New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-22

Gas Company. After admitting that he was IN
terested in the company. an interest which he
professed to have legitmately bought, he re-
fused to enlighten the committee further by re-
sorting to the stereotyped cry Of personal
affairs" With an outburst of indignation he
denied that Richard Croker knew of his con-
nection with the company. Mr.. Moss, however.
wasted little time with the gas concern. He
was anxious TO probe into the question Of
Cookers interest In the United States Fidelity
and Guaranty Company. the concern run by
Freedman for supplying bonds TO city officials
Freedman was unaware how many officials had
bonds In his company. but he admitted that he
importuned them to deal with him by sending
them circulars Mr.. Croker. he said. had paid
for the stock he owned In the company. which.
by the way although 1t had paid no dividends,
yet. as he stated later had proved vertable
gold mine 10 himself and his friend Croker.
This had been accomplished by the division or
commissions While on this line of examina-
ton Mr.. Moss was more than once told to mind
his own business but he succeeded in eliciting
from Freedman. who made many damaging
breaks in his angry outbursts. that he divided
his salary of $4,000 a year and his highly re-
munerative commissions with Richard Croker
He denied that Mr.. Cookers share was SooVU
a year. but shut his mouth tightly when he was
asked IL the amount was as low as $2o.VU Ana
the only reason why he divided his emoiuments
with Tammany's king vas that he was ANXIOUS
to have Mr. Cookers friendship"
IT realized" he explained ingenuously that
II Mr. Croker would join me in this enterprise
Il would be most successful. because he has got
more men that are willing TO serve him from
friendship than any other man in this country
Freedman contended with great assurance that
he had right TO divide his commissions ana
salary with Croker, but when Mr. MOSS pihheu
him down again TO the statement that 1t was
only commission money and not DIVIDENDS which
had been paid to the head Of all the Tammany-
,,.s he realized that he had plunged his friend
into a somewhat awkward fix.
Croker had testified that part of his income
was from dividends of that company, and wheh
Mr. Moss confronted Freedman with this fact
he lost his head entirely. When counsel wanted
10 know more about this discrepancy OF evidence
Freedman gave way TO almost uncon'rohaoie
anger and shouted TO Mr.. Moss to go ana IN
vestigate Platts company" Freedman was So
irrelevant in his confusion and INDUCED in such
general personalities that the chairman oroereo
much OF his testimony to be stricken from the
records. To many of the questions put 10 MN
he was directed by Mr.. Mazet to make specific
answers. but he so dehantly declined tha' lhe
chairman ultimately characterized his replies
as impairment.
MR.. MOSS PROTESTS.
When Mr. Moss observed that the witness was
getting too much beside himself to be lntehi-
gible he ndulgently suspended the examination
No sooner had he risen from the chair than
Freedman threw a paper uprn the reporters
table. saying Gentlemen of the press. here Is
a statemen. Of the entire business of the Platt
companies and of all the companies for publica-
,fo, from, which Won will the truth.
Mr. Moss Immediately recalled Freedman TO
,he stand and addressing the committee, said
with slow emphasis:
"A witness appearing before an investigating
committee and leaving the stand, but two rect
away from the stand throws out paper to the
gentlemen of the press with the remark that
has been made Now the paper is there. am
glad IL is out, and will be glad to have anything
that this witness can say 10 add to this state
ment, and have called him upon the stand
that he may do so; to explain this statement
which he has thrown out in this contemptuous
way II is fragrant contempt toward the COM
mttee and while do not now suggest that the
committee should take any criminal proceedings
against this ge 1tleman. want to say right
here that propose and we propose to look upon
this contempt business in a regular, logical and
legal way, and when sufficient number OF
gentlemen have put themselves in contempt of
this committee we will take care of them In
bunch"
"well, we will have good company Mr.. Moss"
the witness returned with show Of bravado
but with a decidedly nervous laugh.
Tax Commissioner Edward c. Sheehy was
next called. but after a private consultation
Mr.. Moss excused him and called Frank Bell
Deputy Commissioner. Thereupon Assembly
man Hoffman assuming that MI Sneeny wo l,r
not testify as counsel desired In regard to Mr..
Croker's taxes. insisted upon the Commissioner
being called TO the stand. and In the course or
a fiery speech. which he demanded should go
on record. denounced the investigation as UNI
fair and outrageous and declared that he was
determined as member OF the committee that
the people should know the truth" Mr.. Moss
allowed the Assemblyman 10 give full rein TO
his Indignation, and then quietly announced that
at Mr.. Sheehys own request he had called Mr.
Bell because the latter was more familiar with
the intricaces of the tax books Through Mr.
Bell IL was shown that although there has been
O large increase In the tax values in the last
year. Mr.. Cookers tax was still $1,000 less than
IL was in 1897. Mr. Bell also admitted that the
adjustments of values were fixed by arbitrary
methods
Abraham Himmelwright. manager Of the
Roebng Construction Company. who followed
declined to answer on the ground that they were
personal matters" any questions relating to
his company or Its TRANSACTIONS The Witness
whole conduct on the stand was offensive and
contumacous. This was especially true when
ne was asked whether or not it was a fact that
Senator Grady received fee of $1,000 to APP
pear before the Buildings Department TO obtain
the officials approval Of the Roebling material
every time the company secured contract He
admitted that on one occasion he had been told
by Superintendent Dooner of the Department to
go and consult Con" DAILY, but he forgot
upon what business
School Commissioner George Livingston was
called TO throw some light upon the sudden de-
cision OF the Board to give the Roebling com
prny a practical monopoly OF freproofing In
schools while John j. Donnelly. walking dele
gate Of Bricklayers' Union No Z; Henry K. Ber-
liner secretary of the Maryland Whiskey Com
pany and Wilson p Marshbank, one of the in