New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-03
SHEEHAN AND JOHN BARRY.
THE BUFFALO STATESMAN RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE ASSEMBLY CEILING SCANDAL.
PROVING HIMSELF UNWORTHY OF CONFIDENCE
ONE OF THE PIECES OF DIRTY WORK"
OF WHICH HE HAS BEEN GUILTY.

OF WHICH HE HAS BEEN GUILTY.
Buffalo, Oct. Q (speoiaD.-william +. Sheehan' the
boss Of Bufao's little Tammany, and the candidate Oh
big Tammany for ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS was the leaoer
OF the Democratic minority in the Assembly at the
time that the bill passed appropriaing $25o,ooo
TO take down the massive stone ceiling OF the Assembly
Chamber and 70 put It's place OF quartered oak
Mr. Sheehan also member OF the commission
OF Assembymen OF which Speaker Fremont Cole was
made chairman, that had charge OF the work, and
represented the State while the work was being done.
The following session he also was the leader oil the
Democratic minority and he took Leading part In ths
cowardy assault upon Speaker Cole which was LED
by three men because they did not get places on the
committees that they wanted. II will be remembered
hat there was double investigation OF the ceiling
fraud one By a standing committee OF the Assembly,
which handed in report censuring all the members
OF the commission because they did not attend more
carefully to the dongs of the contractors and another
by special committee appointed by resolution OF INC
House Feeling ran high for time, and Sheehan ana
other Democrats strove with might and main TO con-
Wet Speaker Cole OF crminalty in connection with the
lob So intense, ardent and ungenerous were MS
efforts that large number Of his party colleagues
broke away from him, and refused to vote with MN
when the reports finally came up for adoption.
The work of taking down the stone ceiling, which
weighed many thousand tons, and replacing IL with
much lighter one OF wood difficult task and re-
done mainly in the summer of 1888. The members
of the commission were all busy in their respective
districts working for the political party to which they
belonged and Speaker Cole did not. as chairman OF
the commission, give to it the attention that ne ater
ward wished he had although 1t Is doubtful IL ne
and the other Commissioners had been on the Spot all
OF the time whether they could have told when the
contractors dsregarded the plans and specifications.
But Mr. Cole had two good reasons Why he did not
go to Albany frequently. In the first place ne
did not wish to up huge bill Of expenses against
the state and then be charged with running lunKet
ngo concern. AS strong this reason is he anu the
Republican members Of the commission } al reason
to believe that capable and trustworthy man was
on guard Watching the work for them and seeing that
the plans and specifications were being carried out
to the letter. 1t was upon this man that Mt. Cole
depended and 1t was this man who by falling to DO
his duty caused all of the trouble. His name is Johh
Barry He from Buffalo and he was tle personal
appointment Of william +. Sheehan. Tho testimony
which was taken before the two Assembly committees
shows that after the Ceiling Commission had organized
and adopted the plans as presented 1t was suggested
that an inspector be appointed whose duty 1t would
be to watch the contractors and to see that they oo
the work honestly The suggestion was put into the
form Of a resolution and was unanimously adopted
Mr. Sheehan then demanded that he DO allowed 10
name the man who should fill this important pace
He was allowed to do so upon his personal guarantee
a competent man for the place.
Up to this time the Republican members OF the AS
sembly gave Mr.. Sheehan credit for being man OF
strict integrity whose word could be taken without
question: Therefore It was that the members OF the
Ceiling Commission trusted him implicitly and when
he said that the man to whom he desired TO give thiS
s5.aday Job as inspector competent they believed
him. How basely Mr.. sheehan deceived them IN thlS
respect afterward was brought out. In the first place
il was shown during the investigation that ms
man Barry did not know the dlnerchoe DC
tween q cross beam and an upright lie coud not
tell drawing Of a railroad line from a modei OF
steam engine lie testified that he knew nothing abont
architecture but that he had worked In butcher shop
in Pennsylvania and Buffalo, and afterward had be-
come scar reporter in the freight yards Of the New
York Lake Erie and Western Railroad here. This last
Mace which ne held gave to him the arduous as wei
as englening task Of putting down the letters anu
numbers on the freight cars which ran into the Eric
Railroad yards here This, indeed, was an exceiieht
school for one to graduate from for the purpose OF
passing upon the work Of civil engineers and architects
lie testified further that he knew that he had been ap
ponted by Sheean ostensbly to look after the states
interest But for the first three months while ne was
in Albany he did nothing but keep the time OF the
men who were employed by John Snath the contractor
and Timothy J. Sullivan, the subcontractOr' lie
knew he sad that he was being paid by the STATE ior
his work and he could not explain at all satisfactorily
how he became a tmekeeper for sullivan and snaith
when he was hired by the commission to look Out for
the interests Of the State. Then, further on IN his
testimony he declared that some time IN OCTOBER oi
that year he came to himself and made an Inspection
of the work. lie saw the plans or specifications
and did not make much Of an effort to see them.
When ne went to Albany he was sent to see MT.
Sullivan to be put TO work. Mr.. Sullivan accommo-
dated him by setting him to keeping the time OF the
men. After he had made his october Inspection he
went back to timekeepng again. In the latter part OF
that month he wanted to come home TO work on the
election III place of applying to the chairman Oh the
Ceiling Commission for permission TO come home' he
went to the subcontractor, sullivan for the per,
mission, which was granted: Mr. sullivan hAd gooa
reason to be genial with Sheehan's competent ana
Bufalo butcher and car reporter Had he not saved
him SO day from early In July until the
last Of october. This helped to repay sulli-
Van for his subscription to the Democratic cam
pagn fund OF that year. The buteher-nspectorr
was away from Albany twenty six days, but
he did not lose cent of his pay tor he drew IL regl
larry every week. While he was here re-, helping OUT
did not, with the customary ptetence OF Indignation
with which he meets hints OF ciookedn,as on ms
part order him to return TO Albany at once and watch
the contractors and Their men at work on the capitol
There is nothing in the records to show that Mr;
shcehan ever. limited to him that 1t might De sood
policy for him to 20 back 10 Albany and act As though
ne honestly was trying 20 earn ais pay Mdasr G r
Mr. Shechan, who stood sponsor Tor his protege, re-
port to the other members OF the Z lling Com.
mission that Larry the Buffalo 69t butt was hcr
man ought TO be put in his place who would attena
to them properly. The papers in the possession OF
either the chairman or the secretary OF the com
mission Include nothing of that kind. Mr. shcehans
attention then being directed to knocking out
the Cleveland men in Erie County. lie had 2,st
mittee by the help Of Governor Ill., and all Of his
energies were being directed toward making Mr. HlLIs
Ceyeland's as small as possible. Evidently Mr..
Sheehnn was highly gratifed at the manner IA whch
his Inspector did not inspect; for when lus work
Of Keeping time for Contractor sullivan had been
Gnisbed Through Mr. Sheehan'S Influence with super
mtepdent Andrews Barry still continued In tho
employ Of the state as an orderly in the state
Canitn Virtue of the Sheehan sort has IT'S own
os,ipard ana Harry was rewarded with job.
In his new place rhe Inspector found work fitted
N his ability and pay for even carreportei can open
door That does not require quite so much brains
as following intricate plans and specifications and
keeping close eye upon shLewd eohiiaCsoS, 10 sum UNI