New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-12
MR.. HAMILTON IN TROUBLE
.mrw.pn nHARGEs or PETTY BRIBERY,
orrrn TESTIMONY IN THE WEST WASHINGTON
MARKET INVESTIGATION.

orrrrR TESTIMONY IN THE WEST WAshiNvIoN
MAREFr INVESTIGATION.
MI. uooms In the stewart Building In which the
Commissioners of Accounts are oohuuouns tNo" IN
otiaation into the crookedness "hlch Is anesed 10
havs nrevaIled when the stands Oh the no" "oSl
Washington Market were AWARDED "elo 9'o~"eu s0'
tordsy when Dc Lancey Nieoll began to question
49, o.astes CLEVELAND. Of Jersey City, the first
witness Mr. Cleveland IS protuer-h-i@" VI
,,a.,,o,,,or uoag head of the firm Of William H.
IToor a ~ ,vbo had sold two of their stands In
tbe old market 10 Eye & Otis for Slopo ana hsa So
cured FIVE stands for themselves ana TWO extra Ones
for Fee a OTIS through Mayor CleVelahd inhuehce'
The Jersey City Mayor explained that no anu super
intendent Kelso had been 3oys toSeh'r' anu NO nau
gone TO Mr. Kelso as an old hiend ana hsa asAeu MN
to do him the favor Of giving his brotherin-law tho
s,ards ha uanted Mr. Kelso had complied with Che
request but tho witness did not know until after
ward that the permit was made out ID the name OF
his brother-in-sws partner, Van Dorm MI Cleveland
was handled with marked courtesy oy au the counsel
Thomas r. Farrell, Of No. ~ West Thirty-seventh-
st.. member of the Tammany Han General Commit
tee Of the XVIII District testified that he had heard
that John CurIey, a new market stakeholder, had
pad Colonel Theodore A. Hamilton recently appointed
an assistant in the Commissioners OF Accounts oee,
ESQ to obtain the stand awarded TO Curley.
NOT BRIBERY; BUT A PRESENT
John Curley. the marketnsn referred TO-, testified
next He said that he lived at No. 319 West Twenty.
thrd.st had owned" a stand In the old market, and
made application 10 Controller Myers for accommoda-
tions IN the new market Congressman spinola had
interested himself for him, and while the matter was
pending with Superin tendeut Keso. Colonel Hamilton
had 10 him and volunteered bis services 81 told
Hamilton the witness said, that / would not give
five cents to any I'm Office, but he did great
deal OF running ! would make him present After
ward gave him S45 The money was present only
He said he had seen superintendent Keso and fixed
thing but think General epnola did that Ham.
ilton came and asked for the money lie said that
ho was buying boxes OF cigars for superintendent Kelso
and had TO make Mr.. hcAdam present paid him
S25 In MONEYS saloon I'm Broadway and two other
sums Of $40 each After Mr.. KelsO died Mr. Hamilton
told me that he had gwen him two boxes of cigars
worth eco"
Mr.. Nicoll-what aid he tell you he gave Mr.. MeAdami
Tho witness-Fourteen dollars, sir (Lsughter)
Mr. Neoll-Bub you didn't believe hint
The Winess-No, SIR
Colonel Hamilton was somewhat aEitated when
he took the stand He told how he became interested
in Mr.. curley's analis when the old mani wanted
his stand rent reduced last May al fixed that with
JIM said Mr.. Hamilton" Jim Kelso. Five
months afterward askcd him 10 let Curley have
corner stand I never paid q dollar 10 any city
Official In my life and know them all have 10
ask them to drink and smoke something. When
tufitY gave me go IN 'front.' OF mOoueyh saloon no
said you've worked very hard for me-
SOME UNWILLING TESTIMONY.
Mr.. wiekes-Dd you tell him that you gave Nj
Kolso box OF ciFarsf
Tho witness thesitsunglyl-I don't want 10 answer
that question.
The witness-wen. I'll Tell you. It's Just this way
We've oil had ups and downs and I've had mine
and I've given away . good many boxes OF cigarS
think told him, When vs eli over wen give them
some elgaFs.7
Mr.. wiekes-Did you pay Mr.. MeAdan si4i
The witness-He lie mistaken about that Why the
amount Il absurd.
MI. Cufley-pm not You did tell mo that and about
the two boxes Of cigars, too.
The Wltness-Ive often treated Mr.. MoAdAn bnd he
has treated hundreds o. tines don't consider that
bribery. Everybody giving something. During the
time aiding Cursy 70 get his stand ! brfbcd
anybody In the Controllers ofcs except in the way OF
baseball tickets. although reeolleet did give MI
Kelso box Of ''Perfeotos" Sometimes when 1 would
meet Nj AeAdAm. he would say Thu have drink"
and / would reply. Have another" C4aughter)
Mr.. Hamilton did not think Of bnbmg Mr.. Keso
and Mi. McAdam with s35, he said he only wanted
10 make himself solids with them. lie had never
made nickel out Of tho whole business and was
willing TO swear 10 thai on his fathers grave.
Richard d. Brown, the produce dealer IN whose
expense book an erasure was found opposite
entry Of S75. said that he ready 10 apologize
and 10 admit that no bad pei jured himself Ia his
former examinations, but with the best Of motives
The entry was originally, he said Boodler, s75,1 II
represented money paid his friend Joo' Carson for
his influence In getting his stands He wished 10
SHIELD his friend Tho witness said that he didn't
know where his bookkeePer Davidson, vas. He
added: told him that be q fool when he first
made the entry. We both did some Of the eraslng
and changed the word 'boodler' 10 'baTres'
Davidson has gone to Branchpori, n. j., and said
that he would stay there until l had explained
thlngs.5
GETTING HIS MONEY EASILY
Joseph Z. Carson testified that he got s75 from
Brown for making him believe that his influence At
the Controllers Office had secured the change
In the stands that Brown wanted All
the witness had done was TO ask Mr. MoAdsm
TO change tho stands and It attended TO- He
denied that no had brbod attempted 70 bribe any
body.
bis firm got six stands in the now market and paid
Hoag Co. $1,000 for assistance 10 getting two
more.
James r. Casey, . salesman in the old market,
testified that he got q stand for himself ia the new
MED that he Thought Of snb-letting his stand
Ex;;AssembIyma1 Daniel z Finn Finn, County Democ
Mr.. NicelL. Mr. Finn denied that be had offered
expected to get partner and to combine tho law and
y1Ith Dsrct sactSeT lOsS Witness sSS t % 6s
| two stands which the Controller had awarded him In
! the new market, but hs brother, who was TO go In
with him, backed out" 10 tried 10 get another
partner, but failed and finally sold hls stands TO Mr.
Westerberg for 1900 The Controller had assented TO
the transfer to Mr.. westerborg, but the former was
greatly amazed 20 learn, the witness sald that h.
had not the money TO 90 into business In the new
| market
| The hearing WILL 20 on to-day. Colonel Hamll
ton was suspended from ofnco by the Commissioners
| OF Accounts Immediately after giving hls testimony
| pending investigation.
-
! ExJUDGB SMITH DID NOT COME TO COURT.
When Surrogate Ransom took his seat IN his cour
yesterday, ex-Judgo ]. Lawrence Smith, who was on
tho stand at the time Of the adjournment wedncs-
day. not on hand to continue his testimony for