William
Lucas and at the same time directed Mr lucas =,
nsS him IL he would kindly call at the May
% ONCE he article a reerd ns to bad been inspired BY Mr.
@ Hrien person had been telling him iaisehoods.
fonnd and called at the Mayors Office next day. Thurs
day December IL, 1884; saw him IN the Mayors pr,
room, anu at once 70 thdt
been directed to an article In The Times which seemed
t. could hardly have been Inspired by any DINER per
son than himself by some one intimately connected
with him. and that II suc were the case nc must nave
ton to the article which he said ne had se zen
but of the authorship of which ne AZ once ais,
claimed all knowledge. The conversation was confined
TO the article referred to and to the truthfues OF the
statements contained therein not one word was sad
Respecting the Board of Aldermen OF any member or
members thereof; reference whatever was made 10
Ftz John Porter or 70 any nomination ever expected
20 make Commissioner OF Public Works or for any
other position. Mr.. OBrien did not remain with me
more than minutes Immediately after he left
my private Office Mr.. McCnloh. the secretary OF the
Aqueduct Commission. was shown In and 10 him l. then
related the occurrence and the conversation which
have stated here had not at that time MADE noini
alton for Commission Of Public Works. and had not
then definitely decided whom should nominate for that