The record-union., 1899-04-23
Neither Croker Nor Any Of His Better
Known Business Associates Examined.
Counsel for the Committee Direct
ed by the Chairman to Bring
Samuel Myers, a Witness Who
Refused to Answer a Number
of Questions, Before the Court
for Contempt.

NEW YORK, April 22.-Beyond the
enunciation of a stringent line of action
against contumacious witnesses and the
preparation to make a speedy example
of one individual, to-day's sessions of
the Mazet Investigating Committee
We're comparatively uninteresting and
unimportant. Neither Mr.. Croker nor
any of the better known persons asso-
ciated with him We're examined, and
the affairs of the Tammany leader did
not come into prminence. After one
more session, on Monday, it is an
nounced that the committee Will ad-
journ till May 9th, and in the interval
it is presumed they will submit pre-
hminary report to the Legislature, and
possibly proceed against several wit
nesses for contempt.
To-day's proceedings opened with an
investigation of the proceedings in this
city of the Maryland Whisky Company.
Mr.. Moss had several times intimated
that this brand was being sold through
the influence of city officials. Samuel
Myers, a Broadway tailor, who, Mr..
Moss seemed to think, had furthered
the sale of the Maryland whisky, re-
fused point blank to answer a number
of questions, and Chairman Mazet di-
rected that counsel should bring Myers
before the court for contempt as soon
as possible
The other witnesses called confined
their testimony almost entirely to the
Building Department and the various
systems of fireproofng.
TESTIMONY AT YESTERDAYS
HEARING
NEW YORK, April 22.-The seventh
session of the Mazet Investigating
Committee was held to-day. A large
crowd was present, owing to an unau-
thenticated rumor that Richard Croker
Chief of Police Devory and Captain
Price might all face the inquisitors.
The proceedings opened in a some
what sensational manner. Proctor
Clarke, assistant counsel to the COM
mitlee, addressing Mr. Mazet, said he
desired to call the attention of the conf
mittee ard of witnesses to the Penal
Code sections which provide for a years
Imprisonment or a fine of $500, or both,
for refusal to answer questions pro-
pounded by the committee of the Legis-
lature
You will observe said Mr. Clarke,
"by contumacious refusal to- answer
proper and material questions, a wit
ness commits a misdemeanor. It is the
purpose of the counsel, with the APP
prevail of the committee, at the proper
time, to be determined by the ,udg-
nlent OF the counsel to the committee, to
cite such contumacious witnesses who
have refused to answer such proper
questions to the constituted criminal
authorities of this county for present
ment, Indictment and punishment, not
for moment doubling that the consti-
tutional officer of this county, the Dis
trict Attorney, will lend his aid to the
proper observance of the laws OF the
State"
Mr.. Clarke went on to state that if it
were impossible for the Grand Jury of
this county to spare the time to deal
with cases Of contempt, the counsel for
the committee would request the Gov
ernor to appoint a Judge to hold an
extraordinary term of the Supreme
Court and to impanel an extraordinary
Grand Jury before which the matters
could be brought according to the ex-
listing laws governing such cases.
DR.. O'Sullivan, representing the city
departments, referred to Mr.. Clarke's
announcement as intimidation"
Mr.. Clarke protested against the use
of that word, and Mr.. Mazet rulad that
Or. O'Suliivan had no right to use it.
The Tammany counsel, however, con-
tinued, and said:
Il contend that this committee Is not
the judge of questions as to their ma
teriality or propriety, and also that you
are not the judges as to whether a wit
ness is contumacious or not
Lucien Bonehus was the first witness.
He said he lived in this city and at one
time had some connection with the
Maryland Whisky Company. Maurice
Untermeyer had invited him to take an
interest in that company. Mr.. Bonehus
said he left the company because he
did not like the kind of statesmen that
were engaged. He said that some Of
the headquarters officers in Baltimore
had complained that the statesmen were
drawing trade in disreputablej resorts in
this city.
Samuel Meyers, a tailor on Broadway,
was then called. He refused to say
whether he had taken orders for Mary
land whisky.
THAT is my business he reiterated.
and though Chairman Mazet ordered