The evening world., 1894-08-25
His Bill of Particulars Tells How
He Persuaded" All to
Change Front
EVEN THE COURTS MANIPULATED.
Backed by Croksr's Crowd, u
Carried Through the Ne
farious Deal.

The secrecy which has characteristic
the taking OF testimony before a referee
in the suit brought by Lawyer Matthew
p. Breen and his associate, Daniel II.
Cohalan. to recover S135,0O0 for services
rendered to the Union Railway Com
pany in the "Huckleberry' Railroad
grab is in a fair way to be explained.
There is every prospect of a scandal
of such magnitude growing out OF the
testimony now being taken that many
of the Misunderstanding Jobs which
have been engineered by political tricks
tiers within the last few years will pale
into insignificance beside II.
The history of the "Huckleberry''
Railroad grab. or so much of 1t as APP
peared on the surface, was printed from
time to time in 1.-THE Evening World'
during the progress OF the negotiations
which attended the acquiring of the
franchise by the Union Railway Com-
pany. But the inside facts concernIns
the Vaccinations which brought vic
tory to the road which Croker. Murphy
and others are said to control, remain
to be told. ..S
Until within a few days the papers in
the suit OF Breen against the Union
Railway Company have been SO jealous
ly guarded by the lawyers employed on
both sides that 1t was impossible to OBJ
tain an authentic story of the facts
brought out during the. progress OF the
testimony before the referee.
To-day, however. the bill of particp-
lars asked for by the defendants law
yers and furnished them by the plain
INK s @or Sesn and fef nst sime
enough OF Its contents Is made public
to suggest to those familiar with the
methSds employed by some Ones corporations ISr 'ns
same old tactics were used in order to,
gain the favor of persons whose an
tagonism would have been fatal to the
| realization OF Croker. Murphy & Com
pany's dreams.
There was something very like panic
among the lawyers on both sides when
| they learned that THE Evening World"
had discovered the nature Of the tes-
timony brought out before the referee.
The reporter was for two days re.
back again in an effort to avoid the re-
sponsibility OF making the inevitable
disclosures, and 1t was only after con-
siderable pressure was brought to bear
| duced.
Why Breen Was Employed,
Matthew p. Breen. who claims the
credit for having obtained for the "Huck-
100000 and 100000. is counsel to the
Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth wards.
Up to the time Of his engagement by the
Union Railway Company Mr.. Breep had
Which "a saa ths su eamns o ssa
fee.
He lives In a modest house at 25s Willis
avenue. near One. Hundred and Thirty
eighth street. According to his own
statement. 1t was not Mr. Breen's repu-
tation as legal light which earned for
him The distinction Of being retained by
II was his thoroug knowledge Of Annexed
District affairs and the politics of the
adjacent territory which caused him to
be selected TO engineer the 'Huckleberry'
Mr.. Breen has chosen Martin J. Keogh,
OF Beekman street, to represent him In
johnson, of % Williams street. appear
for the Union Railway Company.
The suit was brought in the West
chester County Supreme Court In Janu-
AIRY. 1894.
Afraid OF Jury Trial.
Mr.. Breen declares that he favored the
trying Of the case before jury, but tina {
the other side fought SO hard TO have
the matter kept from the pubic that he
tinal!y agreed TO go before referee. Ac-
cordingly, Justice Cullen appointed Rob-
ert Sewell, OF 81 Nassau street, to take
, the testimony.
The bill OF particulars MED by the
plaintiffs cover seventy-tive typewriter
pages. and 1t is only necessary to read
between the lines to discover the mani.
fold opportunities for ''persuasiyeness
which presented themselves during the
period covered by the Huckleberry fran
chise fight
Seemingly insurmountable obstacles IN
the way OF obtaining the franchise wers
smoothed away by the force OF Mr.
Breens persuasive powers and legal skin
according TO the bin of particulars.
In order that proper estimate OF tbs
character and value OF the services rem
dered by Mr.. Breen to the Union Rail
way Company may be had, he has sub
divided his statement as follows:
What the Services Were.
First-Relating to the services rem
: dered by plaintiffs from January, 1891, Il
the date of the passage of the so-calieS
: "Huckleberry bill' in April, 1892. Chap
ter $40, laws of 1892, ~
0 Second-Relating to the services rem
dered in the contest for franchise In tn
town of Westchester,
Third-Relating to services renderes
Q In the case Of Watson against the unioI
= Railway Company.
Fourth-Relating TO services renderes
$ in proceedings to punish certain West
chester town officials for contempt o
court and In criminal proceedings befol,
A Thomas Delehanty. Justice Of the Peac'
n OF the town OF Westchester.
Fifth-Relating 10 services rsnosrel