New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-19
NOT THERE FOR HIS HEALTH
ATOMS ABOUT PHELANS DO1NGS
IN THE DOCK BOARD.

DAY IN THE INVESTIGATION.
pheIan. member Of the late Tam
' poard OF Dock Commissioners and former
" .s. treasurer of the Board. was yesterday
V.sa by John ellis. ship and dock builder
" ,s7 Kent-st. Brooklyn. of having demand
,onev from the witness. who IN Decemper'
60 " taken contract to build the new Amer
49,, 80. line pier at Futon-st, North River. Inc
N' ,as made at the Dock Board invesi-
"s.,.r before the Commissioners OF Accounts
-. amount Of the contract was so""''' Inc
-o,t was finished in 1891.
,,~ ellis testified that from the start OF the
-. On the pier he was harassed by two men.
o,s was an engineer named Greene and the other
,svor named Thompson. The latter told
-, ,ha, 400 paid TO him would save him future
vance ellis said he refused to bribe Thomp-
and Greene delayed his work by not giving
49,, room on the bullshead to store his piles lie
la that these tw, nier held his WORK oach
,x,v.nne days. In consequence of this deiay h's
.o,,ract was not finished in the speclned ume
.,d the Board added a penalty OF *S'4oo' "heh
40 witness went to Commissioner Phelah
- december %. 1891. he testified that the COM
,,,ssioner said: 'T am not in the Board Tor my
~..,., II YOU thought that ! going to pass
vour bill you were fool
HOW 1T CAME OUT
Mr. ellis did not tell Commissioner Terry all
- knew or direct examination. 1t was wneh
rs,os McCurdy x-Commissioner Phelans law
80, cross-examined the witness that the whole
story came out
When Mr. McCurdy began the witness sald
abruptly And who are you?"
oNow that S aneah an. frends
leueWha, bosom friends? A-No. l mean that
iSso 90 so' you say Phelan wanted money? Yes.
hsdid and seeing that you want informauoh' cou"-
ssIor I will give all YOU bargain for
Mr. McCurdy-Certainly; go ahead r.,. Do,.~,-
uf, The ods that Phelan Sd and
had only entered the Department for rasfa Ing come
et99M os,t 9or da money 5es %We on December 2S is
went to s him aSon 'Ns and Ds he
ne was not going to pass It. He said that penalty
S & S S. hsa STeh he Rwesd not impose the penalty
He said that in that event he would pay tne iui,
sas nnrposey held me back was not responsible
for the delay and the penalty and that Would @ nIt
r rssdy TESTIFIED TO- that il thought he was in The
,s, sSsrd unless r his pa neae h would bd piers
ss sss and not have IT done by contract He said that
ssvbn ss HDna by rTinr HIM the MONEY He said that
would receive more contracts and make up "ha' 1
had given him.
MR. MCURDY DISCOMFITED.
Mr. McCurdy had not expected the witness to
come out with all these details. and his dscom-
future was added to when the witness. who was
a scotchman. said ironically. Want any more
Counsellor
Now you bought piles for the dock from A.
J. Murray Why" asked Commissioner Terry
II had been testified at previous sessions that
Murray was a favored contractor.
II bought them" said the witness.
too closely. But believe tina, they were up to re-
O Would it surprise. you to know that some OF
Yes. bnt i has never been brought to trial ! re-
oe.ved s27 432 % the last payment and sued Tor
Perhaps the counsellor wants to know more7"
said the Scotchman. looking over at Mr.. McCur-
dy when the Commissioner had finished
oh no." said Mr. Phelan's lawyer trying TO
look calm.
Next followed Henry Thomas. Of No 4s7
seventh-ave Brooklyn. He is laborer in the
Dock Department ard testified that under the
old regime II was not an unusual thing for dirt
to be mixed with cobbles for crib work, when
the specifca tons called for only stone
The investigation was ther adjourned untl
next week.
GENERAL DENIAL FROM PHELAN.
james J. Phelan at his home. No. 90
West Eighty-ffth-st.. last night and said that he
Hd1 not ntdlQ OF the statement Udut Dy JOHH
Ginis. but that anything which Gillis might say
was unworthy of belief
"This man" said Mr Phelan, lis nothing but a
blackmang scoIndrel. His record speaks for
itself He never did an honest job that know
Of When / first went into the Dock Board |
ellis came to me with stories TO the effect that !
Chief Engineer Greene was a bad man. that he |
blackmailed contractors, that he was Repub- |
lican and hated Democrats and Catholics | lis |
tened to him and measured him up l had pre-
viously heard before l became Dock Commits
soner Of this mans work in Brooklyn and else |
where. ! heard also from former city offic.ais
that In a former investigation Of the Dock De-
partment he procured alleged evidence which !
was deliberate perjury Hence | was very eau |
tous listened to what he had to say about
others He also made statements relative to
Commissioner Cram. and that the Board had
treated him wrongly and allowed a vessel to
remain at a pie. for which privilege money was
received
After reading the testimony Mr.. Phelan said:
This matter only confirms my opinion OF the
and what stuff these Commissioners are
bringing forward TO use for campaign purposes.
The facts Of the case r few words are these
ellis tried 10 gain my sympathy by lying about
others, fdt when his alleged claim was pre- /
sented 10 the Board II was fully discussed by
Commissioners Cram and Post. and by them II
VAS referred 10 me to report back 10 them ne
seQuently ellis called here. but knowing his
Character | Immediately called In stenogra-
pher. He would not talk because the stenogra-
pher was present. j told him 10 leave the
room and that would have no further dealings
with him" All this reported to the fun
Board. Mr. Phean said.
During the Lexow investigation person
called at my house." said Mr. Phelan, "and said
mat he came from this man Gillis. and that
uiiiis threatened 70 go before the committee and
tei that demanded money from him, and that
ne would not do If ! would report favoraDly
On MS claim. ! told the messenger 10 tell Gillls
70 % all ne pleased in the matter. and told the
threat 10 icSfo and White ana