New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-19
MISUNDERSTANDING
NO SIGN OF A "DlVNY."
THE NEWARK INVESTIGATION HAS SO
FAR FAILED OF ITS PURPOSE.
FORMER OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY NAME
STATEMENTS DENYING TESTIMONY 'i'
AT THE FIRST HEARING NOTHING GRIM


AT THE FIRST HEARING NOTHING GRIM
mai. SHOWN IN THE EVIDENCE
TIL. Investigation OF the purchase Of site III
Clinton Township for disihlec'hs s'""
resumed by the special committee of the Newark
common Council Yesterday afternoon. Two state
ments made respectively by Mrs. Ida crow t,ie
former owner OF the property. ana "eo,se '"
stephens her lawyer. both taken by memoe's "
the committee In NewYork on Saturday "eio sun
United in evidence s,oo.o Gov
Mrs Crow said that she had received So"" io'
,he nronertv less 5000 paid TO her lawyer lot MS
services She contradcted the testimony Oh i'"e
nor the purchaser OF the property reia"'e
infant heir. She said that there was nv maj
heir as the youngest child was twenty-io"i 700
old. She knew nothing about the convey "n0
Tichenor ot three and half acres OF meauo" 'a"O
Mr. s,enhens her lawyer. said that Ilchehor NAV
maid s1OOO and conveyed the meadow lanu ~
him personally. and he stephens no" o""e w
land The consideration Of sS.ses naneu III INC N
vevance as the value OF the land. when II WIZ"
only abou, $780, had been named al iic"e 49,
Quest Mr. Tchenor testified last week 'haI 'Ne
consideration named had been placed In the con-
veyance by the lawyer himself MY. stephens 'a'
ne had understood that Mr.. Tichenor WAS =" ' u
pose Of the property 10 the city OF Ne"alA' VIZ
the negotiations were In progress VII" '"e Wv"
estate.
The frrt witness called Councilman Staihsoy'
NJ the Committee on Public Buildings. de refheW-
bered the meeting in August 1874 al WIN" '4'e
subject OF the new disnfec,ng station was hrs'
brought up. At the meeting on August d. 1917 'i'o
Board Of Health appeared before the. Committee Oh
Public Buildings and said that the site III "fo'e
st. had been accepted. and asked that the sIo'n'
lie purchased on the recommendation OF the
Board Of Health. the Council committee oruere"
the purchase. Mr.. stainsby was excused amer say
Ing that to the best Of his knowledge, none OF 'e
members Of the committee had visited the prop
erty
r l.. Cobb the bookkeeper OF the Essex Count!
National Bank in which George W Tchenor Kept
his accounts during 1894, was next sworn ne pro-
duced transcript Of the books OF the oanH' SHOW
ing the debts and credits in Tchenors account from
July l. 1894 TO the present time. The bank did not
have the vouchers. and the witness was uhaoIe ~
recall the names OF persons to whom chechs were
given. 49,
Il see on September 10 that there is a credit Of
G4bO0 Weren't these two checks deposited on mat
day." asked Chairman Ogden -.
He may have had the 800 casheo. INC Si'''V
represents deposit
The returned checks from the City Treasurers
Office were shown 10 the witness. He Identified the
500 check as having been cashed. the only reason
being that the check did not appear on the DOCKS
OF the bank.
The next witness was John ;. Scnafer' at one
time City Surveyor ....
Did you have information from a Mr.. Gardner
,ha, he knew Of crooked practices in regard to the
purchase OF any land?' asked City Counsel RiKer
"Of this purchase of land?' inquired the witness
evasively.
Yes" responded MI Rker.
NO replied Mr.. Schafer.
"Or any other?" was Mr.. Riker's next question
NO" answered Schafer
What did you say in an interview In news
paper?" inquired Mr.. Riker.
Il don't know what did say
Were you correctly reported?" asked the city
counsel
Il believe was
''rhen you don't know anything about the mat
ter?" inquired Mr. Riker
NO All do know is that If the city officials
had busted around they could have gotten the land
much cheaper"
Mr. Gardner the man referred 10 by the previous
witness. then called.
What do you know about the purchase Of the
Grove-st property?' asked Mr. Riker
Nothing"
ibid you ever say anything about knowing OF
crookedness in the matter"
"No sir
A. H. Scholtz Newark saloonkeeper, was called
md asked IL he remembered being in G. w. Itch
enor's Office when spaper man was inquirng
for him lie replied that he did
did you ever carry him in reference
TO this city natter"
NO. sir"
"Do you remember meeting Mr.. Farrell in the
Clinton Building october 1872" asked Mr.. Rker.
The witnesses memory on the SUBJECT was Ddn'
and TO every query he answered that he didn't re-
member" His replies were evasve especially in
regard to meeting Mr.. Farrell. the newspaper man
who inspired the Investigation When finally
pinned down. however. Scholtz remembered having
inquired for Tichenor on October T. but he could
not say what his business with the latter was.
When the last time you spoke or wrote to
Mr. Tichenor about the Grove-st. property asked
Chairman ogden.
Il never spoke 10 him about IT," the witness re-
piled uneasly.
VIVA, was your conversation with him when
ne came in that day.
Il couldn't say"
Didn't Mr.. Tchenor ever tell you that he had
made a good sale TO the city,"
NO. he never did
City Auditor Runyon. the next witness. was
asked:
In September. 1894 some warrants were Issued
10 G. W. Tichenor?'
"A warrant" was the correction made by the
Auditor who opened his books and found an entry
on September 10 recording the payment of $1,000
Mr.. Tichenor for land for the hospital
Mr.. Runyon explained the manner in which
checks given in payment OF bills by the city
officials In order. he said. that there might be no
delay in the settlement OF large claims the Treas
urer drew checks sometimes several days ahead
OF the date OF the warrant In this particular case
the check was made September s. and was de-
livered when the warrant issued. two days
later
Then there may be difference Of several days
between checks and Warrants asked the chairman
OF The committee.
Yes" was Mr.. Munyon's answer.
We'll. that's something that ought to be
rected," Mr.. Ogdens comment.
T. Nuity, a clerk In the office OF the treasurer;
ex-City Clerk OConnor and City Treasurer Wilson
ali gave important testimony
on request Of MI kiker the checks and warrant
used In the transaction were marked exhibits
in the Investigation and filed as such.
William A. Ward. real estate dealer testified
that he had been requested by the Board of Health
10 look for sites for the d!snfectng station. He
was not confined TO any particular locality. One
that he offered the city was thirteen in
Grove-st. al $1,000 acre. lie also offered
other sites. The same price being asked. Both are
near ,hc site that finally obtained. one OF
them part Of the Gross estate, the other prop
erty belonging August Dessing, and the TWO
tracts amounted TO about nine In his opinion
the property purchased by the city worth about