New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-16
THE TALE OF A CHECK-BOOK
STANDS COST LIKE TIE MISCHIEF
VIOLENT LANGUAGE AT THE NEW WEST WASH
lNGToN MARKET INvEsTIG ALTON


The testimony taken yesterday by Commission
ers llolaban and Barker in the West Wash
ington Market investigation resulted in some start
ling Re revelations, and tho marketmen who have en-
ployed Mr.. Nicoll to unearth the crooked proceed
ings with which they charge the awarding of the
stands to have been marked, felt that they were
getting their moneys worth. The first witness
was Levi Samua Is, who exhibited cancelled check
for $500, which amount he had collected, he said,
for Democratic cam uign purposes in the market.
The check was made payable to Superintendent
kelso and indorscd over to Conrad NJ. Smyth,
treasurer now chairman OF the AAist Assembly
District County Democracy COMMITTEE
Philip Howell of No So East One-hundrcd-and-
cIghth-st, to whom several other witnesses had
referred as having rented OF sold stands IN the new
market, said that he cbtain,l two stands AMI rs
he was not ready to occupy them, had rented them
to David Mandell at 81 OF month. lie pays the
city sll week for them. Witness said that
Chief Clerk McAdam had acquesced in his ar
rangcment with Mandell. 4 copy Of the lease WAS
shown to him. which provides for renewal of
the same at the same rental for one year, but wit
ness persisted in saying that he intended to occupy
the stands himself in May.
The following letter, addressed TO eX-Asscmbly-
man McAdam was read by the latter. 1t was
from g. I,adford Kelso, son OF the former Superin-
tendent OF Markets:
My been called to paragraphs IN me news
In regard to the investigation no" gong Oh a' 20
The aotting Of stands In the new market Ny Iaenor
was SupcrInc ndcnt OF Markets when he died Were ne
living none would have dared to attack him. II any
sttempt be made now traducc his charactr hope Tint
you. his counsel while he lived, will do whatever may
be protect his memory from co"ardly sian
dcrers.
mony of the day, and it. was afterward corrobo-
rated bv his bookkeeper, Henry II. Grimm. Mr.
Kilby said that he lived in Hobollcn. lie had
been in the West Washington Market for twenty
| two years. and became anxious in consequence
of the Controllers ruling that Jerseymcn we're
to he excluded from the new market. He said
! that he finally had secured two stands at cost
| Of $500, but that lc had paid no money for
| them himself.
Mr. Nicoll-Who paid itl
wimess-lIenry Grimm, who works FOR me.
Mr.. Nleo-To whom was it paid!
Witness-ro Mr.. Schoonmaker.
Nicol-IIe is a CLERK ia the Finance Department
| Is he n0tl
wlness-I believe he is. lie is employed By the city.
Commissioner HoahanYes; he is clerk Oi nSiAet
WHAT STANDS WOULD COST
| Mr. Kilby then told of his conversations with
| Mr. SchOonmakcr about what stands would cost.
| The first figure named $50, hut at last
$500 was settled upon. The witness was in
| Kingston, Nd when Mr. Schoonmakcr called
| for the money, and his clerk, Grimm, had tce-
eraphod him there. Tic witness had answered,
directing his clerk to draw check for 5000,
! cash it, and give Schoonmakcr the money.
Forman Davidson Marketman Browns book
| keeper, who had entered Doodle, S15' on his
employers expense book, alterwarG erased and
/ a - ii tt.uA hn mont
TO New-Jersey to escape giving testimony. After
Brown had acknowledged the real nature of the
transaction he had returned. Lawyer Wilder
asked that the testimony of Brown, Carson
and Davidson be stricken out. but his apphca-
| ton was denied, Mr.. tIolahan remarlling that
| it was necessary to complete the record
Henry IL Grimm who % iaid IdaIr,nS tn%s ne onJ w"i
boolIlieepcr. testified that Lewis Schoonmaker,
assistant market clerk came to kilbys Office in
the old market in NoyemDer' go ga ana @ nad a, con
| was Slid," the witness went on, " but one DAY
after Mr.. Schoonmaker had gone Mr. kilby told
me in answer to my question about his chance me-.
| TO citing stands that IL would be all right, Dut
| it S.ls going to cost like the mischief"
| At Mr. Nicolls request the witness produced
his employers checlS-bOol and identified the stun
of check made on November 9, 1855, Tor 500
drew a check for that amount on that day, >
he said. Mr. Schoonmal ller came to our Office
which was upstairs over the market stand IN thG
old market. He had notice with him, and told
me that Kilbys stands in the new market woud
| cost $500 | replied that had no authority to
pay him the money and that Mr. kilby was out
Of town in Maryland lie had been gone day
maker: IF you will wait | will telegraph to
Mr. Kiby' j did so and received telegram from
him in reply directing me TO hi out check for
$500, get it cashed, and give the money to Schoon
| maker By the time the latter returned to the
| market had the money for him and paid IL to
him in the Office. No one was present. The
money wa, in denomnatlonS rs, OF sSo,' sio2> ana
| her l6 In the afternoon ! came 10 the Con
troller's Office and signed an application for
two stands They were aiterward awarded tc
Mr.. Nlby.'
BUSINESS TRANSACTION.
Mr. Nicoll-You took no receipt suppose, for t'
money you paid sehoonmaser7
witness-Yes 1 did 1t was a business Transaction
as far as 1 knew. and Of course took a receipt
| Mr.. Ncoll-Can you produce 1t
| Wltncss-No sir When Mr. kiiby came home gayt
It to him and he laughed and tori II up. UoughtcrJ
Mr. Grimm said that subsequently he asked
Mr. Schoonmaker If his brother, John Grimm
| coun get a stand The reply that Schoon
maker didn't know. C'qlmm brother aitcrward
got a stand although citizen OF Ncw-JGrsey.
ness but yyas not able to shake ms testimony in
the least An exciting episode occurred at thi'
| point Mr. Wcles was asking the witness If hC
WIS awore that his employer had appeared before
recess. and had confessed that he had bribed ar
officer of the city government when Chief Clerk
McAdam broke in with GOOD Of intcrrogatory or
the same point. He referred to the perJurles o
Brown and other witnesses, and wanted 10 know
from the witness if he comprehended that he wa
giving evidence that might convict ms employer
OF bribery.
Mr. Nicoll wanted to know il the Commission
ers were going to permit tins SORT OF disl-ro
ancc Mr. McAdam continued his excited quts
tioning. and dnring the confusion -Assembymar
McAdarr. acting counsel for his brother, callcC
Mr.. Nlcoll lar" The witness tried TO answer
that he had come 10 the eXaminatlon-room deter
mined to tell the whole truth, Gqt there was NJ n,
cessation Of fccrm nations until C9mmlsslonc
Uolabnn said with emphasis: Why this aXhi
bition? Are you ITO Graham McAdam trying; t'
paralyze this witness and TO make him believe tina
he will be locked up before he can leave th'
room ?"
Mr.. NIcoLL'S CONSIDERATIONS
Mr.. Nicoll explained, after quiet had beer
restored, that he was only restrained from chaSts
ing this little person George H. McAdamJ by
respect for the Commissioners. lie then re
| ouosted tb,, tho chpct-stlbS be retained, aut