The evening world., 1894-04-12

acquaintance in the trade and brought
them in much business.
one day ! met William =. Hillmnn nt
the Astor House. Hlllman was A sort of
continental clerk to Phelan and hc
asked me why | did not bid on riling. I
tod him 1t would be no use there was
a pilinE combine composed Of Al Murray,
c. n. kimpland, and Morse, of Troy, and
there was no chance for anybody else to
get bid accepted"
How was thatH"
Easy enough for Phelan to find fault
with bid, as he did with that of Pow
Is, or else to throw a bidder out bodily
and no explanations, as in that case.
ITO resume" continued Mr. Richard
son, "Hillman said he would see to 1t
that my bid was not thrown out or inter-
fered with. So put In bid for Graves
q Steers. You see, was an old hand at
the business and knew about how Muir
ray, kempland and Morse would bid, so
l bid about s12 and got the contract.
Murray had got the contract previous to
that at sli50.
We'll, the securing of that bid by
Graves e. Steers raised hob with the COM
bine. The next bid was on the same di-
menslons Of piles. and when the bids
were opened Murray's bid was ss or
course he got the contract; but bless
you. that showed the amount Of money
that the Murray Kempland-M Morse COM
bine had been making out OF the depart
ment.
We'll. l secured other Dock Depart
ment contracts in piling for Graves &
Steers. and finally Murray came to me
and wanted to know whether things
couldn't be fixed up so that this competi-
tion could be stopped. 1t was about this
time that Harry Steers, the younger
member of Graves & Steers, made up his
mind that he could get the business
had been getting. / had had charge OF
all the Eastern correspondence and that
was taken from me, and next Harry said
he had got big pull at the Dock De-
partment and that he could take charge
of the bidding himself. Then lie gave me
to understand that my services would
not be required much longer.
1t was at this time that the matter
of the bid for the $50 piles came up.
knew that l was in for 1t so far as
Graves G. Steers were concerned, so l
telegraphed to William Taylor, whom l
had long known, that thought l could
get piling contract, and he replied that
he would back me and see me through
| knew the probable figures of what was
now the Murray -Kempland- Morse Steers
combine, and gave my own estimate to
Powis, and that is the way that Powis
& Co. bid came to be made.
"Powis was naturally jubilant at the
result, and he told me that Phelan had
said that William Taylor would be a
perfectly satisfactory security, and that
everything was all right. But l, know
ing how things often work at pier A.
North River, told Powis to go down there
every day and Keep an eye on Phelan
II knew that Murray and Steers would
do everything in the world to break the
contract, for the day following the bid
ding l had gone to Phelan and told him
l was the representative of William
Taylor in that bid put in by Powis, and
made no bones of the matter. Phelan
told Powis in my presence that the bid
was all right, and Mr.. Taylor would be
perfectly acceptable. But while we were
Iheian aside and had an earnest con-
NtISdtiOl Win hSll heioh Ndhic
back smiling. The next day the board
rescinded the contract"
Harry Steers and Commissioners Phe-
Ian and Crane, 1t may be said here. are
members of the Manhattan Club, hob
mob together, and with Augustus
Docharty, Secretary Of the Dock Board /;
Edward Kearney, of Van Tassell Il
Kearney. auctioneers of the Dock De-
partment, and Confidential Man Hill
man, are the leading spirits of the
Pequod Club.
Mr.. Richardson continued his story:
LAS for Steers,l knew he would make the
bitterest kind of fight against me. He
discharged me on charge of collusion
with Moon and Lasher--of which more
anon-but when l came to a settlement
on my commissions there was a differ
ence of from $1,000 to $500 in business
which Steers claimed he had himself
got through his pull. I told him l would
haul him into court and make him pro-
duce his books. He stormed and threat
ened l told him had become the New
York representative of William Taylor,
and if he (Steers) wanted to see me he
could call. Steers said 1 could do no
business In New York. He declared he
would break me. He said he knew
Croker and had a pull with him; that
he had a pull with all the Dock Com
missioners: that he had pull as Chair
man of the Tammany committee Of his
district, and that he would prevent my
doing business in this city. 1t was then
that / threatened to haul his books into
court, and then he shut the door out OF