The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-04-12
Queer BRIDGE FIGHY.
Delos Culver Accused Of Shady
Transaction in the Big Hud-
son River Spans
Affairs.
Suecia1 to az Jerseu citu Ne,rs.

NEW YORK, April u, 1895.-The four
companies interested in the construction
of the proposed bridge across the Hud-
son River are much exercised over the
discovery that Delos E. Culver, a New
Jersey politician and railroad promoter,
has been making some large construc-
ton contracts without the knowledge Of
the officers of the companies, and fur
thermore, it is alleged, has been receiv-
ing large SUM Of money in considera-
ton of these contracts.
The anne of the four corporations
are the New York and New Jersey
Bridge Company of New York, the New
York and New Jersey Bridge Company
OF New Jersey, the New York and New
Jersey Bridge Construction Company
and the Atlantic Construction Company.
Culver, twenty-seven years ago, was one
of the organizers of the New York and
New Jersey Bridge Company of New
Jersey, and in negotiating contracts
referred to. which call for furnishing
large quantities of stone fer the pro-
alleged, as chief engineer of that COM
PAM.
CULvER,S CLAIMS DENIED.
IN OLiCSfS AOWGRcIs QGHy tHdl lie
holds any such Office. or is authorized
to make contracts for supplying work
or material for the construction of the
bridge. They r~epudiate and say they
viii ignore these contracts.
Associated with Culver in these con-
tracts, it is said. is Henry McTighe, a
local contractor. who has an Office with
Culver at Nc. III Broadway. In the
n a q 7 q yhia1 arz IIoaol I--.-4 -
place, the payments by contractors in
consideration of the promises made to
them by Culver have been made to
McTighe.
One of the contractors was Henry F..
HamiN. who owns large stone quarries
near Providence, r. I. Associated with
him was Michael j, Dady, John Y. Nc
Kane's friend. OF Brooklyn. Ham.ll is
said to nave made a contract with Nc
Tighe to furnish stone for the Hudson
River Bridge, to be used on the New
Jersey side, for which he agreed to pay
$4,000 in installments.
DELOS' GOOD THING.
Culver, who represented himself as the
Chief Engineer on Construction, gave
written permission to this contract,
which was afterwards dissolved and a
new agreement entered into, by which
Hamill agreed to pay $4,000
Among the mounts paid to McTighe,
by contractor Hamfll, are checks ag-
gregating $11, 0oa, which were given at
various times during 1894.
Secretary Charles II. Swain of the
New York and New Jersey Bridge Com
pany, of New Jersey, declares Culver is
in no way connected with that
and had no right or authority to enter
into contracts for stone for the bridge
piers. 1t was no evidence, he said, that
McTighe has entered into contracts with
innocent parties for labor and material,
and that the latter had agreed to pay
him $50, 900, and had actually paid $4,000
of this sum.
Mr.. Culver. 1t is stated. had no on
nection whatever with any of the bridge
companies, the Chief Engineer being
Thomas c. Clarke.
Mr.. Culver insists he IS still Chief En-
gineer of the New Jersey Company;
that he was elected by a majority of
the stockholders and cannot be ousted
by the Board of Directors. He denies
that there has been any deal or crooked
work.
Mr.. McTighe still has the check for
SO, 900 given by Mr.. Hamill, and says
he did not collect it because Mr.. Hamfal
had no funds in the bank. 1t was drawn
on the Western National Bank and bore
the date of January 6, 1894.