New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-22
son1pE H1rs SOME HARu BroWS

Rollin NJ Squire, who says, and not without
considerable force. that he is still Commissioner
of Public Works in this city, thoroughly de-
molished whatever was left Of number OF
regulations yesterday in the evidence he gave
before the Senate Investigating Committee.
We say whatever was left" for none OF the
regulations he smashed had been in thorough
ly healthy condition for some years. His evil
dence was chiefly destructive in its relation 10
Governor Hill and ex-Mayor Grace, but incl
dentally IL fell upon some other persons. His
narrative began with that infamous period OF
our local history when Hubert o. Thompson
was resorting to all sorts of dishonorable de-
vices to continue himself and the County De-
mocracy in power in the Public Works Depart
ment, and of our State history when Mr.. Hill
was working the same kind of tricks to capture
the Democratic nomination for Governor.
1t was upon Governor Hill and
his lackey, Judge MULLER. ex-Mayor
Grace and his lackey, Chamberlain WINS,
and Aqueduct Contractor and Democratic
Chairman John O'Brien that Mr.. Squire's
statements were most tellingly felt. They
simply completed the ugly chapters which
have long been in part in the public's posses
sion. We cannot imagine that the persons he
has pulled down will have the hardihood to
deny the truth of his testimony. Or, if they do,
certainly nobody will be stupid enough to be-
lieve them. In the light Of these revelations it
is easy TO understand why Colonel Fellows
failed to do his duty in the Squire-Flynn con-
spiracy case. 1t was either necessary for him
to appear before the public as an utterly in
competent, careless prosecutor, or to draw down
disclosures ruinous to lot of prominent and
ambitious Democrats. 1t was, in truth, an en-
barrassing position for poor Fellows, and he is
entitled for his course in sacrificing himself
and Justice in order to shield these Democrats
to the sort of credit which is due that sort OF
martyrdom.
After telling the circumstances under which
he wrote the now noted letter to Flynn, and
how through Lawyer Newcombe he heard of
the imposition Thompson had practised on him
in returning, not the original of it, but litho-
graphed copy, Mr.. Squire told of his visit to
Albany and of Governor Hills request that
Squire should support his nomination. Then
he went on to declare that thereafter Mr. Grace
sent for him and asked that he should act at
his (Graces) pleasure, and upon his refusal TO
place his department at Mr.. Grace's disposal,
Of the Mayors threat TO expose the Flynn letter.
Just here it should be noticed that on the re-
moval inquiry before Mayor Grace in August,
1886, Mr.. WINS testified that although he had
known Of the Flynn letter for whole year,
he had never told the vituous Grace OF its
existence lest in his noble rage Grace should
spoil all by too hasty action. This was said
apparently to shield Grace from the ferences
to be- drawn from his serving as Tfbmpson's
pallbearer on one day and branding Thompson
as an arrant knave the very next. Now 1t APP
pears that Grace attempted in the summer OF
1885 to coerce Squirrels submission by threats
Of exposing the letter. and that Thompson and
Wins took it and showed it to the Governor
at about the same time.
Hearing of this, Squire went to see the Gov
ernor and told him the story he has told so
often Governor Hill bade him rest his
troubled soul and promised to back him up in
fighting Grace. He went so far as to warn
Squire against permitting himself TO get con-
victed in criminal court but in all other eX-
tremities he promised his powerful aid. These
assurances were repeated week later when
Muller was tremendously installed as their GO
between, and things having thus been so nicely
adjusted, the Governor Immediately asked MIR.
Squire to lend him some money. Their re-
lations continued through all the Aqueduct
deals Of 1885, and upon many occasions the
Governor sought Squires help to put through
contracts for O'Brien. But when the day OF
trial came the willy Governor slipped away.
Worse than that he actually gave the really
fatal blow to Squires official life and gave it
in the face of all the promises he had mads and
all the favors he had received.
The Senate Committee did a good days
work in bringing out these facts, and Senator
Pierce should be ashamed Of himself for seek
ing to suppress them. If his interruptions are
repeated the majority should give him to un-
derstand that the investigation shall reach as
deeply and as thoroughly into all this political
rottenness as it can be forced. Some of those
sinister people who esteem Il virtue to believe
in nobody, have prophesied that the committee
will prove both incapable and reluctant. The
results so far show that it is very lively and
willing body of men.