The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-05
UNHAPPY ANDREWS.
The Commissioner Before the
Lex0W Committee.
Mr.. Goff Calls Attention to Some Cohtra-
dictions in Testimony-How Licenses
We're Granted When Money Went.

dictions in Testimony-How Licenses
Were Granted When Money Went.
New York, December A. Before the Lexow
committee this morning, Edward IL. Horne,
real estate dealer, said that he carried on
business at so Exchange place and So wall
street. He was engaged in the Austrian
bond and Hungarian bond business. He got
out of that business two years ago. The
witness said that he destroyed some OF his
books and denied that he had been swim
ding countryman for ten years out of hun
dreds of thousands of dollars with the con-
nivance OF the police. He said his bond
business was not swindle, but admitted
that he was under Indictment now for
grand larceny. The witness volunteered
the statement that he never paid blackmail
to the police.
Commissioner Andrews took the stand
and sald: Il simply want to place on record
my denial of what Witness Tomlinson stated
when he said he gave ne bribe of $500 to
influence me in perfoI ming my duty. deny
Tomlinson ever spoke to me about granting
license except in the order OF official way,
and declare that there is not a word of
truth in what he said about giving me
money. 1 amsbeginning action in the Su-
preme court with the intention of having
this matter tried before q judge and Jury"
Mr.. Andrews explained the license could
not be granted unless all the commissioners
were unanimous. and the rule WAS followed
while he was on the board. He explained
that how the liense was granted to the
Tortoni hotel. He said great many dis
orderly places were closed at the time. The
Excise board received protest from GER
tain persons asking that Hotel Tortoni be
refused q license, but when the case came
up for trial only two of the complainants
arrived. President Woodman. said Mr.. An
drews got disgusted and signed the license
first In 1887 two police officers testified
that they had been to the hotel in company
with women and license was thsn re-
fused.
Commissioner Andrews said the motive of
Tomlinson was that he (Mr. Andrews) in
1892 refused to support TomliIson's return
as chief inspector to the board.
August L.. Lewis, who got license for
Hotel Tort oni, took the stand. In reply to
Mr.. Golf he said that he never saw Mr..
Andrews before. ibid you tell the Excise
board. as Mr.. Andrews said, you intended
to run Hotel Tortoni respectably?'
mo, siI.''
The witness denied he had ever spoken to
any of the Excise commissioners. and said
he saw nobody but the clerk.
Commissioner Andrews was recalled. MIR.
Goff asked him if he had anything to cor
rect III the testimony after hearing Mr..
Lewis. He answered II did not say Nj.
Lewis Appeared before the board. l said
somebody representing him came before the
beard and applied for a license in his
ma me.'
The commissioner suddenly said on second
thought that he was of the opinion that
Lewis really did appear before the board
and was not telling the truth when he said
he did not.
Mr.. Golf entered into an exhaustive:cross-
examination IS to Hotel Tortini, and its
connection with the Excise board in regard
to the licensing business. He read the re-
port of the inspector of Excise, which was
fayorab BILE to granting "a license to one
Joseph Lambert. who applied in September,
1887, for license for Hotel Tortoni.
Commissioner Andrews admitted the
reason the license was refused the Hotel
Tortoni was because the police board re-
ported it a disorderly house.
Mr.. Golf asked: "Can you explain how the
board of Excise refused the license for
Hotel Tortoni. october 26. 1887, and granted
license in December "a, 1Ss79'
Commissioner Andrews replied that
Lewis or man representing himself to be
Lewis. came to the board and said that
Hotel Tortoni: owed him money, and he
could not get satisfied unless he carried on
| the business.
'tThen. you granted a license that Lewis
might collect his money!
Eyes. sir, after a full discussion before
| the board we were satisfied that Lewis was
the proper man to conduct the business
''But there is no record that Lewis made
| such statement"
''Well. somebody representing himself to
! be Lewis, said so.''
'Then you, in your special capacity are
| liable to be deceived very often?"
Everybody in official life can be de-
ceived."
"You have stated,' said Mr.. Gof, "all
| app licants had to be identi fed. was Mr..
Lewis identified?''
| AI don't know whether he was." i.
''Was there hearing of Mr.. Lewis before
the board'
| = The commissioner was not certain about
| this and recess was taken.
MORE ROTTENESS.
After recess Mr.. Golf questioned the COM
missioner at some length as to his financial
affairs. The witness acknowledged borrow
| ing Sl00( from Senator Plunkett, and Mr..
| Golf asked him ii that was not another
bribe Mr.. Andrews replied it was not. Mr..
| Golf asked if Senator Plunkett was not a
| big contractor for the street cleaning de-
| partment. The witness said MIR. Plunkett
| had a contract for some scows. The witness
| was then questioned about the rent paid by
the street cleaning department for stables
| in the city.
| "You will find, Mr.. Chairman" said Mr..
! Gofg. "a rich field for investigation in the
! street cleaning department when you sub
NIT the report to the Legislature"
| Mr. Plunkett owned five stables, the wit
ness said: s'The total rent paid for sta bles
was about 500. The rent of these st a bles
| in 1892" said Mr.. Golf, was only $1,000, and
| in 1898 Is $50, 1000.
| Charges Against Police Captains
Naw Work December 4-Suuerintendent