The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-04-18
RICHARD CROKER AGAIN
festifes Before the Mazet Investi-
eating Committee,
he IS IN TECHNICAL CONTEMPT.

Carroll Before the Adjournment of
the. state Legislature.
New York, April 1S.-In the session
of the Mazet Legislative Investigating
committee yesterday Richard Croker
was again the principal object of Mr..
Moss examination, and the most i'm
portant development was the probable
ity that the Tammany chieftain and
John f. Carroll will be the subject of
contempt proceedings before the state
legislature shall adjourn. All during
yesterdays evidence Mr.. Croker par
ried the questions of the counsel of the
committee and refused to satisfy the
members with the amount of informa-
tion he was willing to give regarding
personal affairs"
An adjournment of the committee
was taken yesterday until next Fri
day morning, and Mr.. Croker was sub
penaed to reappear before the session
next Monday morning By the initia-
tive of Mr.. Moss many of whose ques-
tions Mr.. Croker repeatedly refused to
II
sallies that came very near being per-
sonal, the chairman of the commit
tee took such action as would leave
Mr. Croker in technical contempt. 1t
was stated that when Mr.. Fallow, Of
the committee, left yesterday after
noon for Albany he had instructions
to prepare papers adjudging Mr.. Croker
and John F. Carroll in contempt
When the committee began yester-
days inquiry, about the first thing
brought up was a resort known as the
Broadway Garden, which had -four
ished in the upper Broadway district
for some time. In this place the alleged
robbery of the former mayor of Tren-
ton, Frank Mcgowan, took place, and
Simon Buttner, the former proprietor
of the place, and several of his walters
were examined. Buttner made some
startling charges against police Cap
tain Price, and his walters corrobor-
ated, in part, his testimony. Buttner
said that at his Broadway Garden
everything had gone well until Cap
tain Price came to the precinct. Then,
Buttner said, it 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 $3.50 and half of any rob-
| berry that was accomplished in it. On
one occasion, Buttner said, woman
robbed a man of $4,000 and gave the
whole amount to the wardman. The
money was returned to the loser and
| the woman let go. She was PRO
tected." Buttner told of numerous
cases of persecution and bleeding" by
Captain Price.
Assemblyman Hoffman offered q
resolution to have certain prominent
men summoned before the committee
because of a rumor that a certain
law firm "by and with the assistance
of other persons, by corrupt methods
secured the passage through the as
sembly" of the Astoria gas franchise
whose real purpose twas to enable the
Consolidated Gas Company to force {
consolidation of all the gas interests o
the city, to the end that the supply o.
gas might be controlled and the price
regulated by the .so-called consolida
ton" Mr.. Hoffman wanted to sub
poena the law firm of Tracy, BoardmaI
and Plat; Elihu Root, the incorpora
tors of the Astoria Heat, Light anC
Power Co.; Thomas r. Platt, Benjamin
]. Odell, Lemuel Quigg and John D
Trimmins. The resolution was de
feated, however, five Republicans op
posing 1t and two Democrats favorini
it.
Richard Croker testified that tn
police did not contribute a cent to tn
Tammany campaign last year, but tha
} the officeholders did. He could no
| tell the amount of money raised las
year, nor did he know in what banl
the funds were kept He said he ha
never received a cent from Bourk
Cochran. He also swore he was neve
caught short with Manhattan al
stock, and did not lose $4,000, as re
ported.
When Mr.. Moss said that Mr.. Croke
had found that in business matters
like that of Peter Meyer & Co., mem
bers of the organization could hel
each other, Mr.. Croker said angrily
"You are trying to make us out
pack of thieves in one combination to
gether, and you can't do it."
J., "And you think that these question
indicate that persons who do thes
things are thieves?" queried Mr. Mos
"That is what you are trying to e
at" said Mr.. Croker, thoroughly aroui
ed. 81 say that the people of the cit
: of New York, when they voted for OF
ticket, voted to put in the organizf
tion and believed in the organizatio
= and believed that the organizatio
should run this city. And when yo
were put out of the police board thi
is what you were put out for-becaui
you were not an organization man"
After a further exchange of shal
= words, Mr.. Croker becoming enrage
Mr.. Moss remarked that it was ev
Is dent that Mr.. Croker realized the "seT
70 BUSINESS of the occasion The Tan
3. many leader retorted:
n mot very serious. / am not goiI
away. l am going TO stay here uni
the circus is over. You can have u
any day you want"
= Later on Mr.. Moss asked: "Ha'
: you not during the last year receiv,
: large sums of money from individua
{ which we're not your profit or earnin
n from any business?"
= mol" shouted Mr., Croker, and
: repeated his answer.
g Mr.. Croker was seen at the Dem
: cratic club last night and asked If
r had any comment to make upon t
refusal of the Mazet committee
: subpoena Tracy, Boardman, Platt a.
others alleged to have been interest
I in the Astoria Gas franchise. 81 q
not at all surprised by that actor
said Mr.. Croker. why should [
committee call Tracy, Boardman a
4