New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-02
NO ESCAPE FOR WEMPLE.
A DIRECT CONTRACT OF Ills FIRM WITH
TIE STATE.
IT LOOKS AS IF A RING OF DEMOCRATIC POLL.
TIcIANS HAD BEEN FORMED TO POCKET
THE CANAL APPRoPRIATIoN-HoW
LAW WAS MODIFIED MAKING
wEMPLE's MOTORS sALABLE.
,Br TELEGRAPH TO THE tribune !

,Br TELEGRAPH THE TkIBUNE.1
Albany Nov IA canal contract was traced
| difcotly home to Controller Wemple to-day, and
this evening his prospects of reelection by the
Democratic party are darker than ever MIR.
Wemple, while admitting reluctantly in the last
TWO days that his business finn at Fultonvllle
supplied some Of the iron used in the construction
OF the West Main Street Canal liGt-brdge in
Rochester, pleaded that it was not his contract
with the State, but that of the Hilton Bridge
Company. Of this city, and that this company had
the legal right to buy iron of the firm OF William
b. Wemples Sons of Fultonvllle Mr.. Wemple
evidently considered that he could make the pub
ice believe that SO long he received the money
OF the State through middlemen although these
mlddlemen might be intimate personal friends OF
hls lie must be acquitted OF wrongdolng. 1t is a
notorious fact that the president Of the Hilton
Bridge Company is Elnathan Sweet. IT., of this
city, former State Engineer and that he is an
intimate friend of Controller Wemple. Bat no
one believed before that Mr.. Sweet who has had
an excellent reputation, would consent to act as
dummy for Wemple Perhaps there Is an
explanation in the fact that James Shanahan. the
Superintendent OF Public Works. who gives out
the canal contracts, is close friend of Controller
Wemple. They live near each other in the Mo-
hawk Valley, and for many years have been
political allies The nature OF their friendship
was displayed at the Democratic State Conven-
ton when John Il. Ashe. the Deputy Superin-
tendent of Public Works and son-in-law of Shana.
han, nominated Wemplc for Controller. The
friendship of Shanahan and Wemple is so notorious
that Sweet must have been aware of it, and
therefore it polite for him to give Wemple
a good subcOntract.
But Mr.. Wemple can no longer conceal his hands
beneath those of Sweet as they plunge into the
State Treasury. To-day an examination of publc
documents showed that the firm of William B..
Wemple's Sons had made contract directly with
the State There is no Intermediary in this case.
The States money did not dribble through a cir
cuitOus channel from the States banks until it
found resting place under the bank account of
William b. Wemple's Sons This time it flowed
strag ght from the State Treasury into the pockets
of the firm of William B. Wemple's Sons
ANY one who cares to do so can find the record
Of this transaction of the firm of William B.
Wemple's Sons with the State on page IA of the
annual report of the Superintendent of Public
Works for the year 1888, which was submitted to
the Legislature on January 2, 1889. Superin-
tendent Shanahan gives statement in detail OF
the bids made by various contractors for different
parts of the work of lengthening six locks "A the
Erie Canal. Among other bids is the following,
which will be found recorded on page IA of the
report:
For placing machinery in locks ~ %; % 30,
73 and GA, Erie Canal, July 81, 1888; Chapter
416, Laws of 1888; A. NJ Ross & Co., lion,
$3.50; William b. Wemple's Sons. Fultonvlle,
s66OO.n The firm of William B. Wemples Sons
ind the inside track" They awarded the
contract. Below is Mr.. Shanahan's statement about
the matter, which will be found on page 5 of his
report
As will be seen by the above chart, the work
was awarded to the lowest bidder for amounts
set opposite their respective names, as follows:
Lengthening Erie Canal locks. Lock NO. %, Cos
telo, Neagle & Co, s2i, 1856; lock No. 49, Costello,
Neagle & Co., s26595 lock No. 30, Whaen
Brothers. 24529; lock No. 80, Hughes Brothers,
s32, ,s5l 65 lock No. 63, Is. p Smith, SOB,
lock No. GA. b. p Smith, SPA, ,071 50 machinery
in above loclls-Willam b. Wempies Sons,
S6,6OO7
1t was also stated on good authority to-day
that the firm of William b. Wempe's Sons have
an interest in a canal contract for work on the
Erie Canal rear Syracuse The Controller admitted
that this statement was true, but conveniently
found some business which prevented him from
stating al just what point the canal this
work was under way. Moreover the clerk who
had charge of the books in the Controllers
Office giving the list of these contracts of Will
lam B. Wcmple's Sons with the State. strangely
enough was absent So also was absent Deputy
Controller WestbI ooll, who might throw some
light on the relations of the firm of William Is.
Wemple's Sons with the State Treasury Mr.
Wemple als1 was so pressed with other official
business that he could not talk about the
machinery which the firm of William b. WempleS
Sons had placed i'll the locks which have been
heightened Finally. Mr.. Wempe did say that
Lie had filed stipulation with Superintendent
Sbanahan declaring that he Wemple, would not
accept any OF the rrOIts which would accrue
to the firm or William B. Wemples Sons by
reason OF its canal contracts. Good lawyers,
who have been informed Of the Controllers state
ment about the stipulation say that he could
not thus release himself from responsibility as
auditing officer of the State and member oi the
Canal Board, which, through superintendent
gives out the canal contracts. Inc
only way that he could disentanglc himself wouiu
have been TO dissolve his connection with the hrm
of William b. Wemples Sons. Only dissolution
of that partnership could shield him from render
ing himself liable to impeachment and removal lor
being a member of a firm which obtained canal
contracts while he was a member OF the OdhaI
Board.
" II could not have been good lawyer who gave
him the advice that a stipulation would clear him.
was the common remark of lawyers to whom the
case was referred to-day Deputy Supefih-
tendcnt of Public Works said this afternoon
" Yes, Controller Wempe'S stipulation Is on hio
with this Department, but you Will excuse me from
showing it unless Superintendent Shanahan gives
his CONSENT Superintendent Shanahan is away
from Albany seeing that the canal moorerS afo
duly supplied with ballots bearing the WORDS
" For Controller, Edward Wcmple' but IN view @
Of this disclosure of the fact that Nempies urn urn
had contract with the State perhaps ho Will
return 10 Albany at once .L ,or, |
passed by the Legislature approprlating money @ ioi
lengthening the locks contain no mention ~ as rn
chinery to move the locks. Inc nlst eGn ~ .ha3
passed in lss4 bat it was not until 1855 I'M Id
there is mention of machinery 1t was III ConN SDn'