The age-herald., 1899-09-15
CROKER ATTACKS
 COUNSEL MOSS Says the MaEet Committees Attorney
 Should be Prosecuted. VAN WICK IS RECALClTRANT Little Information is Cleaned From the
 Mayors Answers.
VAN WICK IS RECALClTRANT
C0LLOQUY IS FULL OF AcRIM0NY
Van Wyck Sneers at Counsel's Attain mepts as Lawyer and Tells Him to Proceed With His Threats
 and Stop Talking.

New York, September 14.-Mayor Robert A. Van Wyek occupied the witness chair today before the assembly committee charged with Investigating the various de- partments of ithe municipal government.
 From the outset the examination of the mayor by Counsel Moss took the form of acrimonious .colloquy, in the course of which MT. Van Wyck fntimated that MT Moss was seeking to reach a seat on the supreme bench by pressing a partisan in- investigation, and sneered at the counsels attainments as lawyer.
 MT Van Wyck began his testimony by saying he had from the time he assumed office been alarmed over the inadequacy of luhe Brooklyn water supply. He had not given the Ramapo Water company contract consideration. It would be time enough for that when it reached him offi- cially. It was, witness understood a mere option, and could do no harm to the city. Witness had not consulted with the heads of departments regarding the contract.
 The officials, The said, were to exercise their own judgment and not to come To hum for advice upon such subjects. Wit ness again said he would consider the Ramapo contract when it came before him.
 s'None of Your Business"
 "When will it come before you?" asked Mir Moss.
 When I send for it."
 When will you send for it?'
 "None of your business"
 The witness was not convinced there was fraud in nd vised counsel to call Comptroller Collier and Bridge Commissioner Shea, the only city officials who had charged fraud
 Counsel began formulating a question as to the duty of the mayor to remove com missioners who were incompetent.
 'Oh,' broke in the mayor, you're talk ing of removing and you have been talk ing of leSislating me out. Why don't you go ahead and do it and not be talking such impertinence? And why don't you receive that list of stockholders you were offered yesterday. You talk as though Silas B. Butsher, Levi P. Morton and General
 Tracy, having stock in this company, are a pack of thieves"
 Richard Croker followed Mayor Van
 Nyck on the stand He testified that he had not adivesd any of the commissioners on the subject of the Ramapo contract. Before he went to Europe last spring a committee of citizens had called upon the witness to urge the need of an improved water system. He was often visited by such committees seeking his aid and influ- ence. Witness intended to inquire into the merits of the Ramapo contract
 What are you going to do in the way
 of advising these gentlemen of the board of public improvement after you have made
 your investigation?' asked Mr. Moss
 'I am not going to tell you. You're not
 here for fair investigation" replied MT.
 Croker. You're here for one side only and for one purpose only 1 have been looking you up as l said l would when l was on
 the stand before. You told me l might do
 it, and I have done it. l will prove you now a man of bad standing in this city. I will give what I know to the press here today. I have here decision from the su- preme court
 So saying. MT. Croker handed a written statement to the reporters present. "Moss should i;e Prosecuted." The statement concerning MT. Moss which MT. Croker gave to the reporters was an extract from an opinion of the jus | tices of the general term of the supreme court in a case in which there was intro l duced as evidence deposition attested be- | fore MT. Moss, and another, as notaries | public.
 | MT Moss was examined in court as to 1 the authenticity of the signatures of the | deponent and the witness but he admitted ! presence and that he only knew the wit | ness through the introduction by the pria- cipal.
 MT. Justice Van Brune expressed the opinion that the notaries Gone of them MT Moss), should be criminally prosecuted for | attesting instruments without having seen the signing of them and without the knowl- edge of the signers' identity, which the law requires.
 | The Afternoon Session At the afternoon session, the chief Wit l nesses were Hugh Mclaughlin, of Brook- | lyn, and Ward Lauter'bach, the latter l counsel for the Ramapo company Several 1 communca tions were read, one of which | was from Stuyvesant Fish. president of l the Illinois Central railroad, asking that l it be placed on record that his company l had no business transactions with ,Sena- 1 tor Thomas c. Platt.
 MT. Mclaughlin denied all association with officials of the Ramapo company in relation to the proposed water contract, and declared that he had had confer | ence with Richard Croker touching that matter
 | MT Lauterbach went into details regard | ing the stock of the Ramapo company, the l list of which had been submitted yester- | day representing $2 50000O He had no | knowledge of any transfer of stock with | out payment, except in his own case, he | having received 25O shares flor services | rendered. He declared that during the past | six months he could have sold his stock al | par showing the substantial condition of | the corporation.
 The committee adjourned with MT. Lau- | terbach on the stand.