Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-27

/ well as the auditors. McCann, who
| claims to have been frozen out of the st.
| Vincent restaurant lease IN Central park
| by Mayor Grant and Richard Croker was
| the first witness. The most sensational
| part Of the testimony came when he was
asked by Mr.. WINS "Did You ever hear
| that sum of money was
raised for the purpose of securing
the confirmation of Grant as commits
sioner of public works, provided Mayor
| Edison nominated him?''
Mccain begged TO be excused from
answering.
Mr.. Ivins-" Did Croker ever come to
your store and show you a sum of money
and tell you that that was the amount Of
money raised to secure votes enough to
! confirm Grant Is nomination as commits
sioner of public works If he was nomi-
mated by the mayor?'
Mccain shifted uneasiIy in his seat,
twisted and turned about and finally ap-
pealed to the chairman for protection.
He said there was a lawyer to protect
him, that he did not think he should be
compelled to disclose matters intrusted
to him in confidence.
Senator Fassett, after consultation
with mis- colleagues, announced that the
committees would protect Mccain in his
right, but they thought the question was
a proper one, and must be answered.
The question was repeated, and then
Mr.. Mccain replied in the
affirmative. He added that one
day about Christmas, 1884, Croker
called at his place and asked him if he
might meet few people there. Croker
explained that the satchel which he bad
contained money which had been raised
to secure the confirmation of Grant as
commissioner of public works.
elbow much was lt?' asked Mr..
Twins.
cone hundred end eighty thousand
dollars, - replied Mccain.
Continuing his story Mccain said he
did not count the money in the satchel,
but he saw 1t. Croksr told him it had
been raised by "Billy'' Maloney among
the members of Tammany hall and that
Grant himself had contributed $4,000 Of
that sum. After some testimony about
the large expenses of Grants campaign
for the mayoralty the first time he ran
for mayor, Mr.. Wins asked Mccain If
he had been told that Grant paid large
sums of money to Richard Croker
or any members of his Croker 's)
family while he was sheriff. Mccain
at first positively declined to reply to the
question, because he would not go into
family matters. He is a respectable
looking man and seemed to feel keenly
the unfortunate position in which he was
placed. He appealed again to the chair
man. Another brief consultation be-
tween the members of the committee and
then the witness answered the question.
He said he had been told Sheriff Grant
had given Flossie, daughter of Richard
Croker, IN all while he was sheriff
S25, 900.
"Who told him that?''
Again the witness piteously begged to
be excused from answering the question,
but the chairman was memorable, and so
Mccain was compelled to answer. He.
said that it was the women who told him,
his wife, and also her sister, Mrs.
Croker. The money was used to pay for
the house on Mt. Morris avenue in which
the Croker family now lived The wit
ness further testified that since the in
vestigation had been going on, Leicester
Holmes, now Mayor Grant Is private Sec
rotary, visited the Croker's three times
her to go to Europe with her
family and stay there for some time.
He offered to pay her expenses and give
her a considerable sum of money besides,
enough TO keep her for some time.
Holmes also, at almost the same time,
visited DR.. Beckman, Mrs. Croker's
physician, and tried to get him to absent
himself from this country while
the senate committee was at
work. Holmes offered to pay
DR.. Beckman his expenses and give him !
in addition the equivalent of what he !
would ordinarily make by his practice in |
that time. McCann admitted that |
Grant made mischief between Croker |
and himself and caused the diff !
Guilty which now exists between |
them. He said Croker owed him to-day |
about $4,000 for assistance, principally |
rendered to Croker's family. He had |
assisted in supporting the members of |
Croker's family and was doing so to-
day. The witness declared that |
he loved Croker's children aa he !
did his own, and everyone who
knew Mrs. Croker knew she
was a most estimable lady. Mccain
said this with considerable emotion.
Mayor Grant tonight said McCann's
testimony was tissue Of falsehoods Two
facts could be stated which would show
|. Grant was alderman at the time re-
ferred to, and could not legally be a
candidate for commissioner OF public
works. 2. John Kelly was the Tam
many leader, and If any funds
we're to be raised Kelly and not
Croker would have had the business
n hand. But without regard to this the
mayor declared the statements of Nc
Cam unfounded. He never could have
'aised such immense sums had he de-
tired. The only presents he had given
Flossie Croker, his god child. were such
ls god children usually received. TIL |
tory of his giving her S25 200 was ridio-
llous.
HANGED HIMSELF,