Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-02-06
SAvORS OF A BIG JOB.
eorHAMlTss Try 10 ROB UNCLE
SAM.
The Purchase Of a New sile Tor The New IorS
Cuslom.house The Opportunity OelalIs
Of the Scheme.

Washington. Feb. BIN addition TO
having to investigate The WHISKY lust
aud the American end OF thr lAhhin"
canal it ia not unlikely that BEFORE G
end of the session congress may pe S'ih,u
upon 70 investigate a job OF 7c9hu1ous s
proportions aud which recalls the un!S
Of Pacific mail robbery and post uauei
ship frauds. -
The committee on appropriations OF
the house has received letter lIu'n
John H. Bird of New York, c0nhrWlhg
u conversation which he had Few
dUys ago with Judge Holman ana 10y
eruUr Seyers, Of the committee. Mt
Bird is counsel for the BradstTert com.
p1ny and one Of the leading commerclul
lawyers bon New York For the last
three Ur four years bills have been pend
ing in congress for thp purchase OF
site for a new custom house ~ .NeW
York. The original bin contemplated the
erection of "a custom house and the ulr
puisers warehouse ON the same SITE
but Inter this was modified. Inc mp
pruiscrs warehouse was put uptown nud
fhe site selected for the custom house
was Bowling Green, which is far re-
moved from the banbing and CONNER
cial ceutprs.
Tho original bin contemplated the sale
Of the old custom house for S4On.OUu
and out of the proceeds the new build
iug was 20 Dee erected. and nj the time
the original bin was passed members
OF congress were given 10 understand
! that the present custom house could
eusily be- sold for that price, so that the
now building would practically cost tue
| government nothing
ACTED on PRESENTATION.
On these Misrepresentation congress
made the first Appropriation. Later 10
/ was learned that the price set on the
| existing building was too high aud con-
| grrss was asked 90 reduce the price q
million. but now IL is proposed TO give
| the secretary of the treasury power 10
sell at his discretion. Il is claimed that
/ the entire transaction is a job.
| Ina his communication Mr.. Bird says
| 81 assert without the fear Of successful
| contradiction that beyond cnriching
! ucighbOring real estate owners of the
! proposed new site and holders of options
| therein there is no present need of re-
| moving the custom house To- the Bowling
| Green site lie calls attention To- the
| fact that the importers have protested
| against the change, ana that IL was
| owing 10 this protest that the appraisers
stores were located uptown, nud then
| continues;
beg to observe that an individual con.
| spicuOus iu the early history of the at
| tempted change 10 one site uf the custom.
| house and the appraisers warehouse at
| lowing Green, one John liudlcy turned
| up az once as the holder OF options on
| this new Christopher street property aud
| actually sold tU the government ut a
| largely Increased sum over his purchase
| price the block In question. Iiudlry had
| contracted To sell 90 the government the
entire blucl, for SJOOOOO but he could
| not grt two Of the owners 70 sell him
| their land. The government then helped
| lludlcy To carry out his contract, and
! began condemnation proceedings. These
| proceedings were openly alleged 20 have
! been brought In the interest Of l.mdley.
The counsel for the government in that
! proceeding was \. x. Bourdman. lilo
| was publicly said 10 have been appointed
mt the request of Mir. Lmdley This
| same Mr. Buurdmuu turned up i'm the
| custuu-hOuse proceeding and Is described
In the list of the secretary of the treas.
ury AZ IA special United States attorney.
SECRETARY TRACI'S LAW PART
NER.
"Boardman r. the law partner Of the
secretary of the navy. While the matter
of selection Of sites for the new custom.
house aud the appraisers warehouse was
! styled Liudley as of the Boss Plat and
| liudlcy Field REM estate syndicate and
| of the "Plutt- hlkins' syndicate IL /,
respectfully submitted thut IL would be
crime and especially go ut this time OF
| depleted TREASURY, and simply To ulOAs,
Interested friends of cabinet officers, II
not of some ul those officers themselves
90 pluck the treasury of the needed mill
| IONS 90 buy the new site aud tO erect
thereon the projected new building
regret that | cunuot close this communi
! cation without referring 10 the most
| extraordinary conduct of Secretary Eos
ter. | was assured some time siucc hy
a gentleman OF this city, whose name
viii get II required that the secretary
| was personally opposed tO congress uppru
printing ut this time the needed money Q,
acquire the Bowling Green site aud thai
hv had authorized q gentleman of Wash
in"tpu To state as much to the chairman
of your committee. IL was ON rpliunc,
ON that stuicmvut personally made hl
hln 10 two reputable gentlemen, that
made motion as counsel for one OF th,
| property owners, To dismlss the proceed
mgs After gave notice of the motion
he saw III Ia change front aud send [,
congress the extraordinary letter o.
jan. o. lS33 bcgiing the appropriation
of money to carry out the condemnation
proceedings. The requested legislation 4
| certainly not I'm the interest of Ola,
public. There rs no present necessity fo
| 90 The pressure comes only from
SpeCiul United States Attorney R0urd
man, How comes Attorney Boarmu
TO be employed 10y the governments II,
is charged with being liudlpy's friend
D. | lie i3 the partner OF Secretary Tracy
ann tull that the secretary oil the trc1s
| ury and IN attorney general have audit
ed the bin Of Mr. BoardruUn. beg you
committee to ask the secretary for "A hl
of items, think you will lind if Won a sk
ana the, seoretar('S letter invites You {,
make abundant inquiry, that there arr
also large BILLS from appraisers fees.
The special counsel knew that con
grcss had not authorized the acquisition