New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-21
THE FAMOUS HILL LETTERS,
"DRAFTs" OF THEN GIVEN Up.
THE MAYOR WILL PRODUCE THE ORIGINALS
TO-DAY.
THE FAssETT COMMITTEE HAS AN ALLDAY
STRUGGLE WITH Mr.. HEWITT. AND LIVELY
SALLIF.S ABOUND-THE DRAFTS LOOK IN.
NOCENT ENOuGH TO PEOPLE WHO DO

| STRUGGLE WITH Mr. HEWITT. AND LIVELY
sALLIEs ABoUND-THE DRAFTS LOOK IN.
NocENT ENOUGH TO PEOPLE WHO DO
NOT READ BETWEEN THE LINES.
Mayor Hewitt, with his face bronzed by the
! sun at peaceful Sharon Springs, sat in the wit
ness chair at the Aqucduct investigation yestcr-
day The Senate Committee has never had such
/ stormy session, The members quarrelk among
themselves. The lawyers quarrelled among them
selves. The Mayor rangled with General Tracy
and Senator Fassett. Senator Van Cott did not
say much, but gave the steady support of his
vote to the chairman. Senator McNaughton did
the talking for the minority, and received silent
support from Senator Pierce, and Senator Hcnd-
rlcks was not present.
General Tracy has not attended the committees
meetings for a month or more But he did big
share Of the work yesterday, for he stood up be-
fore the iratc Mayor and was bold. De Lancey
Nicoll, coached great part of the time by As
scmblyman Billy Sheehan, battled for the minor.
lty Mr.. Boardman, Corporation Counsel BeelSman
and MIR. Lovatt were all there, but in a state of
mastery Inactivity Among the amused spccta.
tors Of the fight in which the Mayor was the ccn-
tral figure were Mr. Berry, his private secretary,
Judge William l.. Muller, Theodore Hamilton.
ex-Judge Morgan, Commissioner Fish, ex.
Commissioner of Jurors; Mr. Dunlap,
Thomas H. Platt, Deputy Sheriff Young, j. A.
McCuiloh, ex-secretary of the Aqueduct Commits
sion; John Sheehan, the present secretary; ID. ID.
Mclean, OF Brown, Howard d. Co.. contractors.
HARD wRESTLE FOR THE DOCUMENTS.
The cause OF the unpleasantness and the
scenes that made the proceedings memorable
was the fat refusal of the Mayor to produce GER
tam letters sent by him to Governor Hill He
made stubborn fight on this point-for principle,
he declared, and not for private reasons Even
after Billy Sheehan, who had astonished nearly
everybody by coming out as the Governors mouth
piece in regard to this matter, and had given the
Mayor the Governors permission to make the let
ters public Mr.. Hewitt would not hear of it, and
II was only when Senator Fassett, by stroke OF
strategy, managed to have the letters produced
and read by Mr.. Ncoll through Mr. Sheehan, that
the Mayor was saved from the certainty of being
reported to the Senate for contempt
This was in the afternoon session, and Mayor
Hewitt was already in danger Of that proceeding,
because the committee had united in demanding
the letters. Mr.. Nicoll attempted to examine the
witness with view apparently to bringing out
that he was Withholding the letters of his own free
will. General Tracy objected and the chairman
ruled the whole line of evidence out of order. Mr..
Nicoll insisted his privilege to cross-cxaminc,
and thereupon Senator Fassett abruptly adjourned
the committee till this morning so that Senator
Hendricks might attend and vote.
Everything Immediately in confusion. The
retiring audience arrested by informal speech
making from the Senator'S bench and the counsel
ors chairs. and all resumed their seats when they
,eard Mr. Nicol declare that he had the letters in
lis possession. The committee was reconvened,
md the letters were read. Here they are: