Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-27
WANTS CR0kER'S AID
Alleged Secret aroVel, of ". J.
Bryan to the Boss.
-T---
WILLING TO ABANDON Is 10 |
Croker Receives It stoica|Iy and
81
Makes No Promises.
OTHER GOTHAM GOSSIP
special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

| There has been considerable talk of Will
lam Jennings Bryan bending the knee to
Croker. This message of submission it
| is said. was carried to Croker by a per-
sonal friend of Bryan. He was deputed
| to say that Bryan did not remain away
from the democratic club dinner because
| it was the democratic club but because
! 1t was dim at which Perry Belmont
| was the presiding officer. Then the ennis
| sary declared that Bryan was not against
the 'enemy's country" that he had learn
| ed to love it, and that he wanted Crokers
support for 1900. When Bryan reached
| the city it is said he found he was look
ed upon as defeated candidate. He found
| that if he would be regarded in any other
| light he must get in line and associate
with men recognized party leaders 1t
| was when Bryan realized this that he fell
| He did it as delicately as he could but in
| the language of Tammany, He seen his
duty and he done it."
The story gees that he sent word to
Croker that he was willing to get awav
| from 16 to ! in measurable degree and
| that he would tackle the issues Tammany
| would lay down for him. While it is claim
| ed Bryan has come off his pedestal as easy
| as any candidate that ever fiirted with a
| boss for his support, Croker has made no
promises He has accepted the orators
Overtures for peace in way that Bryans
| friends have construed to be friendly. He
has not placed himself on record as agree
ing to support Bryan in payment of Bryans
shelving IS to 1 and ceasng his attacks on
Tammany. In the west 1t is said the word
was to go out that Bryan had won Croker.
| The terms of the winning were to have
! been a secret. The impression was to go
| forth in due time that the young man by
| sheer independence had conquered the
| Tammany toss, who was willing to sup
| port him If he nominated When the
! facts become known to the silver leaders
! they will understand the boss has pulled
Bryan off the silver perch and has killed
| him with the persons with whom he
| strongest.
Mourn Cookers Absence.
| Croker has departed for the English race
| tracks and the atmosphere of royalty and
| las left behind him host of mourning ad-
| herents. They have cause to be mournful,
| for they will probably need his guidance be-
| fore he returns. AS it is, johnny Car
! roll, the ''boss's' representative, will prob
| ably be very busy. Carroll is not popular
with the rank and file of Tammany, and
| there are certain district leaders ready to
snap their fingers at his authority as soon
| as Croker is out of the country. This fact
| in connection with the routine supervision
| of the city in generar will probably make
the temperature higher in the vicinity OF
CAROLS Office than anywhere else in Great
| er New York. 1t is no7secret that but for
Cookers announced plan TO go abroad for
| called SO early in the investigation as he
! was. Counsel Moss thought and still thinks
| that Croker would make a much more in
| teresting witness after the investigation had
| gone en- for some time, and it looks as il
| Croker's next appearance on the witness
| stand. on August % will be at a most in
| teresting stage Of the inquiry. 1t is highly
| probable that John E. Carroll and Andy
Freedman will preCede Mr. Croker on the
| stand by several weeks.
| 1t is understood that the two depart
| hn iT,In inn
| ton is resumed are the police and building
| departments. 1t is said that Mr.. Moss will
| have some surprises to spring IN the mat
! ter of the police corruption fund 1t IS
| limited that or two captains who re-
belled against the assessment levied on thern
| to swell this fund had told the whole story
| to Mr. Moss It is said that the captains
| were assessed 5000 each for ''beneVolent
| purposes, and that Brooklyn captain maze
| a vigorous protest. 1t has been SAID mat
! he went so far as to write letter to Gov
! ernor Roosevelt setting forth the facts AT
any rate the captain has been subpoenaed.
| Corruption Fund n Fact.
That Mr.. Moss Will establish beyond all
! question the existence of this police cor
| rup,on fund IS taken for grated by all
| who know his intimate sources of infor1na-
| ton III the police department. He Will turn
! the searchlight squarely on this recent
chapter of police corruption when he starts
| out again. 1t seems to be an assured tact
!
| ciety for the Prevention of Crime when the
| inquiry is resumed. Parkhurst, moved by
| the force of the committees work, appears
| to have changed his mind as to the matter
| of lending Mr.. Moss a hand, and as his
| associates on the executive committee nave
! all along been in favor of assisting the in
| VeStigatiOn, it is not unlikely that formal
action will be taken, placing the books and
| records of the society at the committees
| disposal
1t is understood that Dock Commissioner
| n will ha
! to tell how much he makes for himself ana
| Croker as auctioneer for the city, and II
| that work is not violation of the charter.
| Practically all of the auction business OF
| the city is done by Peter F. Meyer q Com
pany. and the fees of the firm from this
| business, it is estimated exceed $4,000
| year Meyer, who is the auctioneer, is also
| a dock commissioner at salary of $1,000
| a year. The legality of the employment Of
| dock commissioner a city auctloneer
has often been discussed in the city de-
| partments, and many politicians are of the
Go on OF the ia 1F not the letter of s
| sections of the city charter. But the orders
| are that the business must go to the firm
| in which Croker is a partner, and there it
| goes.
| Visitation of Fires.
During the past three months there have
| been 1,SOO fires in the city of New York, an
| average of twenty a day. This breaks the
| record in number, and several fires were
| close to the record in loss of life and at
| tendant horrors. A great number of these
fires at first sight strongly suggested in
| cendiarism In many cases the incendiary
| origin was obvious, but in others there were
| only strongly suspicious circumstances,
I which investigation sometimes cleared up
| Fire Marshal Seery says that it must be
| borne in mind that the winter we have just
| gone through was very hard one EX-
| IRENE cold weather is always accompanied
| by proportionate number of fires, for all
kinds of heating appliances are run at high
defective fire is ant e slsy are M Any way
| shal does not believe that the extraordinary
number OF fires indicates the existence and
| operations OF gang of firebugs. He is