New-York tribune., 1889-11-16
PRICE THREE CENTS.
THE PACE BEGINS TO TELL
AN ARREST, THREE DESIGNATIONS AND THE
SECRETARY DISCHARGED.
MORE CURIOUS TEsTTMoN TAKEN IN THu
DOCK DEPARTMENT INvEsTIGATIoN-ARE
THE COMMISSIONERS HINDERING
THE GOOD WORK.

taken to the Court Of General Sessions Yesterday
under warrant from Recorder Smyth The
charge was perjury. and Corporation Counsel
Clark appeared the complainant lie made
affidavit Thursday that Smyth swore in the
injunction suit in the Court of Common Pleas
that he was the manager of the coal business con.
Quoted by Thomas O'Brien. who held the lease Of
Pier No. 55 East River, and that OBrien had
made all necessary repairs TO the pier. This
statement made in application ostensibly
made by OBrien for an injunction restraining tho
Dock Department from interfering with the pier.
When Smyth was called witness before the
Commissioners of Accounts he denied that he had
made any statement that he knew O'Brien.
The accused man spent Thursday night at Police
Headquarters. He had been arrested at his home
in Williamsburg by Inspector Byrnes on Thurs
day evening. The Inspector took him before the
Recorder at about noon yesterday. He had with
him as his counsel Michael j. Kelly, relative
of the civil justice whose name has been so fire.
quently mentioned by the witnesses at the in
vestigatiOn. Mr.. Kelly asked for an examination
for his client He willing TO have it proceed
before any police justice if the Recorder had nos
time to conduct the examination himself. Mr
Kelly complained that his client had not had an
opportunity to explain his testimony before the
Commissioners of Accounts. although he had asked
for it more than once.
The Recorder asked for suggestions as TO the
amount of bail to be asked The counsel for ths
accused man thought that few thousand dollars
would be enough lie sure that his client
would easily prove his innocence The Recorder
said that the punishment provided for the offence
was Imprisonment for from two to ten years.
! He fixed the bail at $4,000 and directed that
| the examination in the case be taken before the
/ Police Justice at the Tombs.
The accused man answered the usual inquiries
/ of the clerk by saying that he was thirty-two
years old, was born in this State, and he was not
guilty of the charge made against him. lie WAS
not in custody long after the amount Of ball was
| fixed lie secured the $4,000 in cash and de-
posted it with the City Chamberlain as security
for his appearance, and he was released lna
testimony taken before the Commissioners of 40
counts will be examined by the District-Attorney,
and the Grand Jury may be called upon next week
TO investigate the charges arising from It,
Next to the arrest OF Smyth yesterday the most
impor,a circumstance in the Dock Departments
inoury, which Commissioners Holahan ana
Barker. of the Accounts Bureau, and Corporation
Counsel Clark carrying forward, was tn'
somewhat surprising discovery that the Dock
Commissioners themselves are seemingly more in
terasted in thwarting than assisting the inquiry
This suspicion was aroused when the last witness
of Yesterday Charles S. Thompson, the son OF
Doclxmaster Charles H. Thompson, OF Dlstric'
No /. was examined. This district, which eA'
tends from the Battery TO Pier No l 6 East Rlver'
contains il is said, many " fat piers, as they
are known in the language of the docks, and
from its alleged ability to initiate the bank ac-
counts of these interested is called " star dis
trict Docllmaster Thompson was summoned TO
explain about its resources, and should have ap
uaft tana mtg
Thursday. Instead of Mr.. Thompson. doctors
certificate was presented, saying that the dook'
master was seriously ill and unable TO leave his
bed The son was then summoned, but did not
appear until yesterday. lie proved to be one OF
the most reluctant witnesses found so far, but
Mr. Clark by tircless and persistent questioning,
got enough from him TO sustain his theory. The
young man has been his fathers assistant for four
years, though he is borne upon the rolls of tho
Dock Department as IA labOrer" His pay, he
sad was - cents hour, and amounted 10
S75 TO $50. His duties were really to assign YES
sells to piers and collect wharfage, like any other
docsmaster.
During his examination Mr.. Clark succeeded in
drawing from him the information that after his
father, Dockmaster Thompson, had been sub
poenaed to come to the Stewart Building and
testify before the Commissioners he had resigned.
and the witness, Charles S. Thompson had been
made his successor although the place is called
Assistant Dockmaster, at salary OF $1,000.
The fathers bOndsman, Frederick Stark became
the sons bondsman, the latter having been sum-
moncd TO the Dock Department by telephone
yesterday morning for the purpose. Mr.. Clark
succeeded in bringing out other important facts.
The doclmaster has his Office with Mr. Stark.
who is in the forwarding business aU No. 33
COenties Slip and all the checks and money col.
lected for wharfage on District No ! were turned
over TO Mr.. Stark At the end Of the month the
amount which the city ought to have was figured
up, and Mr.. Stark drew a check for the sum. which
was carried to the Dock Department and accepted
without question. 1t would not do TO have such
pleasant arrangements broken up, and the
place had grown too hot for the father, the Dock
Commissioners had kindly arranged for the son
to take his place. Mr.. Stark is the son Of the
late Dock Commissioner Lucius ]. n. Stark
Young Mr.. Thompson was directed TO gather up
all the books and memoranda pertaining 10
District No. l, and bring them to the Commissions
ers of Accounts office on Monday, when he will
be subjected to another examination.
J. c. Jenkins, president of the First National
Bank of Brooklyn was the arst witness yester-
day. He testified that John A. Mccarthy, for
whom Charles f.. Muriagh seems to be the
dummy in leasing the Broome and Stanton sts-
piers, had opened an account at his bank on JAM
uary "a last, and up to November had deposited
S25,374 50. He still had balance there Of
81 300. Mr.. Mccarthy is but twenty three years
DID, and posed before the Commis ,ioners the other
day as Murtaghs clerk" His father was until
recently dockmaster.
Edward Abeel is docSmaster in charge Of DIS
trict No. =, which runs from Pier No. "a TO "es'
Eeventh-st, on the North River. His coheouons
on wharfage, he said, were from SIP 70 han in
week. Prior TO September last ne n"u ,s 70 piar
charge of District No 3, from Per NO IiIe here
No. As, East River. For seyera, yses 900 year.
he turned TO the city ,v an ebout the revenue
DER s4s sss ss'p Spansd hs lS %hero
ton that much lafSe' steamshp and railroad COM
piers were easen o% tSe ~ piers where the ciys dock
panes than lon,cJ isc the Wharfage The witness had
.. .,, nIoved an assls