The sun., 1897-06-07
NO JOKE, THIS, FORHUGHES.
TIE HOAX MARER ARRESTED FOE
ATTEMPTING BRIBERY.

william w. Taylor swoaru that Hughes Agreed
to Pay Him asOO Protect TIVE Em-
pioyees In the Bureau OF Markets from Bx.
animation by the Commiusionor or Accounts.
1t was not practical joke that caused the APP
pearanco in Centre Street Court yesterday morn.
ing of Brian G. Hughes, a box manufacturer, OF
242 Centre street, and living at 40 East l26th
street. On the contrary, 1t was very serious
matter, as Hughes was prisoner in the custody
of Detective O'Connor of the court squad, and
was charged with having attempted to bribe
William w. Taylor. an assistant examiner in
the office Of the Commissioner Of Accounts.
Mr.. TAYLOR appeared as the complainant.
The warrant was issued on Saturday Just az
court was closing for the day. Detective O'Con.
nor arrested Hughes at his box factory and
locked him up in the Elizabeth street station,
where he passed the night. Hughes had moth.
ing to say yesterday in court, and beyond max.
ing the formal plea of not guilty, refused to
talk even to Magistrate Flammer. His attorney
secured an adjournment of the hearing until
Friday afternoon. Hughes was admitted to
81 900 bail, and John J. Slevin, exRegister.
went on tho bond.
In his complaint Mr.. Taylor swears that on
April 8, Jacob f. Blackwell, who was at that
time also an assistant examiner in the Com
missioner's Office. told him that something was
wrong in the accounts Of the Bureau of Markets
ordered. Blackwell said he wanted to have tho
matter fixed up and would Taylor again
about 1t. Taylor told c. w. Haskins, the chief
examiner. and was instructed to allow Black
well to make his proposition. Taylor accord
ingly made an arrangement with Blackwell to
meet him and Hughes in the Steward building
on the following day, when the three were to go
to dinner and talk the matter over. Hughes
met Taylor in the Stewart building on April Q,
but Blackwell pid not keep tho appointment.
After waiting for some time Taylor accompa-
MED Hughes to a restaurant at Franklin street
and Broadway, but Blackwell WAS not there.
Never mind" Taylor swears Hughes said.
81 have two friends, Joseph Dunn and Daniel
Dillon. in the Bureau of Markets. whom want
you to protect. How serious a matter will this
investigation be for the people in the officel
viii you do the elegant and hx it for $1Oof"
II said. One hundred dollarsf Not on your
life! " continues Taylor in his affidavit. And
then Hughes said. Dunn owes me $3.50 and
Dillon owes 5000. and III see you again tomor-
row in this restaurant"
Taylor says that at this point he reported the
matter to Commissioner Seth Sprague Terry,
and was told to continue in the work. He there-
fore met Hughes in the same restaurant on
struck Dillon and Dunn for $3.50, Of which you
get 5000, and and $5os 80 goes to me-" Taylor says
the bargain as Hughes had promised they would,
and that Hughes finally said he would guaran::
tee ulnScll lnhl everything WIS Ill T1BnC, ana
the money would be paid as soon as the doc:
tored report was made to the Commissioner Of
ASsSes Said Would for oo
you and & Slo9 f9E myself as st that would cover the
being that was o
pay Taylor the money as soon as a favorable re-
port was made concerning the standing Of Dillon
and Dunn.
Hughes is notorious manufacturer Of
hoaxSs: In 1894 he applied for permission to
| Permission refused, but in few days a
story appeared in the newspapers that the body
| the beach, where the features and form could be
plainly distinguished through the clear water.
was brought to the surface and proved to be
| ships wooden hgurehead with Hughes's adver~
| tsement painted on the back.
| Hughes's next hoax was to send a tramp cat
to the cat show in the Madison Square Garden
in 1895 He called ed. the @ cat Nsodenns . and gave
was placed in gilt cage was fed by a coach.
man in livery and was valued. go a placard on
first prize, and for weeks Hughes kept announe-
ing that he had refused sums in excess Of q 600
observant om "a two woman maj from New " Jersey Contested
Nicodemus was az female cat, % and Hughes had to
| admit the hoax. He said the cats name was
| Josephine and returned the prizes.
In 1896 Hughes sprung a story that his little
son had found a secret drawer in writing desk
had 0ten bought at an auction @ oh OF the pue
that Mrs Bessie Marcou. well known in tho
| Tcnderloin. had committed suicide, Hughes
said his son had found securities whose face
value was over $25Ooo0 and jewelry to tho
value of $4,000 in the secret drawer OF the
desk, and that the papers showed the property
had belonged to Mrs. Maroon. II was over q
week before the Public Administrator would
admit that he had been hoaXed
The last gold brick yarn that Hughes tried to
sell was but n month ago, when he claimed to
have in his possession picture bearing the ttle
of The Birth Of st. JOHN which he described
as '' an old masterpiece claimed by several art
galleries in Europe. and valued at $S5 600"
| Hughes declared pmnlOyed
butler who on his deathbcd. gave the picture to
him, telling him that it had been stolen by the
buffers father from European art gallery sew
eral years before.
Hughes has engineered many fake schemes to
fool his friends. He started company to manu-
facture ice out OF boiling water. and so have it
pure. He also fathercd scheme to pipe water
from Niagara Falls TO New York TO use for mo-
tive power. He is about 81 years old. and ID
said to be worth lot of money.