The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-04-24
REFUSED TO ANSWER
Colonel John T. Van Cleef's
Singular Conduct Pefore
the Voorhees, Com
mittee.
OYSTER AND CLAM IRREGULARITIES
How the 0ystermen's Association
Kept the School Fund From
Receiving Money.
OYSTER AND CLAM IRREGULARITIES

or the voorhees, lnVeSliSdtton OOiHhillleC
| yesterday afternoon was one of the most
| sensational of the entire session. Colonel
Bohn T Van Cleef. who. it was shown
in the morning. has been selling to the
| State a map which the State paid him
to prepare, went on the stand and caused
his many friends much distress. He i'm
mediately assumed the defensive, re-
fused to answer questions, and made a
very ~unfavorable impression generally.
He began by telling the committee that
he had been secretary of the Board of
Assessors for eleven years, since It's or
ganization in 1884. He told about the
compilation of the maps and thought
they had 10. COO copies printed originally
on a stone that had been imported. He
had no records to show for the orders,
| and obtained no further editions than
those from Thomas & Wiley.
ssThis is the gnap?" asked Corbin,
showing one.
Eyes, that is the ~extravagant map"
1.-The copy made in 1892 was corrected
up to date?"
Eyes, sir"
.ssThere was no second stone?"
"Oh, NO"
.sWho made the metal platter"
Don't know"
Whom did You order from!
Don't remember"
rs there any difference between the
maps of 1893 and 1891, except the date?"
No, l think not"
yes, sir. The Port Reading and
Rockaway. Valley roads We're added by
| road across Newark Bay?"
No; there wasn't room to get 1t in
u ( turhnE Pprth Amh0V and R2ritan road
appear?"
amateur map made by Belts and my
SELF"
Voorhees,.
mo, we never changed SO many we
only aka ssn Year ap' the Mn State ws p slds for $500; did
you change that many?"
| 81 think not"
nishedg'
:, But the !, State s. PAD for NGs she Tnn MAP
Eyes, the State paid for them. We
tried to change all the maps, but did
| not. and sometimes sent out three maps
How many maps did you send out?"
"Oh, any quantity"
who was the custodian"
/ HTllC% Sldlt oOdEQ u ASSSSSOioy VhO
| were better able TO tell who should have
| them, and they kept them to distribute"
Col. Van Cleef, showing considerable
4 agitation, said the map was hand-draWn,
! h was made at considerable expense.
| They had prepared the maps at the re-
| quest of ex-senator Cattell and Edward
| Bette, who were members of the board
| at the time. (Both Catten and Bette
| are dead.)
Mr.. corbin read from last years re-
4 port q statement to the erect that a map
1 cOmpanie each report.
on. that's fgurative," replied the wit
ness.
Who got UP the report?"
What map is. referred to-" I
!. " = bills paid the printers show THAT that
Where did they come from"
Il suppose they came from the same
What is that source?"
Probably an oyerplus that we had not
sent out. | can't remember all the ms
and outs now. They certainly must Y
ask @ne chai y NV Woeraee se gov AN
II don't know where they came from,
but they must have been furnished"
answered the witness. who was becoming
badly ratified.
Chairman Voorhees, then told the wit
psa zb tnat TIE al.t p ss.gSo ma and had th1 been pg far.
through the printers hands. THE wit
| QTSgES rG1efreu personally TO you. 1SOW
DON'T you personally know about thegn?'
but nayssIf replied Van cleef, -,
"EOW can you account for so manyT'
"But you were paid for. fhem?"
Yes. ! was paid for all ordered and
Manager Engerham says but 5000 were
printed. Who made the remainder
Il had them made
Who printed them2"
I'D rather not answer that question
IT'S a question of price. and / don't know
REFUSES TO ANSWER.
The question was repeated. n G33l
a,sss,tj Gaee and Te ! WI1l not ansMsr " furshe ahs
...Sinnickson Chew has testified that ne
ordered some from F Appropriateness
Sons Is that correct?' asked Counsel
II prefer not Ito said the wit
ness. 7 DON'T want 20 get Heppen-
Have You no record of maps furnish.
None to produce" -
Chairman voorhees,, 'tthat Il, 900 maps
were furnished but they never delivered
hands. they have your receipts for them
That throws the burden on YOU Why
do you object TO telling US where y9 9
II haven't been approached properly. ]
have not had time" replied the witness
you want time to prepare! asked
HNo, 1 am here to answer all questions
replied the witness, who was showing
igns of breaking down.
Why did you, an ernplcye of the State
sell the State 1900 maps on your owl
account?' inquired Senator Ketcham-
eleven years of his life in the work o
the Board and that he had got onl,
81, 900 salary at first. but was promised
more. His efforts had brought the boart
up to its present efficiency.
.But that does not explain why vol
sell goo6s to the State for a profit wlhe1
employed by the State" said Mr.. .Corbin
sWhy does anybody" replied the wit
ness. He then went on to say that h
had made money out Or the State I
erai, and had received pay for profession
al services rendered to the board in dis
z putes with local. boards.
eAfi that is foreign to this matter" re
There s much that Is GERMAN to b
saidFon his question which I don't pro
4 pose TO say now. ! have rendered qui
GRO quo for all / ever received"
ffThcn why do you hesitate to answe
my questions? Don't you see fnal
jNaves you in a very bad posation?' sal
ai.ye got to be left in that position.
III take the pnus on my own shoulders.
4 Mr.. Corbin started to INQUIRE a
i concerning the maps, when the wines
bTske in With" Wouldn't u b better !