New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-28
SHEEHAN TRIES TO REPLY
A FUTILE ATTEMPT TO sMIRCH A DEAD
MANS RECORD.


swERrxo' THE CHARGES or BxTRAvAGANcE
MADE BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF AC-
couNrs-MR TERRY TALKS BACK
:. WITH CONVINCING FACTS --
AND FIGURES
John c. sheehan. ex-Police Commissioner anu
.upposed leader OF Tammany Hall In the p'cse".
eAmpairn after a weeks delay issued "hat ne an"
his coadjutors called defence OF the charges '"au'
a<ainat him as chairman Of the Committee on ne
rs,,. ara sunn,ies I'm the Police Department by the
Commissioners OF Accounts. considerable part
Of Mr.. Sheehan's document or twenty7seVeh Npe
written pages Is taken up with an attempt 10 MAKE
people believe that the report OF the commissioner
AZ Accounts which mainly stra ghtforWard
comparison between the prices which Sheehan PAID
for goods furnished by favored concerns ana the
prices at which the same goods could be bought IN
the open market. was a piece of political persecu-
ton and designed for It's effect on the present cam
paign.
TRYING TO SHIFT THE BLAME.
Anotherssection OF Mr. Sheehan's answer con-
sisted what most people VIII be apt TO regard as
an ul-advsed effort place upon the shoulders OF
. dead man whatever Of wrongdoing may have been
laid at sheehan's door. The dead man -is Genera
Ely g. Parker who held the subordinate place OF
reauisition clerk In the Police Department ana VINO
vas wholly under the orders OF the Police Board.
Parker during the civil w WAS oHe u
General Grants most trusted and valued offcers.
re served on the staff OF the great Union COM
nander and gained reputation for bravery ana
fidelity which any white soldier might have enViea
True General Parker was Of Indian booh ana
birth. but he was not Tammany Indian ana the
covert insnuations of Mr. Sheehan are the hrst
reflections upon his character for honesty ana IN
texrity that were It Is believed, ever made. MT
Sheehan's attempt to this dead. soldier as a
shield against the accusations OF the Accounting
Commissioners when the exCommissoner hHlseil
was the man responsible for the Tamman! raid
upon the city treasury. will not create peasant
impression upon fair-mnded citizens
Mr. Sheehan quotes from the law 10 show mat ne
WAS not required to advertise for bids. and con-
soles himself with the conclusion that ne IS IN no
danger Of prosecution and punishment for paving
several prices for the supplies he ordered. i"'s
sort OF defence may seem good TO the CLASS Oh
voters who usually train with Tammaany Hali'
hi, n vii, hardly satisfy the taxpayers OF the city.
who see no reason why they should be compelled
TO enrich Tammany contractors and pay their con-
trfbutions 10 the Croker Sheehan campaign corrup-
ton fund.
Mr. Sheehan produces statements from number
OF the firms and corporations that have been sup
plying the Police Department at fancy rates uui-
ing Tammany administration. AS might DE eN-
pecied, these witnesses sustain the SAeehah ihe'n-
od. and insist that the superior character of Their
wares justified them in charging. ana MI HHee"a'
In paying. exorb.tant prices TOT the SAME
Commissioner Terry in an interview last night
analyzed some Of these statements and showed the
nmsy nature OF Mr.. Sheehan's excuses. He also
paid his respects John v Berry. the statlsucian
whom Mr.. Sheehan employed to work UP counter
statement and explanation OF the Commissioners
charges and who furnished him with seven type
written pages OF his defence
COMMISSIONER TERRY's STATEMENT.
Commissioner Terry when last night at the
f-l,hi rpfor u
nent said:
In our efforts 10 find the marke; price for the
supplies used by the Police Department and con-
sequently to see whether proper prices mad peen
paid we tried TO ascertain the precise article iur-
nished the Department We then secured samples
OF tn. actual goods and these were shown by us TO
reliable houses Of his city, which deal IN these
goods We secured an estimate OF prices from them
with the understanding that II the prices were sat
isfactory they would receive the contract Tor the
present Police Board. We received the estimates
as shown in our reports and as evidence or the
bona ade character Of the bids the Board has al
ready in the latter part Of the week, bought goods
from some of these houses at the prices stated.
Envelopes may have been bought in the early part
OF the week at the old figure, but, according 10
letter sent me by Commissioner Andrews. none
have been bought at the old rates since the present
.t,on N the Board of our lists Of bids Mitchell,
according 70 the vouchers. furnished 10000 envelopes
for which he received Sis. Stewart Warren co.
offered TO supply the same grade OF envelopes anu
the same number for 81.
MI Sheehan says that he never overdrew the
appropriations This is In reality true. as the books
show each year a balance left although one year
IL was only "A cents. but this was accomplished by
carving over 10 the next year large Indebted
ness We In our Investigations, have TO do with
only a small portion Of the appropriations, as about
as per cent of them were expended for policemens
salaries. etc
The real reason for the large sums needlessy
extended for supplies is that there was no compet-
ton Mr. GAY the reQuiston clerk. VINO had
charge OF sending out requests for bids, and o.
Radford Keeo the manager for Martin b. Brown
were both called on 10 testify before the Commits
sion Gay said that very few requests were sent
out Kelso swore that. excepting In the case or
election stationery there was practically no COM
petition The firm OF Martin B. Brown bid IN all
for forty mine articles for the use of the present
Police Board. OF these. forty-three were less IMAM
one-half the price formerly paid for them when
there was no competition.
THE following Is list of some OF these articles
giving the amount formerly paid 10 Brown me
amount now paid TO him. and the amount stated
In our report as the at which the articles might
be purchased: