New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-05
REEDS SENSE OF HUMOR.
HIS STORY OF A CORRUPTION FUND IN
TENDED AS A JOKE.


ME-. QUIGS's ADVOCACY OF THE
JUDICIAL SALES BnL-AD-
JorRNMENT TO ALBANY.
TUESDAY NIGHT
The special committee Of the state Senate. ap
pointed to investigate the charges against Sena-
tors Coggeshall. Raines and Robertson. pub
nshcd in The Press" in connection with the re-
cent passage of a bill to increase the pay Of New
York hremen held its final session in this city
yesterday Ii stated AZ the close of the ses-
sion that the committee would hear other test-
mOny in Albany this week. but 1t was believed
that the investigation mad been substantially
completed. The three Senators interested in the
investigation declared after the proceedings
yesterday that the charges against them had
been shown TO be wholly without foundation, and
officers of the Fire Department declared that the
evidence furnished TO the committee showed that
no corruption fund had been raised by them.
During the investigation number of fremen
have testified that they had heard officers Of the
department talk about the raising Of corrup-
ton fund, amounting to about $4,000 while the
fremen's bill was held in the Senate Committee
on Cities with an amendment 70 increase the OFF,
GERS pay Some of them also testified that there
had been proposal that the fremen should
raise the fund to $45, 200 in order to secure the
passage OF the bill with the amendment. 1T was
fairly proved to the committee that Louis +.
Payn. the lobbyist. Instrumental in having
the amendment tackled the bill. and that he
afterward caused the amendment to be taken off.
No direct testimony TO the raising OF cor
ruption fund has been obtained by the commit
tee. however. and there has been no testimony Of
a positive character 10 implicate any Of the Sena-
tors mentioned in plot 10 compel the iremen 10
pay for the passage OF the BILL and the bill was
passed without the obnoxious amendment. Many
OF the officers Of the department have testified
that they did not take part in the raising II
corruption fund.- and did not know Of the exist
ence OF such fund. Those officers who were
said 10 have made damaging admissions 10 the
nrcmcn on the subject have fatty contradictcd
the testimony Of The hrcmen. or have declared
that they were only Joking when they made the
statements.
Dcnals on tho part Of the officers OF the de-
partment were continued at tho hearing ycstcr-
day. and among the officers who testified was
Battalion Chief Croker. n relative Of Richard
Croker. lie contradicted statements which had
been made under oath by Fire Commissioner La
Grange relative 10 a conversation about the rails
ing Of money by the officers. and he also corrobo-
rated the statements made by Battalion Chief
Shaw. on Friday. relative to n proposition by
Dennis Leary. a lobbyist. TO raise fund for the
purpose of advancing legislation.
OPENING OF THE SESSION.
Only Senators O'Connor, Pound and Mulln Of
the committee were in the old Court Of Special
Sessions in the Tombs yesterday when the in
vestigation resumed, and they were not
ready TO proceed until nearly II a. m. Elihu
Root and George Raines. the opposing counsel,
had a conference in which they appeared to be
on exceedingly friendly terms and it was under
stood that Mr.. Root would take up the cross
examination of some Of the officers OF the IRE
Department who testified on Friday afternoon
Congressman Qugg sat beside Mr.. Root. Sena-
tor Coggeshall did not attend the hearing yes
terday, but Senators Raines and Robertson were
present and Louis +. Payn. whose record as
lobbyist had been well aired in the Investigate N.
occupied a front seat as usual. Many officers Of
the Fire Department were present in uniform
When Senator O'COnnor called the committee 10
order George Raines said he wished 10 remind
the committee of the discussion which took pace
on the previous night as the outcome OF an
EXPRESSION by Senator Mun that it was the
desire of the committee that the witnesses calied
after Mr. Root had closed mis- case should be
cross-examned. MI Ranes added that he had
his witnesses ready for cross-eXamlnatioh' ana
no urged unon the committee the desrability Of
insisting upon the Witnesses being cross-eX-
amined Mr. Root said he was prepared TO cross
examine as he intimated the day before out
he wished the committee 10 understand mat ne
would personally BE- unable 70 attend the inVeSu-
CATION after that hear.-g.
Assistant Foreman Samuel Reed, VINO III the
course Of his direct examination agreed 10 MI
Raires's soft insinuation that he was the funny
laA nd
to Mr. Root said it was true that he testified at
the previous hearing 10 telling the men III MS
engine-house that he had subscribed slVo to d
eorruption fund The witness. however FASTENED
TO qualify the effect OF this testimony on couh-
sers mind by affirming that II was uttered only
BY way of a Joke. Mr.. Root. however. was not
d sposed 10 allow the joke plea TO discount al'o-
gcther the value as evidence OF Witness state
Inent He piled Reed with question al'er ques-
ton IN the endeavor TO show that the au'h's-
sion OF the payment Of 500 was not altos''hei
felton, and that 10 some extent IL was D"SoD ''
a certain substratum of fact Reed however
persisted that his uttersncc was nothlhB MOI
than a hollow joke. born OF his kno"leuse INA
the firemen had some suspicion that the ohcef'
were raising fund 10 help through their aiH'"u
meut 10 the Salaries bill. lie said ne could no
tell how these rumOrs arose regarding the COZ
lection of money. because ne never "t''"u""
meeting OF the officers, and knew niue apo"
their plans, because. AZ genera T"l'' nc W."
Am officer who mingled with the men.
lr WAS All. JOKE. SAYS REED
Q-And you soemny say mat i was o"'y as
Joke you told tho men you gave ilWi Arr h''
that IN tho expectation inni he men "o''d p'"''
a. and pat II down ia ihclf ''ihb h""k
Q.-what IN this nab bookY A n II boo
10 enter tabs" they get against the officers; ina
n. whenever the men hear or note anything hghlnf
an officer they record II IN big book they Keep y,
The purpose Lately The officers have not been npI
TO say word Of 10 make move IN the house WIN
out going down IN this hook u was bccnus" OK
pected they would believe my joke ana put IL 40"
IN the tab book that made 49, -,
Q-Why did you nN The amount at slvl' Al.
cause thought IL would swell their heads uhusn
teri
ly Mr. Ralnes-Thls feeling between the men an