The herald., 1894-12-05
GOTHAM'S CORRUPT OFFICIALS
The Lexow Committee After
Them.
Counsel GOff Makes the Culprits
Squirm.
witnesses Compelled to Answsr Many
EmbarrassiDg Qusstions-A
Green Goods Dealer
Indicted.
Ry tha AssocIated pra,u.

BY the Associated Press
New YoRK, Dec. 4.-The first witness
called before the Lexow committee to-
day was Charles f. Damseux, book
keeper for the French Cooks society.
He did not, however. have some Of his
books. which MIR. Gotf thought neces-
snry, and his examination Was adjourned
uutil this afternoon.
Edward H. Hoyler, . real estate DEAL
or, was then called to the stand.
"How long have you been out OF the
Oswego bond.swindling businsssf" he
was asked.
II was never in it."
The witness stated that he had been
engaged in selling and buying Austrian
bonds for 10 years. Mr.. Gof put num-
Der Of questions designed to show that
the witness had been permitted by the
police to conduct q swindling business.
He was dismissed with instructions to
produce the books used in his transsc~
tions.
Mr.. Andrews. commissioner OF street
cleaning. wac sworn and entered gen.
sral denial of the charge OF bribery
W1li0 MI 04Ci00 COu uloslOuoIs
by witness named Tomlinson.
Auguet Lewis was called to the STAND
and contradicted statements as to the
granting of the sale OF licenses. Then
Andrews was recalled and stated that
that man claiming to be Lewis, had
appeared before the board and that the
license had been granted him. Mr..
Geff pressed Andrews for an explana-
tion OF why license should have been
refused one person and granted to an.
other, known to be the representative of
the first, to conduct . saloon upon the
same premises. There were several ami.
mated passages between counsel and
witness. Andrews evidence was not
concluded when the committee took
recess.
After recess Mr.. Goff excused all wit
nesses except thoee connected with
Com missioner Andrews case until to-
morrow.
Mr.. Andrews resumed the stand. Mr..
Goff wanted to know if there had been
q bearing before the whole board on the
application OF Lambert. The witness
could not remember. Lamberts appli-
Cation had been refused. Witness said
there had been a hearing in the Lewis
case, but Mr.. Goff said he could find n o
record OF it aud called a witness to show
that he had oil the records in the case.
You said you always wrote opinions
for refusing licenses. Why was non Q
written for refusing the notorious Tor
toni aud q long account written of this
case?" asked Mr.. Gof.
Mr.. Andrews evaded the question.
s'You granted the licenses on the
ROYAL hotel on Forty.eecond street and
Grifith's hotel. Sixth avenue and Forty.
fourth streets ?'
s "Yss; no protests were made against
them"
"You always heard of the Royal hotel
that it was nice family hotel, did you
not?'
"Yes. sir; l know respectable people
who lived there."
Then you regarded the Hotel Roya
in the same way you did the Tortoni 2"
mo; can't say did,"
"And you thought the st. Omer hotel,
on Sixth avenue, was nice, clean, fam
lily hotel?"
II think 1 heard something, some
rumor, think, concerning the st. Omer
hotel; but when the application was
made there was NO objection and NO
protest was made to the application, and
90 it was granted"
In the memorandum made by the
witness at tho time, a. he said that OK.
Police Justice White personally vouched
for Lewis. Ex-Police Justice White WAS
then put on the stand.
Ibid you ever sec that man August
Lewis, before?" asked Mr.. Goff, while
Lewis stood beside him.
II never did,"
ibid you ever 60 with him to the sx-
else board to vouch for him?''
mo sir, never did,"
White was then let 60. He looked
relieved.
Mr.. Andrews took his place on the
stand. He reiterated his conviction
that White had vouched for Lewis,
which White again denied.
Mr.. Gof read letter of June 81, 1885,
written BY Andrews to Joseph s. Miller,
commissioners Of internal revenue. in
which he endorsed Tomliuson in the
highest possible terms, saying he Was
worthy of any confidence, and man OF
unqusstionable integrity. He had
known him for Is years. Mr.. Goff then
tried to get the witness to explain why
he had come to think Tomlinson un.
worthy Of confidence, thus leading mp
70 the spite which caused his testimony
against Andrews. Tho witness could
give none. There had been no change
in his regard for Tomlinson mp to 1889.
Tomlinson remained with the excise
board after the withdrawal Of it. Tom.
linson had been county Democrat, but
changed to Tsmmany Hall in 1883. Mr..
Gotf asked him II he had not accepted .
bribe of 5000 for the Tortoni license.
Witness denied IL.
Inspectors Collins and Haggerty were
compelled to resign from the excise de-
partment ON account OF theft and the
sale Of an old license in order that the
purchaser might secure new one.
sHow did the men obtain these
things ?" asked Mr.. Gof.
II don't know"
They stole them, did they not?"
Il presume they did,"
And yet. after this breach OF rules of
she commission, they were only asked
to resign" said Mr.. Goff, scientifically.
Yes"
"And the matter was kept hushed up
% much as possible ?"
believe it was"
Mr. Gof then turned his attention to
Advocstion Clerk Bisland, who secured
nis position on the excise board through
the inhuence Of Andrews.
lhe latter admitted Bisland sent $500
: year TO bis (Andrews') wife in Csliior.
MIA He also admitted brewer John
nuppert had discounted one Of bis
notes NO one else had done so. Hs
Al x,a HI