The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-18

New York. April lin the session of
the Mazet investigation commission to-
day. Hon. Richard Croker was again
the principal witness of Mr.. Moss eX-
animation, and the probability is that
the Tammany chieftain and John f.
Carroll will be the subjects of con-
tempt proceedings before the state leg
islature shall adjourn.
An adjournment of the commission
was taken this afternoon until next
Friday, and Mr.. Croker was subpoe-
naed to reappear before the session on
next Monday morning.
Before the initiative of Mr.. Moss,
many of whose questions Mr.. Croker
refused to answer, and with whom he
had several sallies that came very near
being personal, the chairman took such
action as would leave Mr.. Croker IN
technical contempt. 1t was stated to-
day that when Mr.. Fallows of the
commission left for Albany he had IN
structions to prepare papers adiudging
Croker and John !. Carroll in con-
tempt.
When the commission began its in
uuiry today, about the first thing
brought up was q resort known as the
broadway Garden" which had Hour
iShed in the upper Broadway district
Tor some time. In this place the al
legged robbery of the former mayor of
Trenton. Frank Mcgowan, took place
Simon Buttner. the former proprietor
OF the garden. made some startling
charges against Captain Price, and his
waiter corroborated in part his teStl-
.mony.
Assemblyman Hoffman offered res
olution sundmuuing before the commits
sion a certain law firm, which, by and
with the assistance of other persons.
and by corrupt methods. secured the
passage through the assembly OF the
astoria gas franchise, whose real pur-
pose WAS TO enable the Consolidated
Gas company to force u consolidation
of all the gas interests in the city, to
the end that the supply of gas might
be controlled and the price regulated
by The so-called consolidation. Mr.
Hoffman wanted to subpoena the law
firm of Tracy, Boardman & Platt; En-
hu Root, incorp0rators of the Astoria
Heat, Light q; Power company; Thorn
as Z. Platt, Benjamin b. Odell Lemuel
Ely Quigg, and John d. Crimmins.
The resolution was defeated, how
ever five Republicans opposing ii and
two Democrats favoring it.
Some Startling Charges.
AIr. Moss called simon Buttner to the
stand. He testified that in 1890, when
he came to this city "A country jay.
he went TO a certain politician. who
told him that he would have to see the
police. lie was instructed 10 see In
spectur Williams. but he could not see
him, and met Price, then a roundsman,
now a captain.
Buttner testified that Price told him
he would have TO pay him 500 month
to insure the protection of the resort
which he started. and that If anybody
was robbed, he price was to get half.
And / have done business with him
Tor quite awhile, said Buttner.
Buttner testified that it was in 1S90-9I
he paid the money to Price. AT that
time, Buttner said, he was simply run
ming an ordinary saloon. Buttner said
his Broadway Garden has been fre
Quenuy examined by police officers and
declared 10 be all right. Everything
had gene well until Captain Price came
10 the precinct Then. Buttner said, il
was a case of hands up" Buttner
swore that the first thing Price did
was to threaten to close the Broadway
Garden up unless he received $150 and
half of any robbery that was accom- ,
plished in il. He objected and told |
Price he was running a straightforward
game and letting out no rooms, but, !
according to the witness, Price replied |
Il don't care a d if you let out 4 |
hundred rooms a night. / want $50 a
month.
Price was not a man to argue point |
in a gentlemanly manner, witness said, !
and so he (Buttner) asked with whom |
he should do business. He was told to |
see Bob Nelson, a salooGkeeper. Wiz |
ness objected TO Nelson. and Price be- |
gan to make arrests in the Garden. I
Buttner went to see Nelson, but, though |
he called a dozen times, he was always |
IN,.-# -#raa,s ID
he was advised to go to see Al Adams, !
1.-THE policy king" and owner of the !
Karrsch brewery. BY taking beer /
from Adams" Buttner said, you Will |
be well protected"
Policies Share of Robberies.
Buttner said he did not see Adams |
personally. but got a message from
him, saying he could expect no protec-
ton in that precinct. Buttner testified |
to q later interview with Captain Price,
in which he alleged that the police
officer said:
Il win tell you, Simon, 1 have moth
ing against you personally; l never did
have anything, but you cannot stay ia
this precinct" and he advised Buttner
TO sell out. Buttner said the converse
ton then turned on robbery of $500
which had taken place the previous
day at the Broadway Garden. Butt
ner said to Price:
Don't blame me for II. captain. As
soon as we heard of it we sent to get
one of your officers and we told him
who the woman was. He got the money
from the woman. Now, if your people
encourage these women TO rob men, if
they stand in Tor one-half, you can't
blame me; we cannot put watch over
every man and woman and watch
them"
Buttner asserted that he had known
more than 100 similar cases in which
the police had made women share with
them the money they had stolen from
men. He swore that on one occasion
woman robbed man of IS, 500 and gave
the whole amount TO the ward man.