New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-31
DBNIALS THAT ARE TRANSPARENT.
MORE WEAK ANSWERS IN THE WATER SCANDAL


MORE WEAK ANSWERS IN THE WATER SCANDAL
CASE.
The amended answers the complaint in the suit
of William Ziegler against Mayor Alfred T. Chdph'
Theodore f. Jackson and Thomas b Rutan ana the
Long Island Water supply Company, to restrain the
city Of Brooklyn from purchasing the plant OF the dc
PENDANT company for 81 100000. were served upon
william j. Gaynor, the counsel for the plaintiff, yes
terday. The are. every one familiar with
the situation expected little more than general dehas
OF the charges of COLLISION on the part OF Mayor Chap
and his associates and of deception on the part OF
Staples and Trccartin The greater interest attaches
to the document sent out from the Office of Corporation
Counsel jerks that rests the defence that Mr.
Chaplin will make to the courts on the charge OF waste
and COLLISION and the public against the belief That
he betrayed the interests of the city in obedience to
the ring, upon the favor of which he depended ior inc
qualification OF his political ambition
The defendants admit tue statements made by Staples
at different times that the franchise was worth @l2oO.
900 and - 100000 but do not know whether tno
statements made with the intent TO deceive them
or At any rate, they add, they were not mSieu'
Tie defendants follow up these denials tlat tcy were
mislcd with the admission that Staples represented
the company had afty and fourhhs miles OF pipe
laid and had real estate its books valued at 80 l.
637 So that the construction account oil It's pant "dS
valued at 10000: that its earnings had been, 1Oi
the wear ending october 81. 1880, SG1o3o o. II
they were not mised by these statements then they
that there were only ABOUT lWcetN HnISo VI PPO
laid by the company; that it had real estate valued at
only $4,000 and that exactly five months before the
end of the year, when those earnings were made, Ire
cartln had sworn that the stock had only n nominal
Ealue.
The officials know nothing about the land which Mr.
Zieglers complaint says not included in the con
tract and they have knowledge OF the stealing OF
water from the city mains but believe the income OF
the COMPANY to be legitimate one.
The amended answer put in by Thomas f. Pearsall
for the Long Island Water supply Company follows the
main points of MIR. Jenks's answer the only essential
difference being that Mr. Pcarsall MAKES an extended
statement about the contracts ana privileges o. te
company to prove its great value. Mr. PcarS1U was
asked yesterday afternoon by Tribune reporter foF
the facts about the land which Mr.. Zegler says the
CITY not going TO get. ,
on. GaynOr has struck mares nest he SAID.
"There isn't anything in it, The city was to get
everything belonging 10 the company. That tansac-
ton has nothing 10 60 with the As an attorney
] can't explain il to yOu. but you know il makes no
difference to a client just how his title passes so long
Us it is all right and clear. on. there's nothing in
that" Speaking about his answer, he added We
going to show that this company Is 50 valuable
that it would be waste Of the public money If the
city doesn't buy it,