New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-05
MONMOUTH PARIS LICENSE.
THE OFFICIALS FAIL TO RESPOND TO SUB
POENAS
AN UNSATISFACTORY WITNESS.
IBY vEIRGIAPu To THE TaIRuSEi


Asbury Park, y. j.. Aug f.-Ony one OF the ohcers
OF the Monmouth Park Association. obeyed the subpoena
TO appear before David Harvey. jr supreme court
Commissioner, to-day for examination in reference 10
the writ of ceriorar which the association mas Sc
cured to review the action OF the EatOntown Town
ship Committee In imposing a license fee OF Soooo
against the association Thomas NJ. Croft who Is the
assistant secretary and manager OF the association,
with william II. vredenburgh, his counsel, came to
Mr. ilarvey's Office at O'Clock. Ills examination was
conducted by James steen. counsel for the township
Committee.
The testimony disclosed the fact that Mr. Croft
had represented the whole association in securing the
license and In beginning the certiorari proceedings
TO set aside the resolution imposing the License fee.
He had done all this, although by his own sworn
testimony he does not 81 Of stock In the Mon
mouth Association. 1t was on his affidavit alone
that Chief Justice Beasey granted the writ OF GER
tiorari. II his application aloe that the
license was granted In the first instance, although
the application was made through NJ. r. Van Kcuren.
the superintendent Of the track. Mr.. Croft Is ilcrhs"e
Of the Monmouth Park Hotel aud the restaurant
and hotel in the Monmouth Park grounds. In these
circumstances II Is remarkable perhap' that III"
racetrack people thought that Mr.. Croft could give
all the testimony which It thought necessary To
give TO allow Justice Beaslcy to act intelligenty when
the motion TO aside the writ OF ccrorari Is made
before him on next Wednesday.
In answer to Mr.. Stems questions. Mr.. Croft salu
that when he applied for the license. through Mr.
Van Keuren he assistant secretary, treasurer and
manager OF the association There minutes
Of any meeting Of the directors authorizing him to
procure the license, he said. nor were there any
minutes OF any meeting held since the license was
granted ratifying his act. After acknowledging that
Van Keuren the accredited agent OF the associa
ton for the purpose OF procuring the license. Mr.
Croft said that Van Keuren never authorized to
,rou,ico fbnt
a license fee would be paid in the future.
Was the treasury empty at that tmei' asked Mr.
Steen.
The witness refused to answer.
Mr.. Steen then tried TO ind ont who the stock
holders and directors OF the association were at the
present time. Mr. Croft refused to name the stock
holders. lie asserted that he did not know who the
directors were. There five OF them. he thought
and President Wacot was one. but the Others he did
not know.
Mr.. vredenburg then asked Mr. Croft about the
liquor and hotel license fees and the taxes which
the association pays. he license fees for tho tSo
hotels amount 10 81 900. and $50 Is paid for the
restaurant license. The assessed value Of the asso-
cations property Is S35OOO0 on which II pays taxes
amounting to about $4,000. Mr.. Croft ACKNOWLEDGED
on redirect examination that the property cost about
sl.50O,OOC. in spite Of the fact that it was on'y
After Mr. Crofts examination Mr.. steen asked
Mr.. Nredenburg when ne would produce the other
thought that ii would be useless for them to come
as he could not what testimony they could give
which would be ut all pertinent TO the question at
issue. Mr.. Seen, however, Insisted that II they ou
not come he Md be forced TO get an order from
the court compelling them TO come. Finally n com
promise reached 10y which II was agreed that
H. g. Crickmore: The present secretary OF ths a,So
cation and VI. X. Van Keurcn, the superintendent OF
the track should appear before the commissioner nj
10 a. M Tuesday. Van keuren Is alleged 10 nave
assured the township committee that the fee would
be paid and an effort Is to be- made 10 discover on
whose authority he made that assurance ..a.
The testimony which taken today ana mat
which is secured on Tuesday will be used on motion
10 be made before Chief Justice BeaSey at Monmouth
Beach on Wednesday to set aside the writ Of cerorar