The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-05-08
Testimony Taken in the
Park Commissioner
Bruggemann
Case.
MR.. MlNTURN'S MISSION.
Ii Seems to Be to Find Something
Wrong in the Highwood
Purchase.

w. Cassidy in the matter of the applica-
tion of the Park Commissioners for a
mandamus to compel Director-at-Large
Bruggemann to sign the PARK bouds.
President Thurston and General Heppen-
heimer OF the Park Board sat beside their
counsel, Judge Garretson, and Mr.. Brug-
gemann sat near his counsel Judge Nc
Grath. Mr.. Minturn appeared for the
city OF Hoboken In pursuance OF the City
Councils instructions.
Before a witness was sworn Judge Nc
Grath, on behalf of Mr.. BruGgem ann,
wanted entered on the record the fact
that no copy OF the petition aud affidavits
mentioned in the rule TO show cause had
been served upon Mr.. Bruggemann, and
he had no KIN owledge of their contents;
that he did not consent, but on the con-
trary expressly objected to the pr ocedure
and practice in the matter and TO the ex-
animation, the service OF the notice and
the taking OF testimony, and reserved the
right to urge at the proposed hearing all
those objections.
Clerk John Boyd OF the Board of Free :
hoiders was the first witness. He testi-
fed that he had the custody OF the min
utes Of the Board OF Freeholders. which
he produced Judge Garretson then
offered in evidence portion OF the min
uIes OF the Freeholders. showing a COM
munication from the Park Commissioners
requesting 81, 100000 for the purchase of
lands for park purposes. Judge Garrett
son introduced the minutes of the
Treeholders' meeting of July IL. 1889,
to show that the Park Commissioners
had asked for s45, 900 to meet interest on
bonds and pay incidental expenses. At
the same meeting the appropriation for
a a
adopted at that meeting containing the
statement that the Board under acts of
the Legislature was compelled to appro.
pirate for park bonds and expenses.
Minutes OF August l. 1890. were intro
duced to show the adoption by the Board
OF a resolution authorizing the issuing
of 81 100 900 of park bonds. The news
papers which were designated to adver-
tise the sale of the bonds were Dext read.
Mr.. Boyd testified that advertisements for
purchase OF the bonds were inserted in
those papers.
SHOWING THE FREEHoLDLRs' ACTIONS.
Minutes OF September 4, 1880, at which
resolution to readvertise, no bids having
been received in answer TO the first adver-
tisement, were introduced. Also minutes
of meeting of September, IS, 1890, at which
the Freeholders ordered the lithographing
of the bonds; those of the meeting of Jan
uary 10. 1891, at which bids were received
for the bonds; those of January 20, at
which the bids Of Ashbel Green and State
Treasurer Toffev were accepted; and
those OF March IL. at which the bonds
were awarded to those gentlemen.
County Collector Hugh Dugan next
testified that he was familiar with the
subject of the park bonds. Under the
resolution of the Board of Freeholders of
September IS, 1890, he directed Freeholder
German TO 20 to the house of Heppen-
heimer's Sons aud have the bonds iitno-
Qraphed This was done, and Mr.. Dugan
now has iu his possession 400 bonds made
out to the State School Trustees and 120 10
Ashbel Green They were all unsigned.
Treasurer Grav offered him certified
check for 100000. and demanded the
bonds, but he was unable to deliver them
because they were not signed
President Thurston of the Park Board
testified that the Commissioners organ
lied June l.. 1888, aud after the organiza-
tion proceeded, under the act, TO adyer-
tise for lands for park sites. They held
three public hearings upon the sites first
proposed, and then on subsequent pro-
posed sites. Contracts were made Tor the
purchase of sites. On July 8, 1890, the
Commissioners made contract with
Messrs Bonn, Walker and Schultz for
the purchase of Highwood Park for
S165, ,0O0 and possession was taken of the
property July Is, 1880, and 1t has been
opened TO the public ever since. The
Commissioners have not paid Tor the
Agreements have been made with nine
different parties for the purchase of Car
teret PARK and with other persons for the
purchase of Bay Side Park. Noneof these
contracts have been carried out because
the Commissioners have had no money to
do so.
MR. MlNTURN's OBJECTIONS.
Mr.. Thurston's letter TO Mr.. Brugge-
mann requesting him TO sign the bonds
and Mr.. Bruggemann's reply. thereto
were offered in evidence and objected to
by Mr. Minturn on behalf of Mr.. Brugge.
mann, on the grounds that they were
communications between private individ-
uals. On cross examination by Mr.. Min
turn, Mr.. Thurston said that the Com
nissioners made an agreement for the
purchase of Highwood Park for Sl65. 900.
The started to condemn the property
advice of their counsel He thought
that property was cheap. He was gov
erned by the advice Of others more
familiar with the property and the price
at which it was assessed. The Commits
sioners have doue little to improve the
property because they lacked money.
The contract for the Harrison property
was a verbal ore. The Commissioners
have many options on property All this
cross-examination was objected TO by
Judge Garretson.
General Heppenheimer, Secretary of
the Park Commissioners, testified In the
same line pursued by Mr.. Thurston and
corroborated mueh of his testimony
On being cross-examined by Mr.. Min
turn, Senator Heppenheimer said that
Charles Brush, Engineer OF the Park
Commissioners. was directed to look over
seventy acres comprising the High
wood tract, which was offered
to the Commissioners for $3.50 600
The engineer reported that 1t would
cost $2, 400 TO improve the tract for park.
Col Stevens and Gen. Heppanheimer were
appointed committee 10 negotiate with
John H. Bonn for the purchase of forty
one acres of the tract. An offer was made
by Mr.. Bonn on November IA, 1889. TO the
Park Commissioners, to sell the forty-one
acres desired for $l50.000.
WHY $165 900 WAS PAID FOR HOLLYWOOD.
This offer the Park Commissioners re-
jected aud made an offer of &, 900 per acre
TO Mr.. Bonn. This offer was in turn re-
jected by Mr.. Bonn, and the counsel of
the Board was directed to commence con-
demnation proceedings.
AS soon as the owners Of the tract
learned of this action, they withdrew their
<fFar of Sf50 000 and rafnae.1 fo fhe