New-York tribune., 1886-02-10
HOW JACOB SHARP FIGURES.
Unable TO ACCOUNT FOR s6o2,Ooo.
HE RECEIVED $2,5OOO0O IN BONDS AND TELLS
WHAT BECAME OF $1,S0S,OOO

Jacob Sharp was followed up closely all DAY
Yesterday by Roscoe Conkling. He furnisheo "s.oo ~
which enabled the lawyer to foot up some $looooo
psd out for the construction OF the Broadway roa ~
accounted for $l.6OS,000 paid out by MN Vi .no
81 500 900 of Broadway Surface bonds issued De ni
lt ain reointng 5000 600 of them The hearing WAS
highly interesting and closely followed by pacKed
audience Mr. Sharp appeared bright and early Oeloo
the Railroad Committee and told Senator fierce "no
shook hands with him. that he was "feehns pretty
we'll" lie seemed have slept WELL regardless Oh DiahA
checkstnbs and at once took seat 10 the
wItuess-chair, where he calmly awaited tho
appearance OF ex-senator COuklng. Mr.. ConkIlng ar
rived fifteen minutes late and at 10:45 a. m resumed
the inqusitiOn.
Mr. seward however first said that in order to bring
out clearly difference between Mr. SharPs testimony
Oh Monday and that which It expected he would
give Yesterday he wond put in the report Of the sur
face Company to the Railroad Commissioners on NO
yember 2S last would read from the sOck-booK OF
the company. From this certificate book MT seward
found that certificate No uncut and represented
O. $50 shares in the Of jacob sharp Nos =, s. 45
g. and g. all uncut divided up the rest OF the looOo
shares among the Mr.. Seward read the min
ute of the directors authorizing the issue
of 900 bonds to cover the expenses OF building the
road etc, and making the contract with Mr sharp Tor
constructing the road Table OF the report TO the
Railroad Commission ;ainet the statement; bonds
81 900 OOO issued construction and the purchase OF
. Cost for horses. cars, dummies incomplete. Total
COST incomplete Total gross earnings none'
. Cash hand $780,"
Mr. seward-The committee will understand that the
10 per cent must be paid IN the road to have
miles long. $500 just covers tie amount
lie next offered the check book of the company The
first entry was on December 10. lSS5. $3OO-that same
little $500" The passbOok indicated no cheeks drawn
against the small deposits which made at the Pa
cihc Bank Mr.. Seward read the lease agreement OF
1854 between the two Broadway companies good ior
900 years. subsequent agreement OF Septemoer'
lSs5 modified the contract 80 that the Surface Com-
pany agreed than five cars on the Sew
enth Avenue road, for which the Seventh Avenue COM
many guarauteed the 81 800 900 Of the Surface Com
panys bonds By another agreement the Twenty-third
street road agreed to guarantee $40 DohdS oI
the which went to make up the total Sl,oOO'oOo
guara bonds of the surface Company Dir. Sharp
had u for building the road further authorizing
him Ito pay all expenses Incident" to getting the road
down.
MIR sharp" Mr. Conkling began "tho bonds you sold
to Vormilye 4 Co., were they sold hat"
Flat what you meant"
MI Conklug explained and Mr.. sharp replied that Dc
sold them at lO7. 81 think got per cent added to
the face
o-rhen how many bonds did you make over to Yer
mltye Il CO. A-lou are better at figures than am.
The amount SSsl,37j.
Mr. Conklng turned IN another direction, follows
or what corporation was young Mr Kerr paymasterf
IIo was payuaster Yes, lie paid the laborers
who laid the roal."
O-It was his father 10 whom. treasurer, you paid
! -7u,uOO tor laborer~l I Al believe so.
| O'-Whcn was thal A.-Iu June or July 1885.
Q.-Ncre you IN the country at that time Am
Odd you pay Mr. Kerr any money that year before
Q-Plra.r tell me-. far as YOUR memory goes, what
amount oanz M herr 'oI & 5,' sG 1Go n 0o6
! Q.-Dld yo% pay, young Mr. Krrr Of his iather any
Q.-D'd you Al beg your pardon, believe there
! Wa. "A balance. some 5000 500.
| dI.nur,cn Tor YOU to the laborrr- A.-Yes. sir
Q-Dd anybody else A-ies my srandsons' u..
Q-lheir names A-Ihompson Rogers and George
ODD they both dlsburse the money laborers
tho road A.-Ihey did There was some cleaning up
tOdo ,,,.,..,.,
Mr sclmcs. $1,000 or $1,000 at time-two or three
times.
Mr. Conklng tried pcrsistently to find tho exact
amount left by the witness with Mr. Selmes. but Mr..
sharp said 1t impossible to tell lhe pay roll hau
then got down to be very small"
Mr.. Conklius-wcl what would you think OF II
coGidat sne~r better th tnaS vnat kind Of cuesser
you are. lIauShterl ,, ~, s,,
AEE tch time when | gave the money out.
O-Dii that close up the iaborers account A.-No;
have bcon pay ns men ever since. % 9lve O%cn P"yin
the inspectors Of the Department OF Publc NOtKS ana
tncy want pay don't know that shall ever get
Mr. C"nkling Cpotolyl-Are they the only ones who
gOt left I LaushtcrI
Nlr sharp did answer the question. part Of the
Tor aborers recently had been for the tearing
M OF the tracks at Beecker.st. aud elsewhere
O-I.gr YOU since November. lss5. paid for labor for
constructing the Broadway road Al don't know
whether II was In November or DrcemDer -...
,hV NJ Serr ana Mr. Senrs A.-No. on. yes latter
n momcut dd pay sone money directly 10 my grand
son- before the country when left the money
0lIow Ions we're you after paying that S2G9.ooO
TO Kerr, before you went 70 the country A'-Ou
( thr'e weeks.
Mr.. sharp thought he had paid Contractor Wharton
some $50 900 IN lump SUN for laying the road The
curves at crossings of other tracks wero an
extra expense Mr. sharp declared utterly imposS-
bo 10 say how much the castings and the curves cost
o How much have you paid the inspectors A
Weh they get up bill OF 800 month-and over
Mr. ConkItng then wanted know when tho Broad
way surface project began Mr.. sharp said it early
In 1854.
Mr. ConkIing-Only then And yet you have been
seeking a road on Broadway since lS52 A-Ihat was
O.-You went for all there was in sight Q.-ies.
Laughter
Mr. sharp added: 81 couldn't do anything further,
for didn't have any political pull
Mr. ConkiiLg called attention TO tho constitutional
amendment OF s75 and asked Mr. sharp what he had to
do with It as affecting the railroad question
and the necessity OF consents OF property
owners. Mr. sharp protested that this was
going TOO far back and declared emphatcay
that he would not unless compelled He remem-
bered the at the time well, yes sir Well;
he had not tended and did not what that had to
do with the present matter. Chairman Low took the
sense Of tho mmitce to whether Mr. sharp should
be compelled to answer and meanwhile tho w.tncss's
milk. can was brought IN aud he took his "medicne"
while Senator ordered pitcher or water through
the window Mr. Sharp ordered to answer, and he
said:
Now am ordered to answer, | Will answer. | think
the committee entirely from their duties In trying
to investigate the Board OF Aldermen through the
agreements between the companies. Now am ready To
answer.
Mr. sharp raised himself and declared emphatically:
| Ind nothing to do with that constitutional cOnven-
tinn In ANY shape manner. | never emplOyeh any
body there or shape the measure IN any manner
But when II was all | was rather glad that II
passed. Laughter
Mr. Conkllng looked as II ho had not got what ne
wanted and next asked whether Mr. Sharp was In Al